Dr. Fan's high school interns, Anna (left) and Esther (right), at a competition hosted by the Massachussetts Institute of Technology.
On October 19, the Siemens Foundation named Esther and Anna Huang, high school intern students of Assistant Professor Donglei Fan, Regional Finalists of the national Siemens Competition, one of the nation's most coveted math and science award for teens. The Siemens Foundation has awarded Esther and Anna each a $1,000 scholarship prize for their success in the event. 2,255 students registered to enter the 2012 Siemens Competition for a total 1,504 projects submitted. As Regional Finalists, Anna and Esther were among the top 30 teams in the region and top 11 students from Texas to compete in the event.
Assistant Professor Donglei Fan
Fan recently launched a local community outreach program in Austin, which is part of her overall research effort funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) five-year research grant known as the CAREER Award. This type of grant is awarded to tenure-track assistant professors at the beginning of their academic careers. The grant allows them to fund both their research programs and a community outreach program to educate other members of society, as well as future researchers. Fan aims to promote higher education to women and under-represented ethnic groups in engineering. Through the program Esther and Anna conducted summer research projects on single cell analysis using nanomotors in Dr. Fan's lab.
Fan is proud of the work and work ethic displayed by Esther and Anna in addition to the early success the outreach program has garnered. She would also like to commend Xiaobin Xu, one of her graduate students who helped teach Esther and Anna the advanced fabrication and characterization techniques they needed to pursue their Siemens Competition project on their own. Fan is appreciative of the opportunity to provide such an excellent educational experience to high school students and hopes to continue to work with NSF on future endeavors.
About the Siemens Foundation
The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its signature programs include the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, and The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which encourages K-12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. By supporting outstanding students today, and recognizing the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, the Foundation helps nurture tomorrow's scientists and engineers. The Foundation's mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens' U.S. companies and its parent company, Siemens AG. Siemens AG is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors.
