Peter Tian of Hilliard, Ohio, Wins $100,000
Individual Prize for Research on Multidimensional Matrices;
Eli Echt-Wilson and Albert Zuo of
Albuquerque, N.M. Win $100,000 Team Prize for Research on
Computational Models for Tree Growth
Three students from Hilliard, Ohio and Albuquerque, N.M. were
awarded top prizes at the 15th annual Siemens Competition in Math,
Science & Technology, the nation’s premier research competition
for high school students. The students join a highly selective
group of just 14 individual competitors and 14 teams previously
named winners of the Siemens Competition.
Peter Tian is the individual category
winner of the 2014 Siemens Competition National Finals held at
George Washington University. He receives a $100,000 college
scholarship. (Photo: Business Wire)
Peter Tian, a senior at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio,
won the $100,000 Grand Prize in the individual category for
mathematical research on pattern avoidance for multidimensional
matrices. Eli Echt-Wilson and Albert Zuo, seniors at La Cueva High
School, Albuquerque, New Mexico, will share the $100,000 Grand
Prize in the team category for research on computational models for
tree growth.
View video, photos, and bios of Siemens Competition winners
The Siemens Competition is a signature program of the Siemens
Foundation, a leading supporter of science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. The
Competition is administered by Discovery Education. The 15th annual
awards were presented this morning at The George Washington
University, host of the 2014 Siemens Competition National
Finals.
“Our heartfelt congratulations to Peter, Eli, and Albert for
winning this year’s Siemens Competition,” said David Etzwiler, CEO
of the Siemens Foundation. “The inspiring projects submitted by
these students demonstrate their commitment to advancing research
and addressing some of the world’s most challenging issues. Their
passion for improving the world through STEM is commendable, and we
at the Siemens Foundation, are proud to be a part of their
journey.”
Six individuals and six teams representing our nation’s
brightest high school students presented their original research
projects at the National Finals this weekend after winning one of
six regional competitions in November. They presented their
research to a panel of judges comprised of nationally renowned
scientists and mathematicians headed by lead judge Robert H.
Miller, Ph.D, Senior Associate Dean for Research, School of
Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University.
The Winning Individual
Peter Tian won a $100,000 college scholarship for his project,
Extremal Functions of Forbidden Multidimensional Matrices.
Peter’s project makes significant advancements in the theory of
pattern avoidance for higher dimensional matrices, and may assist
in computing the shortest rectilinear path among obstacles in
space. This in turn has potential applications to motion planning
in space or circuit design, including implications for other 3D
areas dealing with space obstacles, such as drone programming for
obstacle avoidance and self-driving cars. His work also extends a
number of known results and advances areas of pure mathematics.
Within mathematics, his project has a direct application to
hypergraphs and it also has potential applications to other areas
of combinatorics and computational geometry.
“Peter’s research significantly advances the knowledge of this
topic and opens a new area for exploration,” said James Haglund,
Professor of Mathematics, University of Pennsylvania. “One of the
more striking results is the way Peter was able to build on
previous work by generalizing standard results and adding
multi-dimensions. His work forms a wonderful basis for future
graduate research, and he hasn’t even studied at the undergraduate
level yet!”
From tessellations to the Fibonacci Numbers, Peter has
demonstrated commitment to advancing knowledge about patterns and
pure math concepts by co-founding his school’s math club. Apart
from his research, Peter runs for the cross-country team, plays
alto saxophone, and volunteers at the Center of Science and
Industry. Recent accolades include making it into Cum Laude Society
and the Harvard Prize Book. Additionally, he is a Research Science
Institute scholar and Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program
attendee. Peter intends to become a professor of mathematics, his
favorite subject.
“I am most passionate about mathematics and its applications to
science and engineering,” said Peter Tian. “It is inspiring to see
that something as intricate as math can both explain and be applied
to our natural world.”
The Winning Team
Eli Echt-Wilson and Albert Zuo will share a $100,000 college
scholarship for their project, A Detailed Computational Model of
Tree Growth.
Eli and Albert created a computer model that simulates how a
tree will grow in varying conditions, which can replace long-term
planting experiments. It can be used to optimize tree plantations,
a common way of reducing our carbon footprint. Maximizing the
efficiency of tree plantations will be one step among many to aid
CO2 sequestration and mitigate climate change. Other benefits of
this research include harvesting timber and growing tree-based
food, such as apples. This project adds to the most advanced tree
modeling that currently exists through biological rule-based
modeling, which is based on first principles.
“Eli and Albert were able to develop graphics that were so
advanced, they enabled biological modeling for real trees and
situations,” said Randy Wayne, Associate Professor, Agriculture and
Life Sciences, Cornell University. “Their paper changes the way I
looked at trees. Eli and Albert are not production scientists, but
rather original, innovative, skilled craftsmen who can work
together to help solve a pressing challenge.”
Eli serves as spokesman for the New Mexico Supercomputing
Challenge. He is also an AP computer science mentor and volunteer
website designer. He has been awarded the Botanical Society of
America’s “Best Student Physiological Paper” and has completed ten
AP classes. For his role model, Eli admires Rafael Nadal for his
hard work, dedication and ethics in both victory and defeat. In his
spare time, Eli plays the ukulele and guitar, performs magic, and
plays both tennis and soccer.
“I strive to find applications of machine learning for not only
scientific problems but also everyday challenges that affect the
entire world,” said Eli Echt-Wilson.
Albert has developed a passion for mathematics, and uses his
passion to help coach Mathcounts for middle school children in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. He keeps an open mind, explaining that
inspiration can come from anywhere, at anytime, from anyone. When
he is not conducting award-winning research, Albert is playing
tennis or chess. He is fluent in two languages. He has previously
been awarded the Botanical Society of America’s “Best Physiological
Research Presentation.”
“I like making the world a more interesting place. Stuff that we
used to see only in science fiction can now become a reality,” said
Albert Zuo.
National Finalists
Six individuals and six teams competed at the Siemens
Competition National Finals. The remaining National Finalists were
awarded the following scholarships:
Individuals
- $50,000 scholarship – Joseph Zurier,
Classical High School, Providence, R.I. (Mathematics)
- $40,000 scholarship – Molly Zhang,
Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Md. (Biochemistry)
- $30,000 scholarship – Ruchi Pandya,
Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Calif.
(Biotechnology/Chemistry)
- $20,000 scholarship – Jay Zussman,
Great Neck South High School, Great Neck, N.Y. (Biochemistry)
- $10,000 scholarship – Anvita Gupta,
BASIS Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Biochemistry)
Teams
- $50,000 scholarship – David Wu and
Xinchu Tian, Troy High School, Troy, Mich. (Biology)
- $40,000 scholarship – Jonathan Chan,
Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, N.J.; Michael Seaman,
Homeschool, Short Hills, N.J. (Mathematics)
- $30,000 scholarship – William Crugnola,
Jericho Senior High School, Jericho, N.Y.; Katie Mazalkova, Valley
Stream Central High School, Valley Stream, N.Y. (Biology)
- $20,000 scholarship – Shakthi Shrima,
Homeschool, Austin, Texas; Adam Forsyth, Georgetown Day School,
Washington, DC; Jacob Gurev, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento,
Calif. (Mathematics)
- $10,000 scholarship – Jason Lee and
Allen Lee, Millburn High School, Millburn, N.J.; David Lu, Mills E.
Godwin High School, Henrico, N.J. (Biochemistry)
The Siemens Competition
This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the Siemens Competition,
the nation’s premier research competition for high school students.
A record 2,263 students submitted a total of 1,784 projects for
consideration – 408 students were named semifinalists and 97 were
named regional finalists, representing 38 states. Entries are
judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists at six leading
research universities which host the regional competitions:
California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University,
Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, University of Notre Dame and The University of Texas at
Austin. The twenty national finalists compete at The George
Washington University for $500,000 in scholarships.
For news and announcements about the Siemens Competition, follow
us on Twitter @SFoundation (#SiemensComp) and like us on Facebook
at SiemensFoundation.
About the Siemens Foundation
The Siemens Foundation supports educational initiatives in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the
United States. Its signature programs include the Siemens
Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Science
Day. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of
innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark
of Siemens’ U.S. companies. For further information, visit
www.siemens-foundation.org.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based
digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming
teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks,
multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core,
professional development, assessment tools, and the largest
professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half
of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community
colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education
partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to
captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with
customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement.
Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:
DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in
the world. Explore the future of education at
www.discoveryeducation.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141209006364/en/
Siemens FoundationAmanda Naiman,
484-680-4427amanda.naiman@siemens.comorWeber ShandwickChristine
Gary, 202-585-2898cgary@webershandwick.com
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