HCHS student one of only 30 national Broadcom Masters 2017 Finalists

9/25/2017

Congratulations to HCHS student, Helen L. for being named a 2017 Broadcom Masters Finalist! This is a tremendous honor and we are thrilled that Helen will have the opportunity to compete against 29 other middle school scientists at the national level.

This research is a result of her 8th grade science fair project. She did the project while in Mr. Castillo's class with the technical support and expertise of Mr. Pinkerton. Broadcom is the middle school equivalent of Regeneron (formerly Intel) Science Talent Search; two years ago our school's science fair became affiliated with the Broadcom. Helen is one of 30 national finalists and she will be competing in DC in the National Finals. She is our school's first ever national finalist. Wish her congratulations if you see her!

Helen’s project is titled Using Flotation Systems to Harness Wave Power Using Electromagnetism. After Hurricane Sandy hit Helen's neighborhood in 2012, the area had no electricity for a week. Concern about climate change led Helen to learn about renewable energy technologies. Wave power especially fascinated her. That technology uses the motion of ocean waves to make electricity. "I wanted to find a clean and easy way to generate electricity using wave power that could work almost anywhere," she explains. "My research led me to investigate magnetism.”

Winners will be named on October 24 after finalists complete in a rigorous competition that will test their abilities in STEM, critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.

We are so proud of you, Helen!

Top Hunter College High School Science and Engineering Fair Competitor named 2017 Broadcom MASTERS Finalist

HCHS student, Helen L., a top competitor at the Hunter College High School Science and Engineering Fair, has been named a top 30 finalist in the 7th annual Broadcom MASTERS,® the nation’s most prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) middle school competition, founded and produced by the Society for Science & the Public. Helen will be competing for more than $100,000 in awards, including a top prize of $25,000.

Helen was selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from a record high of 2,499 applicants in 37 states, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense overseas. The applicants were nominated to compete in the Broadcom MASTERS by placing among the top 10 percent of middle school competitors at Society-affiliated regional and state science fairs, including the Hunter College High School Science and Engineering Fair. And for the second year in a row, there will be an equal number of male and female finalists competing in this prestigious competition, which seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the grand challenges of the future.

Helen’s project is titled Using Flotation Systems to Harness Wave Power Using Electromagnetism. After Hurricane Sandy hit Helen's neighborhood in 2012, the area had no electricity for a week. "Our elderly neighbors were barely able to carry their own water to their 12th floor apartment," Helen recalls. Unfortunately, severe storms and other extreme weather events will become more frequent in a warming world. “Since then, I knew we needed a way to stop the terrible trend of global warming,” she says. Concern about climate change led Helen to learn about renewable energy technologies. Wave power especially fascinated her. That technology uses the motion of ocean waves to make electricity. "I wanted to find a clean and easy way to generate electricity using wave power that could work almost anywhere," she explains. "My research led me to investigate magnetism.”

Finalist projects cover multiple disciplines of science, including environmental and earth science, medicine and health science, electrical and mechanical engineering, microbiology, biochemistry, bioengineering, computer science, software engineering, behavioral and social sciences, energy and sustainability, animal science, chemistry, and plant science.

Winners will be named on October 24 after finalists complete in a rigorous competition that will test their abilities in STEM, critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.

“I’m thrilled to see that for the second year in a row we have an equal number of male and female Broadcom MASTERS competitors,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. “I am proud that the Society for Science & the Public, along with the Broadcom Foundation, is able to inspire and support such extraordinary young people.”

2017 Broadcom MASTERS Fast Facts:

Finalists include 15 female and 15 male students, representing 30 schools across 17 states.
California has 10 finalists, Pennsylvania has three, and New York and Florida each have two. The other states, who are represented by one finalist each include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from among a record high of 2,499 applicants in 37 states, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense overseas.
For a full listing of the 2017 finalists and project descriptions visit: https://student.societyforscience.org/broadcom-masters-2017-finalists.

Finalist projects cover multiple disciplines of science, including environmental and earth science, medicine and health science, electrical and mechanical engineering, microbiology, biochemistry, bioengineering, computer science, software engineering, behavioral and social sciences, energy and sustainability, animal science, chemistry, and plant science.

During the seventh annual Broadcom MASTERS final competition (October 19 –25), an equal number of young men and women will showcase their projects and compete as teams in hands-on STEM activities. The public is invited to view the top 30 projects and meet the finalists on Saturday, October 21 from 1-4pm at a free event at Union Station. The week’s activities culminate with an awards dinner on October 24 at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Helen will receive a $500 cash award and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC, for the competition, where she will compete for the following awards:

$25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, a gift of Susan and Henry Samueli, Co-Founder of Broadcom Corporation, Chairman of the Broadcom Foundation, and Chief Technical Officer of Broadcom Limited, for the student who demonstrates mastery of all STEM fields, and exemplifies how research, innovation and teamwork come together to impact our everyday lives.
$20,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognizes the student whose work and performance shows the most promise in health-related fields.
$10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, awarded to a student who demonstrates prowess in electrical engineering.
$7,500 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems.
First and Second Place Awards issued in each category of STEM will receive $3,500 or $2,500, respectively, to use toward a STEM summer camp experience, plus an iPad.
Two Rising Stars in sixth or seventh grade will be named as delegates to represent the U.S. at the Broadcom MASTERS International next spring in Pittsburgh. Delegates will attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest international high school science fair in May 2018.

Broadcom MASTERS will recognize Helen’s science teacher with a one year classroom subscription to Science News magazine, and has awarded Hunter College High School with $1,000 to use toward STEM activities.

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