EDISON – Two juniors at the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technology in Edison have been named semifinalists in the Siemens Competition, the nation’s premier competition in math, science and technology for high school students.
Malavika Vivek and Anjali Gupta, both of Edison, were selected from more than 1,600 students who submitted innovative individual and team research projects, according to a statement prepared by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools (MCVTS).
The title of their project is “Development of a Two-Class Neural Network Algorithm for Tree Nut Cross-Reactivity.” They were mentored by Dr. Jonathan Spergel of the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
“These semifinalists should be extremely proud of this high-level academic accomplishment,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation. “Their projects represent some of the most noteworthy and exceptional of those submitted and reflected an advanced level of STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] research.”
Judging of the 400 semifinalists is now taking place to determine who will go on to compete in six regional finals this month. Individual and team winners from the regional competitions will advance to the final phase of the contest in December in Washington, D.C. The top prizes include up to $100,000 in scholarships.