CSC News

December 03, 2007

Enloe HS Student Team Takes 2nd Place in National Competition

Congratulations to Hao Lian, Daniel Vitek and Vivek Bhattacharya, three gifted students from Enloe High School in Raleigh, for taking 2nd place in the national team finals of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology held this weekend in New York City.  The three will split a $50,000 scholarship award.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Donald Bitzer, Distinguished University Research Professor, Dr. Anne-Marie Stomp, associate professor of forestry, and others at NC State, the students spent countless hours after school in NC State’s computer science labs on Centennial Campus working on their project titled “A Computational Model for Translational Efficiency and Frameshifts in Escherichia coli Using a Genetic Signal Processing Approach”.

With the guidance of these NC State mentors, the three students developed a complex computer model that can be used by scientists to determine which gene sequences to use to produce specific proteins.  Ultimately, the model and the supported research have the potential to identify cost-effective methods for commercially producing useful proteins such as insulin.

The competition started with over 1,300 students presenting over 1,100 projects.  Other than students from the distinguished N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, these are the only high school students from the state of North Carolina to have ever qualified for the national finals in this prestigious competition.

To celebrate their success, the NC State Department of Computer Science will host a special reception in their honor on Friday, December 7th at 3 pm in Room 3211 EBII. 

We are very proud of their accomplishments and honored to have played a small role in their success.


Related news articles & resources:

Video of Students' Presentation to Judges (link – Select Team #3)

Wake Students Win Second Place in Science Competitions, News & Observer, by T. Keung Hui, December 3, 2007. (link)

Mentored HS Students Head to Big Apple for National Competition, NC State CSC news story, November 30, 2007 (link)

Students Get Taste of Science Celebrity, News & Observer, by T. Keung Hui, November 30, 2007. (link)

Enloe Students Win Science Prize, News & Observer, by Staff Reports, November 4, 2007. (link)

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