Oro Valley teen to compete at Siemens Competition in Texas | News

An Oro Valley teen is getting the chance to compete in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology this weekend.

Stanley Palasek, a senior at Sonoran Science Academy, will compete with his research project using math and physics to study ways by which RNA (Ribonucleic acid) could have been the molecule to start life.  Stanley spent nearly 1,000 hours studying the origins of life, in order to create his research project. 

“These students have invested time, energy and talent in tackling challenging scientific research at a young age,” said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation, in a recent news release.  “The recognition they have won today demonstrates that engagement in STEM is an investment well worth making.”

Stanley will present his research to expert university judges at The University of Texas at Austin, November 2-3. 

The Siemens Competition is administered by the College Board; and awards one $3,000 prize to an individual and one $6,000 prize to a team at each of six regional competitions held at leading research universities. 

Regional winners will advance to the National Finals (December 1-4) held at George Washington University in Washington, DC.  Over $500,000 in scholarships is awarded during the finals, with two $100,000 top prizes.  The winners of the Regional Finals in Austin will be announced on November 3.

Over 2,255 students entered the 2012 Siemens Competition, for a total of 1,504 projects submitted.  Regional finalists compete at one of six regional events held over three consecutive weekends in November at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (November 2-3); The University of Texas at Austin (November 2-3); University of Notre Dame (November 9-10); California Institute of Technology (November 9-10); Georgia Institute of Technology (November 16-17) and Carnegie Mellon University (November 16-17).