Top Awards

Terik Daly, a 10th grade student at Oak Grove High School in San Jose (Santa Clara County) was selected for the Dr. & Mrs. Arnold O. Beckman Project of the Year -- Senior Division and received a $10,000 cash prize. His project was titled "The Derivation and Interpretation of Geochemical Ratios Generated by Meteoritic Impact." Bryce W. Cronkite-Ratcliff, an 8th grade student from Woodside Elementary School in Woodside (San Mateo County) was chosen for the Dr. & Mrs. Arnold O. Beckman Project of the Year -- Junior Division award and received a $5,000 cash prize. His project was titled "The Burning Mirror of Archimedes: A Weapon of Mast Destruction?" Two special committees, one for each division, reviewed all first-place, winning projects from every subject category in order to select the best project in each division.

Sarah-Marie Amiri, a senior at San Marcos Senior High School in Santa Barbara was named California State Science Fair Student of the Year and was presented with a $1,000 cash prize. Her project entry was titled "The Effects of Upwelling, Eutrophication, and Trace Metals on the Bloom Dynamics of Pseudo-nitzschia." This award is presented to the high school senior who, in the opinion of the judges, best exemplifies the qualities necessary for success in science.

David Piercy, a teacher at Alta Sierra Intermediate School in Clovis (Fresno County) was named California State Science Fair Teacher of the Year -- Junior Division, and Peter Starodub, a teacher at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates (Los Angeles County) was named California State Science Fair Teacher of the Year -- Senior Division. Each received a $2,000 cash prize.

Jeffrey N. Rudolph, executive director, California Science Center, commented, "The fair helps students learn that they can be scientists and that it can be fun and satisfying to exercise their creativity, intellect and curiosity." The Science Center's involvement with the annual event dates back more than 40 years and is part of its mission to stimulate and nurture public interest in science, math and technology.

                        Special Recognition Awards

  *  John D. Isaacs Scholarship, a $12,000 scholarship in marine science was
     given to Sarah-Marie Amiri (Santa Barbara).

  *  Silicon Boule Award, representative of today's high technology,
     uniquely acknowledges distinctive performance in the physical sciences.
     The award is the recipient's choice of either a laptop computer or a
     silicon boule.  The Senior Engineer Scientist winner is Evan M. Gates
     (Calabasas).  The Junior Engineer Physicist winner is Nathan R.
     Pederson (Thousand Oaks).

Information on other Special Recognition Awards, as well as the complete list of subject category award winners, can be viewed at www.californiasciencecenter.org/CSSF/. Reporters may also call the Science Center's Communications Department at (213) 744-7446 for winners from their area.

California Science Center is located at 700 State Drive-Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission to the exhibits is free. IMAX Theater tickets range from $4.50 to $7.50. Both the Science Center and IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible. Visitors can enter the parking lot at 39th and Figueroa Street. Parking is $6. For general information, phone (323) SCIENCE or visit our web site at www.californiasciencecenter.org.

Source: California Science Center

CONTACT: Paula Wagner of California Science Center, +1-213-744-7446

Web site: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/CSSF

Web site: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/