Aragon student wins prestigious science award

At the beginning of lunch on January 12, music blared from the loudspeakers like any other day. But senior Peter Zhan had a strange feeling as he walked out of the counseling office. Stopped suddenly by a crowd of students, faculty, and his own mother, Zhan’s premonition was confirmed; something was amiss. Within moments, Principal Patricia Kurtz began a surprise award ceremony. She started by introducing Leroy Tripette of the Intel Science Program; Tripette explained that Zhan had been selected as a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search and presented him with an oversized $1,000 check.

Since 1942, the Intel Science Talent Search has identified some of America’s top mathematical and scientific minds; some contest winners have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes, National Medals of Science, and Fields Medals. Last year’s winner developed a program to make space travel more efficient using the gravity and movement of planets, allowing space missions to require less fuel.

Zhan’s microbiology project “Global Warming’s Impact on Living Organisms: A Quantitative Analysis of the Effect of Temperature on Bacteria” is relevant to what many scientists are researching. “I analyzed the effect of temperature on living organisms and compared that to the temperature effect on simple chemical reactions,” Zhan described. He explained that based on knowledge gained in his classes of AP Statistics, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, and AP Biology, his completed calculations indicated that “life is much more susceptible to global warming than a chemical reaction.”

Math teacher Andrea Gould and science teacher Katherine Ward, his mentors, had an easy job as Zhan took initiative and worked independently on his project.

For advancing to the semifinals, Zhan received $1,000 and Aragon High School also received $1,000 to help stimulate the growth of the science program in the school. Of the 1,744 contestants, 300 were named semifinalists by a panel of judges who are among the top scientists in their fields.

In attendance at the award ceremony were District Superintendent Scott Laurence, School District Board Member Dave Pine, Aragon faculty, and Aragon students. Laurence praised Zhan after the ceremony, saying, “This is a proud moment for him, his family, and Aragon.”

On January 26, the Intel Science Program announced the 40 finalists that will go to Washington, D.C. for a week in March to compete for up to $100,000 in prizes. Once there, the finalist can explain their work to the public, including scientists and government officials; they can also meet the other finalists, who share similar interest in math and science. The itinerary includes trips to politically, scientifically, and historically significant sites, as well as meetings with Members of Congress or other public servants. A panel of judges decides the 10 winners based on interviews with the finalist and their display of their research. Intel will announce the winners on the final night during a black tie gala.