Student Winners of The DuPont Challenge Invited to Attend the White House Science Fair
On Tuesday, May 27th, 2014, the President hosted the 4th-ever White House Science Fair to celebrate the student winners of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) competitions from across the country. As with the previous three Science Fairs, the White House invited winning students from The DuPont Challenge to attend! This year’s representatives were Laura Herman and Jonathan Bradway.
Laura Herman was the first runner-up in the Senior Division of The 2013 DuPont Challenge. Her essay, “Why Q Is Purple: Synesthetic Association Patterns,” was based on her own in-depth research into synesthesia, a neurological condition that inherently links two or more senses. (Laura herself experiences synesthesia in the form of associating numbers and letters with colors.) Over the past three years, she has conducted research at Harvard University’s Vision Sciences Laboratory. Her work has led to a number of awards in addition to The DuPont Challenge, publication in the Journal of Vision, and the opportunity to present her findings at several conferences. Laura is currently a senior at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and will be attending Princeton University in the fall.
Jonathan Bradway was a finalist in the Junior Division of The 2013 DuPont Challenge. A lifelong resident of Indianaoplis, he is a sophomore at Decatur Central High School, where he is the robotic team’s lead programmer and plays tenor sax in the marching band, wind ensemble, and jazz band. He is very interested in aerospace engineering, and has been awarded two scholarships totaling $2,500 from an engineering mentorship program. This interest is reflected in his essay, “Laser Landings,” which proposes an innovative solution to ensure that planes land safely. As Jonathan says, “Nobody should be afraid to pitch an idea. The DuPont Challenge allowed me to create a solution for a problem that has never been addressed and therefore work to improve safety in aviation.”
The 2014 Science Fair included a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work.
Learn more about the White House Science Fair on the White House blog, and take a look at our summaries of previous Science Fairs, where winners of The DuPont Challenge attended and met the President!
2013 White House Science Fair
2012 White House Science Fair
2010 White House Science Fair