Two high school students have parlayed their UT Dallas summer lab work into $40,000 in scholarship money after placing third nationally in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology.
Camden Miller and John Chen will split the prize awarded for the project they started under UT Dallas chemistry professor Kenneth Balkus and graduate student Harvey Liu.
After placing first in the Siemens Competition team division in Texas, they entered their project in the national finals Nov. 30 – Dec. 3 at New York University in New York City.
Their project, “Controlled Release of Nitric Oxide from Electrospun Biodegradable Fibers,” is a process designed to help preserve organs and limbs damaged in accidents or awaiting surgery.
Camden participated in the UT Dallas NanoExplorer program. John took part in a summer scholar program sponsored by UT Dallas and Plano ISD through the High Technology Education Coalition of Collin County.
Above: At Times Square, Camden Miller saw her name and that of science partner John Chen in lights. The pair visited New York City for the Siemens Competition finals. Below: The two high school students finished first in the state competition held in Austin.
