2 isle students vying
for science awards

They are among 300
seeking a national honor

Star-Bulletin staff

Hawaii high school seniors Kelsie Takasaki, 17, and Lizhou Wang, 16, are among 300 semifinalists vying for $1.2 million in scholarships and awards in a national science talent-search competition.

The competition for high school seniors is sponsored by Intel Corp. and Science Service.

Takasaki attends Waiakea High School in Hilo. She was selected for her botany project, "Autotrophic Anthurium Growth and Regeneration as Provided by Excel Fertilizer and Spirulina Algae."

Wang attends Iolani School. She submitted a chemistry project titled, "Grafting of Polymers Onto Gold by Surface-Initiated Polymerization: A Novel Approach in Sensor Technology."

The 40 finalists, to be named Jan. 24, will be invited to Washington, D.C., March 8-13.

They will have an opportunity to present their research projects to prominent scientists, teachers and the media.

Each semifinalist receives a $1,000 scholarship, while $1,000 will also be awarded to their schools for science and math education programs.