Romanian Teenager Wins Big for Low-Cost, Self-Driving Car Innovation; Winners from Malaysia Announced

Ionut Budisteanu of Romania Wins Top Prize at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

• The world’s largest high school science research competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, announced its top winners in Phoenix.
• Ionut Budisteanu of Romania received the Gordon E. Moore Award, a $75,000 prize named in honor of the Intel co-founder and fellow scientist.
• Nur Liyana Johari and Sarah Wong Jia Xin represented Malaysia with award-winning projects
• Two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards winners – Eesha Khare of Saratoga, Calif. and Henry Lin of Shreveport, La. – each received prizes of $50,000 from the Intel Foundation.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 20, 2013 – Ionut Budisteanu, 19, of Romania was awarded first place for using artificial intelligence to create a viable model for a low-cost, self-driving car at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public.

Ionut said his research addresses a major global issue. In 2004, car accidents caused 2.5 million deaths worldwide1, and 87 percent of crashes resulted from driver error2. With 3-D radar and mounted cameras, Ionut created a feasible design for an autonomously controlled car that could detect traffic lanes and curbs, along with the real-time position of the car – and it would only cost $4,000. He received the Gordon E. Moore Award of $75,000, named in honor of the Intel co-founder and fellow scientist.

(L-R) Sarah Wong and Nur Liyana.

From Malaysia, Nur Liyana Johari from Tuanku Syed Putra Secondary Science School won second award from the United Airlines Foundation and third award in the environmental management: recycling and waste management category and was awarded US$5,000.00 and US$1,000.00 respectively for her project entitled ‘BIO-OIL: the use of specially made catalyst’. Sarah Wong Jia Xin from SMK Batu Lintang won third award in the engineering: electrical and mechanical category and was awarded US$1,000.00 for her project entitled ‘use of biosorbent for removal of colour and heavy metal from dyed waste water’.

Eesha Khare, 18, of Saratoga, Calif. received the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000. With the rapid adoption of portable electronics, Eesha recognized the crucial need for energy-efficient storage devices. She developed a tiny device that fits inside cell phone batteries, allowing them to fully charge within 20-30 seconds. Eesha’s invention also has potential applications for car batteries.

(L-R) Nur Liyana and Azrena Mahmud, PR & Marketing Manager, Corporate Affairs Group.

Henry Lin, 17, of Shreveport, La. also received the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000. By simulating thousands of clusters of galaxies, Henry has provided scientists with valuable new data, allowing them to better understand the mysteries of astrophysics: dark matter, dark energy and the balance of heating and cooling in the universe's most massive objects.

 “We support the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we believe that science and math are the foundation of innovation, which is imperative for global economic growth and advancing society,” said Prakash Mallya country manager, Intel Singapore and Malaysia. “This competition encourages millions of students worldwide every year to explore their passion for math and science while developing solutions for global challenges.”

 (L-R) Puan Roslina Mohd. Roslin, Principal assistant director, Ministry of Education (MOE); Nur Liyana; Azrena Mahmud, PR & Marketing Manager, Corporate Affairs Group.

This year, approximately 1,600 young scientists were chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. They were selected from 433 affiliate fairs in more than 70 countries, regions and territories. In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 500 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research. Awards included 17 "Best of Category" winners who each received a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and to the affiliated fair they represent.

The following lists the 17 Best of Category winners from which the top three were chosen:  

Category	First	Last	City	State/Country
Animal Sciences	Michael	Shao	Northville	Mich.
Behavioral and Social Sciences	Zarin	Rahman	Brookings	S.D.
Biochemistry	Savannah	Tobin	Salem	Ore.
Cellular and Molecular Biology	Hannah	Wastyk	Palmyra	Pa.
Chemistry	Eesha	Khare	Saratoga	Calif.
Computer Science	Ionut	Budisteanu	Ramnicu, Valcea	Romania
Earth and Planetary Sciences	Gyou	Tanaka	Mobara, Chiba	Japan
Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical	Zeyu	Liu	Calgary, Alberta	Canada
Engineering: Materials and Bioengineering	Samantha	Marquez	Midlothian	Va.
Energy and Transportation	Evie	Sobczak	St. Petersburg	Fla.
Environmental Management	Shixuan	Li	Lynn Haven	Fla.
Environmental Sciences	Naomi	Shah	Portland	Ore.
Mathematical Sciences	Vinay	Iyengar	Portland	Ore.
Medicine and Health	Jessie	MacAlpine	Woodstock, Ontario	Canada
Microbiology	David	Zimmerman	Los Angeles	Calif.
Physics and Astronomy	Henry	Lin	Shreveport	La.
Plant Sciences	Samantha	DiSalvo	Hewlett	N.Y.
	Ryan	Kenny
	Amy	Vitha

Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the International Science and Engineering Fair since its inception in 1950. 

Nur Liyana Johari.

“We congratulate Ionut, Eesha and Henry on their success at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair this week in Phoenix,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Society for Science & the Public. “Their research demonstrates the value of hard work and creative thinking. All the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists here this week show great promise in harnessing the power of science and innovation to solve problems and create opportunity for our global community.”

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair honors some of the world’s most promising, rising student entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists. Finalists are selected annually from hundreds of affiliated fairs. Their projects are then evaluated onsite by more than 1,200 judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. 

Sarah Wong.

This is the first year that all Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists will receive digital badges recognizing and rewarding their achievements in independent scientific and engineering research. Volunteers, judges and interpreters will also receive badges. Digital badges promote informal modes of education and provide recognition and credentialing for achievements beyond the classroom. Learn more about the badging initiative at http://badging.societyforscience.org.

A full listing of finalists is available in the event program. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2013 is funded jointly by Intel and the Intel Foundation with additional awards and support from dozens of other corporate, academic, governmental and science-focused organizations. This year, more than US$4 million was awarded.

To learn more about Society for Science & the Public, visit www.societyforscience.org, and follow the organization on Facebook and Twitter.