Upper Dublin High School Student Wins at International Science Competition

Upper Dublin High School student Joshua Ruohua Li, 15, participated in the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which took place in Phoenix, AZ., May 17.

According to a press release about the ISEF, student winners were ninth through 12th graders who earned the right to compete at the Intel ISEF 2013 by winning a top prize at a local, regional, state or national fair.

the ISEF is described as the world's largest high school science research competition with approximately 1,600 high school students selected from 433 affiliate fairs in more than 70 countries, regions and territories, according to Intel.com. Each student shared ideas, showcased cutting-edge research and inventions, and competed for more than $4-million in awards.

The students worked on on a variety of experiments whose titles ranged from “Maximizing the Energy Efficiency of Biodiesel Process” to “Enhancing Quantum Dot Solar Cells with Metal Nanoparticles”

The Society for Science and the Public, in partnership with the Intel Foundation, announced the awards of the Intel ISEF. There were seven students who received award recognitions in the southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and in Delaware.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, there were four students awardees, including Joshua, who earned a third-place finish and $1,000 for his presentation on “Aberrant Methylation of the RASSF1A Gene as a Biomarker for the Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma,” under the subject of Energy and Transportation.

Since 1949, the Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF) have stimulated interest in science, engineering and technology among middle and high school students in the tri-state region, per the release. DVSF’s philosophy is that students learn science by doing science. Its mission is to bring together parents, teachers and industry leaders to motivate and nurture young people’s curiosity in science and problem solving as we build lifelong learners.

For more information, visit www.DVSF.org.