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West student among 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2010
By Kim Nguyen, knguyen@acnpapers.com
Plano West High School senior Elisa Bisi Lin was named one of 40 high school seniors from across the country to be named finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search.
Finalists will gather in Washington, D.C., for a weeklong event in March where they will undergo a rigorous judging process, meet with national leaders, interact with leading scientists and display their research at the National Academy of Sciences. Top winners will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 16.
“Elisa’s being chosen as a finalist is like saying you are the best in the country for science research for high school kids,” said Linda Flack, secondary science coordinator for Plano ISD. “There were literally thousands of kids competing by submitting science fair projects. The judges pare the students down to regional finalists, semifinalists and then finalists. Elisa’s one of the lucky ones to have been one of the 40 finalists.”
Lin, 18, submitted an environmental science project to the Intel Science Talent Search. She spent two years conducting research to improve organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) at the electrodes of both devices. Lin’s hybrid solar cells showed an 80 percent improvement in the maximum amount of current they could deliver and a 15 percent increase in efficiency.
By introducing transparent MWNT sheets into the architecture, Lin also created the first inverse OLEDs. These emit stable display-quality lighting and should be able to be produced simply, efficiently and with a three-fold increase in resolution.
The recipient of numerous academic awards, Lin plays in the marching band at Plano West. She volunteers at Teen Court as an attorney for juveniles with Class C misdemeanors and has worked extensively with autistic children to improve their cognitive and social skills. Lin is also president of Science Pals, which she created to demonstrate fun and safe science to children with autism.
The daughter of Lisan and Amy Lin, she hopes to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Rice University or the University of Texas-Austin and prepare for a career in research.
Flack said Lin’s achievement not only highlights Lin’s extensive research and love for science, but that of the entire district as well.
“It reflects our strong science program in Plano, and our encouragement for kids to participate in a wide variety of competitions,” Flack said. “We have a culture here, all the way from elementary school through the senior high school level, of high-quality science research and study. There are so many skills and disciplines that our students can get from the sciences that can spread to other subjects and areas of life.”
Plano ISD students have continually performed very well in regional and international science fair competitions, Flack said.
“It’s a great opportunity to have students who are really interested in pursuing careers in science-based subjects,” she said. “They have wonderful opportunities ahead of them when they succeed in events like this.”
Plano Senior High School seniors William Mahre and Janice Zhang also advanced to be among the 300 semifinalists of the Intel Science Talent Search.
“This year’s finalists are truly inspiring and they reaffirm our belief that programs like the Intel Science Talent Search foster a passion for math and science, subjects that are the foundation of the innovation that is the key to America’s future success,” said Shelly Esque, vice president of Intel’s Corporate Affairs Group. “At Intel, we believe that we must invest in math and science education now to reap the benefits of that innovation later.”
Society for Science & the Public (SSP), a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the Science Talent Search since its inception in 1942. This year marks Intel’s 12th year sponsoring the program.
“Through their independent research that tackles some of the most challenging scientific issues of our time, these 40 finalists are preparing themselves to be the leaders of tomorrow,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of SSP. “We congratulate these young innovators on their extraordinary achievements and welcome them into the prestigious fold of the Science Talent Search.”
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