2 S.D. Students Named as Finalists in Elite Science Competition

Annjoe Golangco Wong-Foy said he knew he wanted to be a scientist at age 12, after discovering that he could take apart his computer, clocks and radios without making his mother angry. “I could put them back together so well that she never knew,” said the San Diego youth.

For Patrick Lee Purdon of Chula Vista, the discovery came in first grade when he saw the movie “Jaws” and was bitten by an interest in sharks--even though he became so leery of water that his mother had to force him into the bathtub.

Today the teen-agers, both 17 and high school seniors, say their mothers couldn’t be prouder of their scientific dabblings.

Wong-Foy and Purdon are finalists in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, a prestigious annual contest that selects the best budding scientists from high schools across the nation to compete for $205,000 in scholarships provided by Westinghouse Electric Corp.

This year’s 40 finalists were chosen from among 1,705 students who entered the competition by submitting descriptions of their science projects.

The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C., in March to vie for a chance to be one of the 10 students who will win scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 from the company. All finalists will receive at least a $1,000 scholarship.

Wong-Foy, a student at Samuel Gompers Secondary School in San Diego, won his shot at a scholarship with his science project involving electrorheological fluids--mixtures of tiny particles suspended in oil that thicken when placed in a strong electric field and return to normal when the field is removed.

“The goal of the project was to find a mathematical equation that describes electrorheological fluids,” explained Wong-Foy, who spent his weekends at home on the project.

“In finding this, you should be able to predict how and why they work, and how they can be used in different applications.”

He said the project may someday be able to help in robotic technology and in the suspension systems on trains.

Purdon, who attends Chula Vista High School, submitted his project titled, “The Outcrossing Rate of the Arizona Cypress: A Conservation Study,” to become a finalist.

His project will attempt to find out why the tree has a tendency to breed with other plants instead of self-fertilizing.

“This is very important because the project will tell you about the evolutionary potential of the tree, and this information can be used in forest management and conservation,” said Purdon, who worked up to two hours a day for a year on the project.

Finalists are chosen based on the creativity of the science project they submit, said Jay McCaffrey, a spokesman for the talent search. A panel of eight scientists makes the final decision on the winners by evaluating projects and interviewing the contestants, McCaffrey said.

This is the 51st year for the contest, the oldest high school science scholarship competition in the United States. Five former winners have gone on to earn the Nobel Prize, contest organizers said.

Two other California students were chosen as finalists.

Anna Belle Kim of Alhambra High School in Monterey Park was chosen for a project that cloned a human enzyme believed to cause heart damage when it reacts to chemotherapy drugs.

Amy Elizabeth Shaw of Solvang won for a biology project that showed how trees might one day be cured of chlorosis, a condition that causes discoloration and other problems. She attends Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

Scientists who have worked with Wong-Foy and Purdon said the students have more than a fighting chance at winning a scholarship.

Wong-Foy “did all the work on his own, all the research,” said Christopher Lawrence, an advanced-placement physics teacher at Samuel Gompers. “He is the best student I have ever had, and I have taught chemistry, calculus, aviation, microcomputers and advanced-placement physics.”

Purdon “has enormous brainpower and motivation to back it up, and that is rare to find in a student,” Steve Rodecker, a science teacher at Chula Vista High, said of his student. “I have been teaching for 13 years, and I have never seen another student like Patrick. He is a once-in-a-lifetime student.”

Both teen-agers are quick to say that they are not “nerds” and have interests outside of science.

Purdon, who is first in his class of 467, said he played water polo at school for three years before his research got in the way. Now he limits his extracurricular activities to karate and fishing. He also plans to attend a Valentine’s Day dance and the prom. He will attend Harvard in the fall and plans to be a doctor.

“I am somewhat social, but there are limits to what you can do and the priorities you have compared to other kids,” he said.

Wong-Foy, who was born in Hong Kong and is valedictorian at his school, spends his free time playing classical piano, and also plans to go to upcoming school dances. He hopes to go to Harvard or Massachusetts Institute of Technology to become a research physicist.

Both said they were pleasantly surprised when they received the news Jan. 26.

“I feel honored to be selected because the chances of getting the award are so slim,” Purdon said. “There are so many bright science students in the nation, that to find I was in the top 40 was really great.”

“I was really surprised to find out that I was a finalist,” Wong-Foy said. “The best part will be getting away from school for a week.”