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One of the two Dougherty Valley High School seniors who were among the top 300 young scientists in the country according to a longstanding national talent program has been announced as a finalist in the competition, and is now set to square off against 39 of her peers from across the country in the nation’s capital in March.
Charisse Zou was rewarded for her project entitled “The Development of a Free-Flying Method To Study the Effect of Neonicotinoids on the Positive Transfer of Learning in the Visual Domain of Honeybees,” first being named as one of the top 300 students in this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search earlier this month, then being announced Wednesday as among the 40 finalists who will compete in Washington D.C. from March 6 to March 13.
“Through the development of a novel free-flying method, my research detailed the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on honeybee higher-order cognition and memory,” Zou said in an announcement from SRVUSD. “With these magical creatures as one of our Earth’s most crucial pollinators, I hope to continue to champion environmental sustainability and the preservation of declining honeybee populations worldwide with my research.”
In addition to the trip across the country and her place in the next phase of the contest, the finalist title means that Zou will receive at least $25,000 as part of the top 40 in the competition, with prizes for the top 10 finalists determined in the upcoming March event ranging from $40,000 to $250,000.
After being among the top 300 competitors, Zou and her classmate Vaishnavi Kolluru each secured a $2,000 award, with the same amount going to their school for the support of STEM education efforts.
“I commend these students for their outstanding scientific research,” SRVUSD Superintendent John Malloy said in an announcement from the district. “These achievements are a testament to their passion and commitment, and I am confident they will excel in future endeavors as well. Congratulations to our students on this incredible accomplishment and for representing our school district with such distinction.”
The Science Talent Search – now in its 83rd year – is currently produced as a partnership between Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the Society for Science.
“Every year, the Regeneron Science Talent Search helps inspire and engage a new wave of talented young scientists with the potential to improve the world,” said Regeneron co-founder and president George D. Yancopoulos, who won the competition himself in 1976. “I congratulate these exceptional young finalists as they embark on their scientific journeys. As someone who got my start in this very competition, I know firsthand how the Science Talent Search experience can help jumpstart students’ future academic and career journeys,” he added.
The 2,162 applicants this year make it the largest applicant pool since the 1969 Science Talent Search.
The top 10 winners of this year’s Science Talent Search will be announced in an awards ceremony streamed live from Washington D.C. on March 12. More information is available at societyforscience.org.
