MEDIA AVAILABILITY: News media are invited to meet the interns Tuesday, July 31, at 10:30 a.m. at the Sandia/UNM Advanced Materials Lab (1001 University Blvd. SE). The interns will be working with researchers to create their own nanoparticles.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Nineteen young scientists who earlier this summer participated in the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) returned to Albuquerque yesterday to spend two weeks at Sandia National Laboratories as part of a special research internship.
Sandia selected the 19 students, all high school students or 2007 graduates, based on the merit of their ISEF projects. ISEF was held in Albuquerque May 13-19.
Their projects ranged from a study of paralysis in worms to the creation of a homemade fusion reactor as a means to detect and analyze chemicals from a distance.
While at Sandia the interns are learning about nanotechnology and computer modeling, applying scientific tools to solve crimes, building their own computers from the ground up, learning the methods of computer hackers and how to counter them, studying the special problems of cell phone security, and creating computer networks.
The lab’s 8,400 employees develop solutions to a broad spectrum of U.S. national security needs, including technologies that tap sources of renewable energy, protect natural resources, secure U.S. infrastructures, or assist the military.
In addition to offering the internships, Sandia supported ISEF with event planning, monetary sponsorship, judges, event volunteers, and a college scholarship. For more information, http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/isef-sandia-support.html.
The interns and their home towns are:
Laurie Agosto, Fruitland Park, Fla.
Natalie Alberman, Forest Hills, N.Y.
Stephen Bergin, Albuquerque, N.M.
Nancy Dong, Sarasota, Fla.
Billy Dorminy, McDonough, Ga.
Jane Fomina, Westfield, Mass.
Rebecca Grout, Florence, Ky.
Mustafa Iqbal, San Antonio, Texas
Jordan Krell, Plankinton, S.D.
Markrete Krikorian, Little Neck, N.Y.
Jenna Kromann, Austin, Texas
Cameron Kruse, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ganga Moorthy, Alva, Okla.
Thiago Olson, Rochester, Mich.
Norman Pai, Columbia, Mo.
Karthik Prasad, Houston, Texas
Rajasree Roy, Atlanta, Ga.
Derek Smith, Enon, Ohio
Alison Stace-Naughton, Madison, Wis.