2009
Call of the Wild All Saints Catholic School Manahawkin, NJ Problem: Natural habitats being lost to suburban sprawl. Solution: A four-pronged plan employing action, outreach, education and political initiatives to preserve the many endangered species identified in the community. At an awards ceremony held at Walt Disney World®, two of the finalist teams received […]
Recycle Because You Care St. Philip the Apostle School Addison, IL Problem: Improve local participation in recycling. Solution: Community awareness outreach regarding the importance of recycling and to supply free recycling bins to every household. At an awards ceremony held at Walt Disney World®, two of the finalist teams received gold medals and savings bonds […]
Ergo-PAD (Ergonomic Posture Alignment Device) Carmel Valley Middle School San Diego, CA Problem: Poor body posture when using computers. Solution: Ergo-PAD: A specialized seat cushion that uses sensory feedback to train people to develop healthy posture while sitting at a computer. The finalist teams were judged for the practicality of implementing their idea. The winning […]

Henry Zheng Senior Centennial High School Elliot City, Maryland Henry Zheng is a senior at Centennial High School of Howard County, Maryland. Since elementary school, he has enjoyed science and math. In high school, he developed a keen interest in applied mathematics for biological engineering, specifically with the functioning of artificial limbs and its integration […]

Justin Grzyb Senior Westchester Country Day School High Point North Carolina Justin Grzyb is a Senior at Westchester Country Day School, a college preparatory school in North Carolina. Justin was introduced to science at a young age, as both his parents are engineers. When he had questions, they took the time to explain how things […]

Beenu Gupta Biology Teacher The Charter School of Wilmington Wilmington, Delaware Since 1996, Beenu Gupta has taught AP and Honors Biology at The Charter School of Wilmington in Delaware. The Charter School is a college preparatory high school with a focus on mathematics and science, and was ranked 41st in the 2008 issue of U.S. News […]

Bryon E. Petersen, Ph.D. Associate Professor University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Dr. Bryon Petersen has been recognized worldwide as a foremost authority in hepatic stem cells and their role in Liver Pathobiology. He is currently conducting research in stem cell biology and how it relates to the patho-physiology of the liver. Dr. Petersen’s seminal paper […]

Alan Bronstein Central High School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The recipient of the Tenth Annual Freida J. Riley Teacher Award is Alan Bronstein, Chemistry teacher at Central High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The award is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation in partnership with the West Virginia Freida J. Riley Teacher Award Committee, Harrison County, West […]

James J. Thomas Laboratory Fellow Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Mr. Thomas is founder and past Director of the Department of Homeland Security National Visualization and Analytics Center. His responsibilities at PNNL include establishing investment directions for Information and Computing Technology (ICT), representing ICT in and outside PNNL, leading major technology initiatives, mentoring staff, and being […]