TIPsters in the News
Melissa Ilardo, Talent Search 2002, PARI Field Study 2004
This summer Melissa Ilardo will be conducting her own original research, along side astronomers and graduate students, at one of the world's most sensitive telescopes. Melissa's proposal to study pulsars at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is being underwritten by The National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. Read more in the Raleigh News & Observer article here>.
John Busche, Talent Search 2002, Summer Programs 2004-2006
John and a team mate representing the Chesapeake Boathouse in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, placed third in the nation in the Mens Youth Double at the US Rowing Youth Nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio in early June 2006. Read more here>.
Taylor Marie Ware, 4th/5th Grade Talent Search 2005
Winner of the Yahoo! Yodel Challenge, Taylor earned a spot in a Yahoo! TV commercial and $10,000. In addition, she has her own CD, has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, and has appeared on the Ellen Degeneres and Wayne Brady shows. Check out Taylor's Yahoo! Yodel Challenge finals performance online>. Taylor had advanced to the finals on the America's Got Talent television show.
2006 Rhodes Scholars
Evan Greif (l) and Geoff Cole (r)
Congratulations to former Duke TIP 7 th Grade Talent Search participants, Adam Chandler, Scott Erwin, Nathan Herring, Lakshmi Krishnan, Brett Shaheen, and Katharine Wilkinson, who have been selected as Rhodes Scholars for 2006.
26 June 2005-TIPsters Win the MSFL 2005 National Championship
On June 26, Cross Examination (CX) partners Geoff Cole and Evan Greif became the Middle School Forensic League (MSFL) 2005 National Champions in CX debate. Cole and Greif's debate topic was, "Resolved: That the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of United Nations peacekeeping operations."
Geoff and Evan both participated in the Duke TIP 2004 7th Grade Talent Search. The two are rising 9th graders at Saint Mary's Hall in San Antonio, Texas.
Congratulations, Geoff and Evan!
Joseph Stunzi, 7th Grade Talent Search 2003
Joseph, who attends St. Joseph School in Athens, Georgia, was awarded a $15,000 scholarship and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year," at the Discover Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC) in 2003.
Joseph won first place for his original science project "The Effects of Cell Phones on Pacemaker Patients' Hearts" as well as for the skills he demonstrated during the DCYSC National Competition, specifically his leadership, teamwork, scientific problem solving, critical thinking, and oral and written communication skills.
Elizabeth Monier, 7th Grade Talent Search 2002
Elizabeth, who attends Keystone School in San Antonio, Texas, won the second place prize at the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge in 2003, a $7,500 scholarship, for her project titled, "A Comparison of the Antimicrobial Capabilities of Raw Honey with Raw Honey Treated with Heat, Ethanol, or Ultraviolet Radiation."
Elena Ovaitt, 4th/5th Grade Talent Search 1999
Elena won the third place prize at the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge in 2003, a $3,750 scholarship, for her project titled, "Purification by Ozonation: The Effects of Ozonation on Ascorbic Acid and Bacteria Colonies in Unpasteurized Apple Cider."
Other former TIPster prize winners at the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge in 2003 are Scott Presbrey (7th Grade Talent Search 2002), who was awarded the National Park Service Explorer Award, and Daniel Steck (7th Grade Talent Search 2002), who received the TLC Hot Rod Award.
Jennifer Wu, 7th Grade Talent Search 2001
Jennifer, who attends Arkadelphia High School, is the 2004 Teen Jeopardy champion. She won by being the only contestant to know the correct answer, "What is Vinci?" to the final Jeopardy question, "This small town in Tuscany was the birthplace of the man who painted The Mona Lisa." Read more about Jennifer and her Jeopardy appearance at TVGameShows.Net.
J. Michal Zapendowski, 7th Grade Talent Search 1998
Currently a freshman at Brown University, Michal was named a Ralph Waldo Emerson laureate. He received a check for $3,000 and a copy of David McCullough's Pulitzer-Prize winning biography Truman. The Emerson Prizie is awarded by the Concord Review, the only quarterly journal for the academic work of high school students.
George Thampy, Summer Programs 2000, 2002, 2003
George was a cover story on the Riverfront Times , an alternative weekly newspaper in Saint Louis. He won the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in 2000 and was recently caught on film in Spellbound , an Academy Award-nominated documentary about the 1999 competition. For the full story, go to http://www.riverfronttimes.com/Issues/2003-09-03/news/feature_print.html.
Lisa Harshman, 4th/5th Grade Talent Search 2003
Lisa, who recently won 1st place in the 5th Grade division in the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search Writing Contest, was profiled in the New Bern Sun Journal. Read the New Bern Sun Journal article here. >
Kelsey Cesarano, 4th/5th Grade Talent Search 2003
Kelsey is the winner of the "Name the Publication Contest." She attends Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Miami, Florida.
Kelsey's entry "Academic 411" will now grace the cover of the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search student resource handbook. The goal of "Academic 411" is to provide information about academic resources and programs for students in grades 4-6.