Jonathan Lu

In the lab or Dr. Narendra Dahotre, Jonathan conducted research on laser-aided surface treatment of magnesium-based alloys for biomedical applications. In the lab of Dr. William Acree, Jonathan also has conducted research on models of organic chemicals and their thermodynamic properties. To date, he is the co-author of three published articles. Two years ago, Jonathan was one of UNT's first Early-Research Scholars in the Texas Academy of Mathematics and science.

Rishi Shridharan

In the lab of Dr. Jannon Fuchs, Rishi has conducted research on epigenetic and proteomic bases of neurological disease, developing, as well, low-cost solutions to combat disease in underserved areas. He has also conducted research, in the UT-D lab of Dr. Faruck Morcos, on the use of mobile apps to instruct middle-school students about molecular biology.

Ellen Qian

Working in the lab of Dr. William Acree, Ellen has helped to develop an innovative Predictive model for solvent replacement, and in such manner as to replace harmful solvents with “green” solvents. Ellen is co-author of ten publications in leading journals and, two years ago, was one of UNT's first Early-Research Scholars in the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. Ellen also conducted research in the UT-Dallas lab of Dr. Jie Zheng, on the luminescence emitted by silver nanoparticles. Her findings comprise a contribution towards the development of a luminescent sensor for free radicals in the body.

David Yue

Working under the guidance of Dr. John Ferraris (UT-Dallas), David has made strides toward the creation of a new air-pollution membrane filter for atmospheric purification and gas separation. David has also worked in the UNT thermodynamics lab of Dr. William Acree; in the polymer science lab of Dr. John Ferraris, in the gene-editing lab of Dr. Eric Kildebeck, and in the organic chemistry lab of Dr. Hong Wang. David has also conducted research under the direction of UNT Professor of Chemistry, Dr. William Acree.

Sarah Zou - Honorable Mention

Amber Lu

Lu, a 16-year-old from Sugar Land, worked on research with chemistry professor William Acree to find the best way to purify fossil fuels and was named a Siemens semifinalist in 2016.

Prateek Kalakuntla - Honorable Mention

Prateek Kalakuntla - 2^nd place

Kalakuntla created a luminescent system that can serve as a low-cost, easy to use mercury sensor for rural communities around the world whose water supplies are threatened with contamination from mining activities.

2^nd place - Anagha Krishnan

Krishnan's project was titled Novel Earth's Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Copper Chloride

Anushree Agrawal - Honorable Mention

Anushree Agrawal researched p53, a mutated tumor suppressor found in the majority of cancers. Agrawal's research could lead to better and more individualized treatments for patients who have cancers with certain mutations.

Michael Hashe - Honorable Mention

Michael Hashe designed a flow cell to deposit corrosion-resistant coatings for use in anaerobic environments. These coatings could protect metal components in bridge supports, docks, and other under-water structures.

Tiffany Jiang - Honorable Mention

Tiffany Jiang researched bone powders, via X-ray analysis, to help examine ancient human remains that have been contaminated by heavy metals. Her work can help investigators collect DNA that otherwise would have been uncollectable.

Aayush Goyal - 3^rd place

Annabel Wang

Wang conducted research on thermoelectric generators with Haley Lobland, UNT research associate, and Witold Brostow, professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in UNT's College of Engineering. Lobland also is an alumnus of TAMS and UNT, and is a previous winner of a Goldwater Scholarship.

Sivabalan Manivasagam

Manivasagam researched computational chemistry, with a particular focus on transition metals, with Angela Wilson, professor of chemistry.Transition metals are found in the central block of the periodic table, and include iron, chromium and copper, among other metals. Transition metals are used in nearly every industrial sector, including medical, food production, transportation and energy.

Justin Zhong was also given honorable mention by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

Vishnu Dantu - 1^st place

Dantu created a smartphone-based blood glucose monitor for diabetic patients.

Jaicheng (Jason) He - 2^nd place

He developed a computer algorithm to identify coronary artery ostium points to help doctors find blockages that can cause heart attacks.

Stacy Ho

For her research project, Ho studied artificial photosynthesis, a process which uses solar energy to produce hydrogen fuel from water. She created a photo sensitizer, or light-harvesting complex, that increased the efficiency of the process. By producing clean fuel without generating any harmful by-products, artificial photosynthesis can also help to create a cleaner environment.

William Ou

Ou's research investigated metal catalysts that can be used to convert organic compounds into hydrogen gas. Current methods for producing hydrogen gas are fairly ineffective and are energy intensive. Discovering metal catalysts that can improve the process of creating hydrogen gas will be useful in several industries, including crude oil processing.

Kevin Chen

Chen has worked on research projects including the development of a new statistical tool for the analysis of cancer data. By developing this tool, Chen has contributed to the detection of cancer genes that may be critical biomarkers for cancer treatments.

Helen Xiong

Xiong has worked on research projects including refining the equation for defining polymer brittleness, and better understanding how clay particles can strengthen the wear properties of polymer nanocomposites, which affect industrial machinery and enhance the study of friction in materials science.

He, Jianing Jenny, 18, Plano - Semifinalist

The New Canary: Revolutionizing On-Site Direct Analysis of Air Quality in Oil and Gas Fields

Hong, Alex, 17, Allen - Semifinalist

Synthesis of Acrylonitrile-Based NONOate Bandages for Enhancement of Wound Healing

Xiao, Larry, 17, Plano - Semifinalist

TEOS-MEK Modification of Natural Fibers in Polymer-Based Composites

George Qi and Robert Tung - Semifinalists

Along with another team member from Westwook High School have been named regional finalists in the Siemens Competition. Under the guidance of Qiang Zhao, an associate professor of Mathematics at Texas State University the team presented work on "A Novel Approach for Estimating Survival Functions for Interval Censored Data with STD Behavioral Diary Information.”

Amanda Quay

Working in the analytical chemistry group of Dr. William Acree, Amanda has co-authored seven studies, with applications, in some cases, that help predict which chemicals will best help decompose pharmaceutical waste in aquatic environments. Amanda's research allows us to calculate the concentration at which a given drug molecule exhibits toxicity so that we know which pharmaceutical compounds in the waste pose an environmental risk to aquatic life. Amanda's research also helps identify the most efficient way to decompose the most threatening of those compounds.

Amanda received comprehensive letters of recommendation from:
Dr. William Acree (Chemistry)
Dr. Martin Schwartz (Chemistry)
Dr. Richard Sinclair (Dean of TAMS).

Favyen Bastani

A highly advanced undergraduate computer scientist, Favyen has worked extensively in two major research environments and has a co-authored an article (in press) at IEEE Transactions on Services Computing. As attested by Dr. Hui Ma (Cisco Systems)—with whom Favyen worked on algorithms to solve complex optimization problems—Favyen is at the forefront of making significant contributions to artificial-intelligence-based heuristic optimization. Favyen has also worked in the UNT Computer Science laboratory of Dr.Yan Huang.

Favyen received comprehensive letters of recommendation from:
Dr. Hui Mas (Cisco Systems)
Dr. Richard Sinclair (Dean of TAMS)
Dr. Martin Schwartz (Chemistry)

Mitchell Powell - Honorable Mention

While planning a career in neurobiology, Powell has demonstrated his research versatility by working in the computational chemistry laboratory of Dr. Angela Wilson to appreciate the foundations of biomedical compounds containing transition metals. Powell autonomously and effectively helped the Wilson research team determine the most accurate DFT method for transition-metal heat-of-formation calculations by identifying and quantifying ten different candidate DFT methods known to yield reliable results for the energy properties of main-group molecules. There has been limited work in this area for transition metal species. As detailed by Wilson, Powell's research has contributed immensely to protocols for future heats-of-formation-of-transition-metal research.

Finalist

Kurtis Mickel Carsch: DFT Modeling of a Methane-to-Methanol Oxy-Insertion Catalytic Cycle via Group 6 Organometallics: A Computational Analysis

Semifinalists

Favyen Bastani: Compositional Genetic Algorithm for Multi-Objective Composition-Based Optimization Problems

Kurtis Mickel Carsch: DFT Modeling of a Methane-to-Methanol Oxy-Insertion Catalytic Cycle via Group 6 Organometallics: A Computational Analysis

Mitchell Lloyd Powell: Determining Optimal Density Functional Theory Methods for Transition-Metal Thermochemistry

Amanda Nicole Quay: Utilizing Predictive Fields of Space for Organic Compound Solubilities to Analyze Toxicology of Pharmaceuticals

Adam Hao Su: Rank-Generating Functions for the Distributive Lattice of Order Ideals for Comb Posets

Lisa Su: Polymeric Sealants for the Improvement of Effectiveness of Thermoelectric Power Generation

Alan Hongzhi Zhao: Fabrication and Characterization of Thermoplastic Vulcanized Elastomer Composites with Recycled Wood

Michael Zhou: Basis Set Reconstruction for Quantum Mechanics: Towards Computational Cost Reduction

Jonathan Hong Zhu: Electronic Structure and Potential Energies of Transition Metal Tetrahalides

Winners:

Andrew Ding of Sugar Land, studied the interaction of water molecules with a graphite surface using an innovative method known as ccCA-ONIOM. Ding worked with Dr. Angela Wilson, UNT professor of chemistry, on his research. Ding plans to major in chemistry from Columbia University and eventually teach at the university level. He is a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society and Mu Alpha Theta, which is the TAMS math club.

Patricia Loren Rayos Nano of Grand Prairie, conducted research to model the development and loss of primary cilia in the oligodendrocyte lineage, an endeavor that has implications for that could advance the treatment of demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis. Nano worked with Dr. Jannon Fuchs, UNT professor of biology, on her research. Nano plans to earn a doctorate in molecular biology and teach at the university level. At TAMS, Nano is Committee Head of Calhoun Middle School Tutoring program, plays French horn with the TAMS Dull Roar Orchestra.

Honorable Mentions:

Lee Chen of Denton, investigated the effects of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations on tropomyosin, a crucial heart-muscle controlling molecule. Chen worked with Dr. Douglas Root, UNT associate professor of biology, on his research. Chen plans to pursue a doctorate in biochemistry. Chen is vice president of Computer Science Organization and treasurer of Mu Alpha Theta.

Udayan Vaidya of Plano, developed a computational model to predict outbreaks of Dengue fever, which is an acute, infectious tropical disease transmitted by mosquitoes, causing high fever, rash, headache, severe muscle and joint pain. Vaidya worked with Dr. Armin Mikler, UNT associate professor of engineering, on his research.

Anupriya Gangal

Anupriya is working in the laboratory of Dr. Jannon Fuchs on oligodendrocytes, which are the myelin-forming glial cells that insulate axons in the central nervous system. Anupria discovered that oligodendrocyte progenitors have a primary cilium, which is a hairline organelle that receives signals for cell proliferation. Anupriya then made observations that allowed her to deduce when and where they had lost that cilium. Anupriya's discovery has implications for the treatment of demyelinating diseases and will likely result in a journal publication for which she will be named a key author.

Katheryn Shi

Katheryn has worked, in the laboratory of Dr. Angela Wilson, on quantum mechanics that help predict the existence of noble gas compounds. Impressive, indeed, is the primary-investigator status that has positioned Katheryn to model 80+ possible molecules, thus far leading to the discovery of two new noble gas compounds. Katheryn is also developing a cutting-edge method for reducing the time, computer memory, and disk space necessary for modeling molecules. Katheryn, it is worth noting, received an Honorable Mention citation at the 2009 American Chemical Society Meeting-in-Miniature, was one of 40 Intel Finalists, nation-wide, and will be named first author of a manuscript soon to be submitted to the journal Chemical Physics Letters. Katheryn is on her way to becoming a major research scientist in the field of computational chemistry.

Kathy Wang

Kathy has worked in the Molecular Biology laboratory of Dr. Douglas Root, where she has made an important advance, through molecular modeling, toward uncovering the molecular basis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy through computational simulations that will help future scientists better monitor atomic-level structural changes in myosin. Kathy's discoveries have significant diagnostic implications, foreshadowed by her co-authored an abstract submitted to the 54th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (San Francisco). She was also a Siemens Competition Regional Semifinalist and has earned a coveted research internship—at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Higher Education Research Experience and Internship this coming summer.

Finalists from TAMS

Katheryn Shi - Quantum Mechanical Prediction of the Existence of Rare Gas-bound Species

Peter Hu - Novel Thermogelling Dispersions of Polymer Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery

See Peter Hu and Katheryn Shi mentioned in a New York Times Column recently.

Semifinalists from TAMS

Sai Achi
Somak Das
Smitha Janardan
Sahil Khetpal
Alexander Mentzelopoulos
Clark Robinson

Finalists from TAMS

Favyen Bastani of Plano
Jonathan Lin of Plano
Mariam Saifullah of Richardson
Stephanie Su of Katy
Shulin Ye of Lewisville

Semifinalists from TAMS

Anita Chandrahas, of Plano
Andrew Ding, of Sugar Land
Jennifer Ding, of McKinney
Benjamin Huang, of Plano
Joshua John, of Mesquite
Matthew Krenik, of Garland
Harrison Miller, of Grand Prairie
Patricia Loren Nano, of Grand Prairie
Kelly Ren, of Plano
John Rogers, of Cedar Hill
Justin Zhao, of Plano

Finalists from TAMS

Sai Achi
Somak Das
Peter Hu
Sahil Khetpal

Semifinalists from TAMS

Smitha Janardan
Brandon Kiasaleh
Matthew Krenik
Jesse Lou
Ruobing Lu
Alex Mentzelopoulos
Eva Ng
Navaneeth Ravindranath
Jay Shah
Rena Sheng
Katheryn Shi
Tian Tian
Amruth Venkatraman
Kathy Wang