Evanston Township High School senior Laura Goetz was named a semifinalist in the 2013 Intel Science Talent Search (STS), the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition.
Each year, Society for Science & the Public (SSP) provides a national stage for high school seniors to conduct original research projects and present their work to top professional scientists through the STS.
Laura’s project is titled “Identifying Genetic Modifiers of Polyglutamine Expansion Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.” Her research was carried out in the laboratory of Professor Richard Morimoto at Northwestern University.
As a semifinalist, Laura receives a $1,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation, with an additional $1,000 going to ETHS for future students to use in research.
Intel has sponsored the competition since 1998 to recognize student achievement and inspire innovation.
“The 300 Intel Science Talent Search 2013 semifinalists have distinguished themselves as the nation’s top, young scientists dedicated to independent hands-on research in the science, technology, engineering and math fields,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Society for Science & the Public, in a press statement.
“Together with Intel, we congratulate these exceptional students, look forward to watching their future progress, and commend the mentors, teachers, schools, parents and communities that have contributed to their success,” she added.
In fall 2012, Laura was also named a national semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math,
Science, and Technology for her research efforts.
She is the 12th ETHS student to be a national semifinalist in the STS since 2000.