The U.S. team, made up of four of the nation’s top high school chemistry students, competed with teams from 59 other countries in the week-long event, sponsored by the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society. This year’s team included students from high schools in California, Florida and New Jersey.
“These young people are truly inspiring,” said Bill Carroll, Ph.D., ACS president. “They and others like them are the innovators of tomorrow and the ones who will keep this country competitive in the global technology marketplace. I’d like to invite all of today’s youth to step up to that challenge and I’d like to challenge today’s leaders to pave their way with more support for science and technology budgets."
The U.S. medalists are:
Allen Cheng, Arcadia, Calif. – Silver Medal — A 2005 graduate of Arcadia High School, Allen will attend Harvard College, where he plans to major in biology/neuroscience and eventually may seek a career in neurosurgery or neurological research. Allen plays the violin and was a member of the school orchestra and several academic teams.
Nicholas Sofroniew, Los Angeles, Calif. – Silver Medal — A 2005 graduate of Harvard–Westlake High School, Nicholas will attend Cambridge University in the U.K., where he plans to major in biochemistry. He hopes to eventually establish a career in academic research. His extracurricular activities in high school included theater and the chess club.
Scott Rabin, Miami, Fla. – Bronze Medal — A 2005 graduate of Miami Palmetto Senior High School, Scott will attend MIT, where he expects to major in chemistry/chemical engineering. He hopes to have a career in chemical or chemical engineering research. Scott placed fourth in the national Science Bowl and had a research assistantship while in high school.
Jacob Sanders, River Edge, N.J. – Silver Medal –– A 2005 graduate of the Academy for the Advancement of Science & Technology, Jacob will attend Harvard College, where he plans to major in chemistry and physics. He hopes to one day be a university chemistry professor in charge of a laboratory. In addition to his Olympiad silver medal, Jacob has won several science awards, among these first place in chemistry for the N.J. Regional Science Fair. His extracurricular activities included the varsity debate team, math and chemistry teams, and the position of school online magazine Webmaster.
The U.S. team is routinely a strong competitor at the International Chemistry Olympiad. In 2004 the team won four silver medals. In 1999 and 2000, a member of the American team won the top gold medal. This year’s U.S. team members were selected at the conclusion of a comprehensive two-week study camp in June at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The International Chemistry Olympiad originated with Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary in 1968. Other eastern European countries soon joined the event, and Western Europe began participating in 1974. The first U.S. team competed in 1984, winning one silver and two bronze medals.
The ACS has sponsored the American team annually since the United States joined the Olympiad. Principal funding is through the Society’s Othmer Olympiad Endowment, with additional support from the U.S. Air Force Academy; IBM Research; Merck Publishing Group; Texas Instruments, Inc.; Flinn Scientific; W.H. Freeman & Company; McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; Advanced Chemistry Development; Thomson, Brooks/Cole; Fisher Scientific; Pearson Prentice Hall; and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization, chartered by the U.S. Congress, with a multidisciplinary membership of more than 158,000 chemists and chemical engineers. It publishes numerous scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
For photos of U.S.team members and more information about them, please contact the person listed at the top of this release.