Regeneron Science Talent Search

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox award The Regeneron Science Talent Search, known from its establishment in 1942 to 1998 as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and from 1999 to 2016 as the Intel Science Talent Search, is a research-based science competition in the United States for high school seniors hosted by the Society for Science. It has been referred to as "the nation's oldest and most prestigious"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> science competition and several of its alumni have gone on to be scientists prominent in their fields. In his speech at the dinner honoring the 1991 winners, President George H. W. Bush called the competition the "Super Bowl of science."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

While attending the 1939 New York World's Fair, Society for Science director Watson Davis met Edward Pendray, a Westinghouse Electric Corporation executive. Together, they brainstormed ways to encourage youth to go into scientific fields and expand science fair competitions to the national level, and created the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (Westinghouse STS).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first competition was held in 1942, won by Paul Teschan of Shorewood, Wisconsin and Marina Meyers of Farmingdale, New York.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Throughout an era of sexism in academia, the competition has always allowed male and female students to compete, though awards were given separately until 1949.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1998, Intel outbid several other potential sponsors and became the competition's sponsor; the name of the competition was changed from the Westinghouse Science Talent Search to the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS).<ref name="1998edweek">Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2016, it was announced that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals would be the new title sponsor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="smithsonian">Template:Cite news</ref> Since its founding, some 147,000 students have entered the competition. Over 22,000 have been named semifinalists and 2,920 have traveled to Washington, D.C., as contest finalists. Collectively, they have received millions of dollars in scholarships and gone on to later receive MacArthur Fellowships (20 alumni), Nobel Prizes (13 alumni),<ref name="snexplores">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="CNN">Template:Cite news</ref> National Medals of Science (eleven alumni), the Breakthrough Prize (seven alumni), the Fields Medal (two alumni),<ref name="smithsonian" /> the Lasker Award (two alumni) and numerous other accolades.<ref name="ABC">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="honors">Template:Cite web</ref> Multiple alumni were later elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering,<ref name="honors" /> and many have served in various government positions and as professors at top universities. Actress Natalie Portman was a semifinalist in 1998 and 1947 participant Leon Cooper's name was borrowed for Sheldon Cooper, a character on The Big Bang Theory who is portrayed as being a science prodigy.<ref name="CNN" />

Competition

Entrants to the competition conduct original research — sometimes at home and sometimes by working with research teams at universities, hospitals and private laboratories.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The selection process is highly competitive, and a research paper, letters of recommendation, essays, test scores, extracurricular activities, and high school transcripts are factored in the selection of finalists and winners.

Prizes

Each year, approximately 2,000 projects are submitted. The top 300 scholars (previously called semifinalists or honorable mentions) are announced in mid-January and each receive $2,000. In addition to the scholar award prize money, each scholar's school receives an award of $2,000 from the title sponsor for each scholar named.<ref>Template:Cite web </ref> In late January, the top 40 finalists (the award winners) are announced. In March, finalists are flown to Washington, D.C., for a week, where they are interviewed by a judging panel about their projects and to assess their STEM knowledge, creativity and problem-solving abilities. Past judges have included Glenn T. Seaborg and Joseph Hooton Taylor, Jr., both Nobel laurates. The top 40 finalists each receive prizes starting at $25,000 and the winners are announced at an awards ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Prizes (as of 2023)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Award Prize
1st place $250,000
2nd place $175,000
3rd place $150,000
4th place $100,000
5th place $90,000
6th place $80,000
7th place $70,000
8th place $60,000
9th place $50,000
10th place $40,000
30 finalists $25,000
300 scholars $2,000

Demography

The Science Talent Search is open to high school seniors living in the United States, and US citizens living abroad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since the beginning of the competition, a large number of winners have come from New York, representing nearly one-third of the finalists in the years that Westinghouse sponsored the competition.<ref name="STSyears">Template:Cite web</ref> New York has continued to lead the states in finalists in more recent years, more closely followed by California, and with significant numbers of finalists from Maryland, Texas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, and Illinois.<ref name="STSyears"/><ref name="finalists17">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists18">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists19">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists20">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists21">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists22">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists23">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists24">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="finalists25">Template:Cite web</ref>

Top states for finalists
State Total finalists Westinghouse (1942–1998) Intel (1999–2016) Regeneron (2017–2025)
New York 1038 752 215 71
California 329 163 103 63
Illinois 174 149 24 1
Pennsylvania 131 101 18 12
New Jersey 127 87 24 16
Florida 125 84 24 16
Maryland 125 65 45 15
Virginia 120 82 16 22
Massachusetts 109 68 24 17
Texas 105 54 32 19
Ohio 93 78 10 5
Wisconsin 60 48 9 3
Oregon 60 30 20 10
Michigan 59 37 15 7
Indiana 56 43 9 4
Connecticut 56 30 18 8

Certain high schools have been particularly successful at placing semifinalists and finalists in the Science Talent Search.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> From the early years of the competition, two specialized high schools in New York City dominated the competition: Bronx High School of Science and Stuyvesant High School.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="berger">Template:Cite news</ref> Other New York schools have also had notable success in the competition, including Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, Byram Hills High School in Armonk, Jericho High School in Jericho, and Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School in Port Washington.<ref name="berger"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1980s and 1990s, other specialized STEM schools, including Virginia's Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and Maryland's Montgomery Blair High School, began to produce large numbers of finalists to rival the New York schools.<ref name="berger"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 21st century, a new group of specialized STEM schools have had growing success in the competition, including New Jersey's Bergen County Academies, and the private Harker School in California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

List of winners

1942–1948

First-place winners from 1942–1948
Year Top boy Top girl Template:Abbr
Name Home city Name Home city
1942 Paul Teschan Shorewood, Wisconsin Marina Meyers Farmingdale, New York <ref name=":0" />
1943 Reinhart Schiff New Rochelle, New York Gloria Lauer Ames, Iowa <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1944 Amber Davidson Fort Bridger, Wyoming Anne Van Buren New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1945 Edward Kosower Brooklyn Marion Joswick Brooklyn <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1946 Jules Kernen St. Louis E. Marilyn Curran Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1947 Martin Karplus West Newton, Massachusetts Vera Dyson-Hudson Cold Spring Harbor, New York <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1948 Andrew Kende Evanston, Illinois Barbara Searle Flushing, Queens <ref name=":1" />

1949–present

First-place winners from 1949–present
Year 1st place Home city or high school Template:Abbr
1949 Dwight Taylor Altadena, California <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1950 Saul Sternberg The Bronx <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1951 Robert J. Kolenkow Niagara Falls, New York <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1952 Karl Muench Evanston, Illinois <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1953 Edward Phillips Lincoln, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1954 Alan Haught Bethesda, Maryland <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1955 Frederick Greenleaf Allentown, Pennsylvania <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1956 Robert Moore Silver Spring, Maryland <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1957 Brett Nordgren South Bend, Indiana <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1958 Reinier Beeuwkes III Newton, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1959 John Letcher Lexington, Virginia <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1960 Jerome Spitzner St. James, Minnesota <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1961 Joshua Wallman New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1962 Christopher Cherniak Eau Gallie, Florida <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1963 Sylvain Cappell New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1964 Robert Sproull Alexandria, Virginia <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1965 Larry Howard Canoga Park, Los Angeles <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1966 Henry Wagner Jr. Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1967 Nevin Summers Jr. Jacksonville, Florida <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1968 Roger Y. Tsien Livingston High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1969 Lane P. Hughston Dallas <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1970 Kirk Shinsky Allentown, Pennsylvania <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1971 James Van Aken Western Springs, Illinois <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1972 Nina F. Schor Douglaston–Little Neck, Queens <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1973 Arvind Srivastava Fort Collins, Colorado <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1974 Eric Lander Stuyvesant High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1975 Paul Zeitz Stuyvesant High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1976 Edward Phinney III Leverett, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1977 Richard Schirato Dallas <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1978 Michael Briggs Adelphi, Maryland <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1979 Ron Unz North Hollywood High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1980 Lisa Randall Stuyvesant High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1981 Amy Reichel New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1982 Reena Gordon Brooklyn <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1983 Paul Ning New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1984 Christopher Montanaro South Paris, Maine <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1985 Alan Hu La Jolla <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1986 Wendy Chung Miami Killian Senior High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1987 Louise Chang Westmont, Illinois <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1988 Chetan Nayak New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1989 Christopher Skinner Little Rock, Arkansas <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1990 Matthew Headrick University of Chicago Laboratory Schools <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1991 Ashley Reiter Charlotte, North Carolina <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1992 Kurt Thorn Wading River, New York <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1993 Elizabeth Pine Chicago <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1994 Forrest Anderson Helena, Montana <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1995 Irene Chen San Diego <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1996 Jacob Lurie Montgomery Blair High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997 Adam Cohen New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998 Christopher Mihelich Carmel, Indiana <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1999 Natalia Toro Boulder, Colorado <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000 Viviana Risca Port Washington, New York <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2001 Mariangela Lisanti Westport, Connecticut <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002 Ryan Patterson Grand Junction, Colorado <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003 Jamie Rubin Fort Myers, Florida <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2004 Herbert Mason Hedberg North Attleborough, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005 David Bauer The Bronx <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2006 Shannon Babb Highland, Utah <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007 Mary Masterman Oklahoma City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2008 Shivani Sud Durham, North Carolina <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009 Eric Larson Eugene, Oregon <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 Erika DeBenedictis Albuquerque, New Mexico <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011 Evan O'Dorney Danville, California <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012 Nithin Tumma Fort Gratiot Township, Michigan <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013 Sarah Volz Colorado Springs, Colorado <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014 Eric Chen San Diego <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015 Noah Golowich Lexington, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Andrew Jin San Jose, California
Michael Hofmann Winer Silver Spring, Maryland
2016 Amol Punjabi Worcester, Massachusetts <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Paige Brown Bangor, Maine
Maya Varma San Jose, California
2017 Indrani Das Oradell, New Jersey <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018 Benjamin Firester New York City <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019 Ana Humphrey Alexandria, Virginia <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020 Lillian Petersen Los Alamos, New Mexico <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021 Yunseo Choi Exeter, New Hampshire <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022 Christine Ye Sammamish, Washington <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023 Neel Moudgal Saline, Michigan <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024 Achyuta Rajaram Exeter, New Hampshire <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2025 Matteo Paz Pasadena High School <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other past winners

Notable finalists, semifinalists, and other top participants
Name Year Placed High school Notability
Evelyne Pease Tyner 1942 Finalist Environmentalist who conserved large areas of native prairie with a ecology centre named after her, awarded the LEED award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Robert Kraichnan 1944 2nd boy National Academy of Sciences<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Ben Mottelson 1944 Finalist Lyons Township High School 1975 Nobel Prize in Physics<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Andrew Sessler 1945 Finalist Forest Hills High School National Academy of Sciences<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Gerald Edelman 1946 Honorable mention John Adams High School 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Leon Cooper 1947 Finalist Bronx High School of Science 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Ronald Breslow 1948 Finalist 1991 National Medal of Science<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
R. Stephen Berry 1948 Finalist East High School 1983 MacArthur Fellowship, National Academy of Sciences<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Fred Brooks 1949 Honorable mention Greenville High School 1985 National Medal of Technology and Innovation<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Walter Gilbert 1949 Finalist Sidwell Friends School 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Paul Cohen 1950 Finalist Stuyvesant High School 1966 Fields Medal; 1967 National Medal of Science<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Sheldon Glashow 1950 Finalist Bronx High School of Science 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Dana Scott 1950 Honorable Mention C. K. McClatchy High School 1976 Turing Award
John L. Hall 1952 Honorable Mention South High School 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics
David Mumford 1953 Finalist Phillips Exeter Academy 1974 Fields Medal
Joanna Russ 1953 Top 10 William Howard Taft High School Hugo and Nebula Awards, author of The Female Man
Alar Toomre 1953 Honorable mention Sewanhaka High School 1984 MacArthur Fellowship
Marcian Hoff 1954 Top 10 Churchville-Chili Senior High School 2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Roald Hoffmann 1955 Finalist Stuyvesant High School 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Mary-Dell Chilton 1956 Finalist Hinsdale Township High School 2023 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Leroy Hood 1956 Finalist Shelby High School 2011 National Medal of Science
Donald Knuth 1956 Honorable mention Milwaukee Lutheran High School 1974 Turing Award, 1979 National Medal of Science
Jane S. Richardson 1958 3rd place Teaneck High School 1985 MacArthur Fellowship, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine
John Henry Schwarz 1958 Honorable mention North Shore High School 1987 MacArthur Fellowship; 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Kip Thorne 1958 Honorable mention Logan High School 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics
Charles H. Bennett 1960 4th place Croton-Harmon High School 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Robert Axelrod 1961 Finalist Evanston Township High School 2012 National Medal of Science
Whitfield Diffie 1961 Honors Jamaica High School 2015 Turing Award
Gary A. Wegner 1963 Honors Bothell High School Humboldt Prize
Paul L. Modrich 1964 Honors Raton High School 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Ray Kurzweil 1965 Finalist Martin Van Buren High School 1999 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Frank Wilczek 1967 Finalist Martin Van Buren High School 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics
Alvin Roth 1968 Honors Martin Van Buren High School 2012 Nobel Prize in Economics
Gordon J. Freeman 1969 Finalist Arlington Heights High School National Academy of Sciences
Thomas Felix Rosenbaum 1973 Finalist Forest Hills High School President, California Institute of Technology
F. Thomson Leighton 1974 2nd place Stuyvesant High School National Academy of Sciences, Akamai Technologies co-founder and CEO
Ronald Vale 1976 Finalist Hollywood High School National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine
George Yancopoulos 1976 Top 10 Bronx High School of Science National Academy of Sciences, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals co-founder and CSO
Richard H. Ebright 1977 Finalist Muhlenberg High School American Academy of Arts and Sciences
David Spergel 1978 Honors John Glenn High School 2001 MacArthur Fellow; 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Brian Greene 1980 Finalist Stuyvesant High School The Elegant Universe author
Noam Elkies 1982 Finalist Stuyvesant High School 2004 Levi L. Conant Prize
Lisa Su 1986 Honors Bronx High School of Science IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal; CEO of AMD
Jordan Ellenberg 1989 2nd place Winston Churchill High School American Mathematical Society Fellow
David R. Liu 1990 2nd place Riverside Poly High School National Academy of Sciences
Maneesh Agrawala 1990 Finalist Montgomery Blair High School 2009 MacArthur Fellowship
Christopher Bouton 1992 Finalist Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn) Entagen founder and CEO
Wei-Hwa Huang 1993 6th place Montgomery Blair High School World Puzzle Champion 1995, 1997-1999
Robert Sarvis 1994 4th place Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Libertarian politician
Daniel Biss 1995 Finalist Bloomington North High School Mayor of Evanston, Illinois
Bill Thies 1997 Finalist State College Area High School 2016 MacArthur Fellowship
Parker Conrad 1998 3rd place The Collegiate School Entrepreneur; founder and CEO of Rippling
Natalie Portman 1998 Semifinalist Syosset High School Actress
Keith Winstein 1999 4th place Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy 2014 SIGCOMM Doctoral Dissertation Award
Feng Zhang 2000 3rd place Theodore Roosevelt High School National Academy of Sciences
Monika Schleier-Smith 2001 Semifinalist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology 2020 MacArthur Fellow
Tianhui Michael Li 2003 2nd place Oregon Episcopal School Marshall Scholar, Hertz Foundation Fellow, data scientist, founder and CEO of The Data Incubator<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lester Mackey 2003 6th place Half Hollow Hills High School West 2023 MacArthur Fellowship

See also

References

Template:Reflist

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