Media Relations
News Releases
For Release Upon Receipt - February 9, 2006
Contact:
Kira Jastive, 617-358-1240, kjastive@bu.edu
BOSTON UNIVERSITY HOSTS SCIENCE COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOLS FROM ACROSS THE STATE
Winning team from February 18 event qualifies for National Science Bowl finals
(Boston) — Scientists and engineers of the future will compete for a spot in a prestigious national science competition when, for the first time, Boston University hosts the Massachusetts regional qualifications for the National Science Bowl at BU’s Photonics Center, 8 St. Mary’s Street, on Saturday, February 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Science Bowl is a prominent educational event where teams of high school students are quizzed on their knowledge of all branches of science. Teams from 27 Massachusetts schools will vie for an invitation to the national finals in Washington, D.C. April 27 – May 1.
“Boston University is thrilled to be a part of the Science Bowl program since it will allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and encourage them to pursue their interest in the sciences,” said Ashmita Randhawa, a sophomore Biomedical Engineering major and one of the BU student coordinators. “It is also an honor for the university to be chosen as a regional site by the Department of Energy.”
Aimed at encouraging involvement in science and math, the Science Bowl provides students who excel in these areas with a challenging yet fun forum to receive recognition for their talent. Teams participate in a “round robin” format where they are asked questions about chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, earth science, general science, and mathematics. The winner from each of the 65 regional tournaments, like the one at BU, will qualify for a trip to the finals where they will join approximately 12,000 other students from across the country to compete for prizes, such as a monetary award for their school and scientific research trips.
The Boston University Science Bowl is being largely sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories-Boston and many Merck employees will serve as volunteer moderators and judges at the competition.
“My Merck colleagues and I are excited to join Boston University and participate in this event which promotes the study of science,” said Mark T. Goulet, Ph.D., executive director of Medicinal Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories-Boston. “As a student I had the chance to compete in a similar event and it gave me and my friends a unique opportunity to participate in a fun, team competition that challenged our academic interests.”
Schools competing in the Massachusetts regional round at BU include: Arlington High School, Bedford High School, Boston Latin School, Boston University Academy, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School, Cambridge Public School, Commonwealth School, Hopkinton High School, Lexington High School, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Littleton High School, Lynn Classical High School, Newton Country Day School, Newton North High School, Newton South High School, Noble and Greenough School, North Andover High, Norwell High School, Phillips Academy, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School, TechBoston Academy, Wayland High School, Wellesley High School, Westborough High School, Westford Academy, Weston High School, and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.
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