Competition Highlights Importance of Investing in Next Generation of Leaders in Science

Washington D.C. – Students from Mira Loma High School from Sacramento, Calif. won the 2014 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl today in Washington, D.C. This year’s championship team in the middle school competition is the Greater Boston Science Math Team from Andover, Mass.

“I congratulate this year’s National Science Bowl Champions, as well as all of the finalists, for their remarkable success in this highly competitive and prestigious academic tournament,” said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “These students are our Nation’s future scientists and engineers, and they will help sustain America’s competitiveness.” 

Altogether, more than 9,300 high school students and 5,200 middle school students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico participated in this year’s regional competitions.

In the high school competition, the Mira Loma High School team defeated the Westview High School team from Portland, Ore. The members of the winning high school team are Daniel Shen, Arvind Sundararajan, Matt Kempster, Jack Gurev and Preethi Raju, and they are coached by James Hill.

The top two high school teams emerged victorious from a field of 68 high school regional champions who came to D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl Finals.

For winning the national championship, the Mira Loma High School team will receive a nine-day, all-expense paid science trip to Alaska. While on the trip, the students will have first-hand opportunities to learn about glaciology, marine and avian biology, geology and plate tectonics. They will explore the Copper River Delta, known for its highly prized stocks and prolific runs of wild salmon; experience the mystical appeal of old-growth hemlock and spruce while hiking through the Chugach National Forest; white-water raft on the Sheridan River and travel across the scenic Prince William Sound and Orca Inlet, home to the world’s largest population of sea otters. The trip also includes visits to Childs Glacier and the Alaska Wildlife Center, which is a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned wildlife.

For finishing second, the Westview High School team will receive a five-day, fully guided adventure tour of the Great Salt Lake Park, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. They will hike along the Continental Divide, go white-water rafting down the Snake River and swim in the Great Salt Lake Park before seeing Yellowstone’s geysers, canyons and other geological formations as well as the West Yellowstone Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. They also will hike at Jenny Lake for spectacular observations of wildlife and tour the Upper Snake River Canyon.

The top three high school teams received trophies and individual medals, and the top 16 high school teams won $1,000 for their schools’ science departments.  

In the middle school competition, the Greater Boston Science Math Team defeated the JDroids Science Club from Wayne, N.J. The members of the winning middle school team are Abhi Sambangi, Snigdha Allaparti, Michael Ren, Justin Chang and Alice Ren, and they are coached by Ravi Sambangi.

The top two middle school teams emerged victorious from a field of 48 middle school regional champions who came to D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl Finals. The top eight middle school teams in the academic competition won $1,000 for their schools’ science departments and the top three teams received trophies and individual medals.

The Energy Department created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. Approximately 240,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl since its creation. Students may sign up to compete in next year’s National Science Bowl competition beginning in October.

The Energy Department’s Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl and sponsors the finals competition.

Additional information about the teams and the National Science Bowl is available at:http://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/. 

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