CENTRAL FLORIDA STUDENTS RECEIVE HIGH MARKS
AT NATIONAL SCIENCE COMPETITION

Science students from Central Florida schools showcased their abilities on an international stage by claiming $185,450 in scholarships and awards at the 2005 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Special Awards Ceremony recently held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Competing against students from 47 states and 44 countries, a total of 14 Central Florida students, representing six area schools and three counties in the region, received recognition. Brevard County had students from four schools: Astronaut High School, Satellite High School, Cocoa Beach High School and West Shore High School, all receive awards. Seminole High School in Seminole County was represented, as was Orange County through Lake Highland Preparatory School.

Gabrielle Gianelli, from Lake Highland Preparatory School, received multiple accolades for her project on Fractal Dimension Analysis of Putative Martian Coastlines. Gianelli was one of three recipients of the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award, which signified the top overall projects at the competition and included a $50,000 scholarship.


Overall, Gianelli was recognized with eight different awards, totaling over $100,000 in scholarships and prizes, for her project. She received a $40,000 scholarship to Florida Institute of Technology and was recognized for having the top project in the area of Space Science.

Nimish Ramanlal from Seminole High School received four different awards for his project on Programmable Quantum Computing: A New Framework with von Neumann Type Architecture. He received a second place award in the mathematics category. He also earned recognition from the Office of Naval Research, the United States Air Force and NASA.

Two students from West Shore High School received significant college scholarships. Zihao Zhang earned a $40,000 scholarship from Florida Institute of Technology. Shiv Gaglani was awarded a $20,000 tuition scholarship from Indiana University.

The International Science and Engineering Fair is sponsored by Intel and has been administered by Science Service since its inception in 1950. Science Service is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science through publications and educational programs.

Below is a complete list of winners from Central Florida Schools:
Catherine Bewerse – Satellite High School
Shiv Gaglani – West Shore High School
Gabrielle Gianelli – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Neha Hippalgaonka – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Varun Hippalgaonka – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Kyla Horn – Cocoa Beach High School
John Huchinson – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Ryan Jones – Astronaut High School
Nimish Ramanlal – Seminole High School
Alexa Sider – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Grady Slane – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Eric Smith – Astronaut High School
Andrew Warren – Lake Highland Preparatory School
Zihao Zhang – West Shore High School