Starting today, we’ll be profiling a couple of Intel Science Talent Search finalists everyday, leading up to the science competition. We want to share with you the faces and stories behind each one of the 40 final science projects that are on its way to Washington D.C. next month.

In no particular order, here are two of the 40 Intel Science Talent Search finalists:

Namrata Anand – The Harker School, San Jose, CA

Project: A Spectral Analysis of the Chemical Enrichment History of Red Giants in the Andromeda Galaxy Field (M31) vs. Its Dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) Satellites

Inspired by her father and encouraged by her physics teacher, Namrata, 16, leveraged this research to unify three fields she was passionate about: math, computer science and science. Her conclusions about Andromeda, a galaxy very similar to our own, can help scientists identify locations with high probability for extraterrestrial life. Namrata speaks Tamil, Spanish and Hindi fluently and is also a varsity cross country runner.

Akhil Mathew – Madison High School, Madison, NJ

Project: Deligne Categories and Representation Theory in Complex Rank

For his project, Akhil, 17, investigated Etingof’s mathematical program of representation theory in complex rank using categorical methods. Since Middle School, he had shown a keen interest in algebra and algebraic geometry and this project allowed him to further understand how he could apply the techniques of algebraic geometry, representation theory and category theory. In his spare time, Akhil volunteers at the Madison Public Library where he teaches a chess class, helping elementary students learn the basic rules and strategies of the game.

Tags: Akhil Mathew, inspire, Intel education, Intel STS Finalists, Math and Science, Namrata Anand

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