Winner of prestigious Intel Talent Search mentored by Stony Brook's Berhane Ghebrehiwet

STONY BROOK, NY, March 13, 2012 –  Nithin Tumma, who was mentored by Stony Brook's Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet, has been awarded first prize in the prestigious 2012 Intel Science Talent Search. A native of Fort Gratiot, Mich., Nithin worked with Dr. Ghebrehiwet in the Simons Summer Research Program. He will take home a $100,000 scholarship in recognition of his outstanding research relating to breast cancer therapy.

Also honored was Alissa Zhang, who worked with Dr. Miriam Rafailovich on nanoparticle toxicity. Alissa finished ninth and won a $20,000 scholarship.

This year Stony Brook Faculty mentored a record eight of the 40 high school students chosen as finalists in the Intel competition — which accounts for 20 percent of the nation’s total.

The eight Stony Brook-mentored finalists participated in summer research at Stony Brook in 2011 through the Simons Summer Research Program (five students), the Garcia Center: Polymers at Engineered Interfaces Summer Research Program. (Click here for more information about Stony Brook's “Intel Eight.”

 “The vast opportunities provided by our faculty researchers in mentoring budding young scientists exceeds that of any university in the nation,” said Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD, President, Stony Brook University. “For Stony Brook University to account for twenty percent of the nation’s mentored students is a testament to the quality of research, education and discovery happening at Stony Brook every day.”

2012 Intel Honorees:

	FIRST PRIZE: Nithin Tumma, Port Huron N. HS, Port Huron, MI, who worked with Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet in Medicine on Elucidating Pathways in Cancer Pathogenesis: Establishment of Interaction Between TGF-b/Ras Pathways and Identification of gC1qR as an Oncoprotein. (Simons Summer Research Program) (Photo: courtesy of Intel International Science and Engineering Fair)
	NINTH PRIZE: Alissa Zhang, Saratoga HS, Saratoga, CA, who worked with Dr. Miriam Rafailovich in Materials Science & Engineering on nanoparticle toxicity, which prepared her well for her Intel project on Molecular Fingerprinting of Glucose with Raman and SERS for Noninvasive Diabetes Monitoring. (Garcia Center Summer Research Program)

Statements from Stony Brook mentors:

Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet »
Dr. Miriam Rafailovich »

See also:

Top Intel winner did research at Stony Brook (Newsday Mar. 13, 2012)