Winner of the Intel Science Competition

What a treat it was to meet Michael Hofmann Winer and congratulate him on being named one of three first-place winners in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition. He received the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation and a cash prize of $150,000. See the story on CCM.

Michael's study looked at how fundamental quasi-particles of sound, called phonons, interact with electrons. Organizers said that Michael's work potentially could be applied to more complex atomic structures such as superconductors. Michael is a senior at Blair High School in the Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Magnet Program. He plans to attend MIT in the fall.

One other Montgomery County student--Yizhen Zhang from Richard Montgomery High School--was a finalist in the competition. Of the 300 semi-finalists, 16 were from Montgomery County.