Announcing The 2013 DuPont Challenge Winners!
DuPont congratulates the grand prize winners, first runners-up, finalists, and honorable mentions of The 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition, selected from thousands of impressive entries! The 27th year of The DuPont Challenge science essay competition encouraged students to think critically about potential science and engineering-based solutions to important global challenges: feeding the world, building a secure energy future, and protecting people and the environment.
“The DuPont Challenge Science essay competition is a great way to showcase the passion and curiosity of our future scientists,” said DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman. “Meeting the demands of a growing population will require a creative and collaborative scientific effort, and it is inspiring to see so many young people taking these issues to heart.”
Because of their thought-provoking essays, the students have earned great awards for themselves and for their teachers. The Grand Prize Winners and First Runners-Up—along with a parent and sponsoring teacher—also attended an expenses-paid awards trip to Orlando, FL! Learn more about these top four winning students.
See the full list of Junior Division Winners
See the full list of Senior Division Winners
JUNIOR DIVISION
(Grades 7, 8, and 9)
Grand Prize:
Jacob Yoshitake
Marshall Middle School
San Diego, CA
Sponsoring Teacher: Elaine Gillum
Essay: Excellent, Efficient, and Economical Solar Tracking
First Runner-Up:
Gaurav Garg
Beckendorff Junior High School
Katy, TX
Sponsoring Teacher: Angela Weeks
Essay: I Wish My Dad Got a Tattoo
Finalist:
Jonathan Bradway
Decatur Central High School
Indianapolis, IN
Sponsoring Teacher: Sally Nichols
Essay: Laser Landings
Finalist:
Robert Kutz
Clovis North High School
Fresno, CA
Sponsoring Teacher: Jonathan Bowns
Essay: Discovering Nature's Secrets
SENIOR DIVISION
(Grades 10, 11, and 12)
Grand Prize:
Hugo Yen
Troy High School
Fullerton, CA
Sponsoring Teacher: Nga Ngo
Essay: Flavonoids: The Avengers of Rice Bacterial Blight
First Runner-Up:
Laura Herman
Pine Crest School
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Sponsoring Teacher: Jennifer Gordinier
Essay: Why Q is Purple: Synesthetic Association Patterns
Finalist:
Ardavan Farahvash
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, CA
Sponsoring Teacher: Kavita Gupta
Essay: Graphene Ultracapacitors: Faster, Smaller, Better
Finalist:
Nikhil Bhattasali
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA
Sponsoring Teacher: Michael Walker
Essay: Grain by Grain: Raising Output in Rice Farming
Keep up with the latest updates—including info on next year's competition—by signing up for The DuPont Challenge LAUNCH e-newsletter and following The DuPont Challenge Facebook page. We encourage all teachers and students to continue pursuing excellence in science and science writing!
