Broadcom MASTERS® Finalists Heading to Washington for Science Fair Face-Off

Some of the nation’s most promising future scientists and engineers have been selected as finalists for this year’s Broadcom MASTERS® program, a…

Broadcom MASTERS® Finalists Heading to Washington for Science Fair Face-Off

BroadcomBroadcom FoundationBroadcom MASTERSD.C.MASTERS weekSTEMSTEM educationWashington

Some of the nation's most promising future scientists and engineers have been selected as finalists for this year's Broadcom MASTERS® program, a premier science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition for middle school students and will travel to Washington, D.C. next month for a week-long MASTERS event.

From September 28 to October 3, the finalists will showcase their projects and take part in hands-on STEM activities and compete for cash prizes. However, for the students, Broadcom MASTERS week is not just about the finalists channeling their inner Einsteins and Edisons. The students will make enduring friendships with their peers, take field trips to historical sites illuminating American contributions to science and technology and visit Capitol Hill to meet their elected representatives.

The week's activities culminate with an awards dinner at the Carnegie Institution of Washington on October 2, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Nicholas Alexopoulos, Broadcom Vice President of Antenna and RF Research and University Relations.

View the list of 30 finalists and learn more about their projects here.

“The 2012 Broadcom MASTERS finalists represent the nation’s finest young innovators," said Paula Golden, Executive Director of the Broadcom Foundation. “We need ideas from these students, and the thousands of others who participated in the Broadcom MASTERS this year to help solve the grand challenges of this century."

A closer look at the 30 finalists:

  • The 16 girls and 14 boys come from 17 states and represent 29 schools.
  • California has the greatest number of finalists with six, followed by Florida with four, Texas with three, and Massachusetts, New York and Ohio with two in from each state.
  • Finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from among 300 semifinalists, who were chosen on August 15 from more than 1,470 applicants in 38 states and Puerto Rico.

The top prize of $25,000 is a gift of the Samueli Foundation from Susan and Henry Samueli, co-founder of Broadcom. The Broadcom MASTERS program is a joint venture of the Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public (SSP).

Others will win prizes including $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place from the Broadcom Foundation. Still more can win numerous experiential awards such as a stay at a STEM-focused summer camp and a chance to attend the world’s largest international high school science fair in May 2013.

Watch to learn more about the Broadcom MASTERS program.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the Broadcom MASTERS winners October 2. Follow SSP and Broadcom on Twitter or visit the Broadcom MASTERS Facebook page.

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