Emily McDermott, a senior at Smithtown High School East, has made the 2016 Intel Science Talent search semifinalist list.
According to a news release issued by the school, McDermott’s project, ‘Developing an Experimental Model for Natural Variation in Genetic Robustness’, earned her recognition as well as a $1,000 award. Moreover, she earned an additional $1,000 toward STEM education for Smithtown High School East.
McDermott did her research at Stony Brook University in associate professor Dr. Joshua Rest’s lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. According to Maria Zeitlin, the Research Coordinator for Smithtown High School East, the senior’s work was equivalent to graduate level study.
The Intel Science Talent Search is the highest regarded pre-college science competition in the country. Out of 1,700 applicants, McDermott was one of 300 semifinalists, which were then winnowed down to 40 finalists on January 20. In March, the 40 finalists will go to Washington, D.C. for final judging and to enable the public to see their work. The top three contestants will each receive $150,000.
Although the Smithtown High School student did not make the finalist cut, just being a semifinalist will be make an impressive addition to a college or scholarship application, as well as her résumé. Schools can also benefit from having produced an Intel Semifinalist by passing that information along to their Stationery printer.
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