California, Texas, and D.C. High School Scientists Win Regional Siemens Competition at the California Institute of Technology for Research on Cardiac Health Diagnostics and Factorization in the Hurwitz Integers

Months of dedication and hard work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) paid off tonight for four students named National Finalists in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. Ruchi Pandya of San Jose, Calif. earned the top honors and a $3,000 individual scholarship for research on cardiac health diagnostics. Research on factorization in the Hurwitz integers earned Shakthi Shrima of Austin, Tex., Jacob Gurev of Sacramento, Calif., and Adam Forsyth of Washington, D.C. the $6,000 team scholarship.

Adam Forsyth, Jacob Gurev, and Shakthi Shrima are the team winners of the Siemens Competition regional event held at the California Institute of Technology. They advance to the National Finals in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Business Wire)

The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from the California Institute of Technology, host of the Region One Finals. They will now present their work on a national stage in Washington, D.C., December 5-9, 2014, where $500,000 in scholarships will be awarded, including two top prizes of $100,000. The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by Discovery Education.

“By investing a significant amount of their time and energy, these remarkable students are advancing research and exploration in critical fields,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of the Siemens Foundation. “I applaud these finalists for their outstanding achievements and wish them luck in the next phase of the competition.”

The Winning Individual

Ruchi Pandya, a senior at Lynbrook High School in Saratoga, Calif., won the individual category and a $3,000 scholarship for her project, titled “Development of a Carbon Nanofiber Electrode Based Biosensor for Cardiac Health Diagnostics.”

Ruchi’s research improves cardiac health diagnostics with patients only requiring one droplet of blood to test for specific cardiac biomarkers. She decided to pursue her interests in nanotechnology and develop a carbon nanofiber electrode-based biosensor for cardiac health diagnostics. The device, which is just one squared centimeter, has the potential to revolutionize in-home diagnostics for cardiac patients, just as the insulin test has done for diabetes patients.

“I was particularly impressed that Ruchi took on work that combines different fields including nanotechnology, biology, and chemistry to improve the performance of in vitro diagnostics,” said Dr. Mikhail Shapiro, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. “These kinds of miniaturized diagnostics that only require small biological samples can be used in a broader range of settings, from hospitals and homes to the developing world. I’m excited to see where she takes this.”

Ruchi became fascinated by the power of nanotechnology and its ability to transform our world after developing a nanotechnology-based water purification filter. She is a teaching assistant for her school’s STEM class, and came in first place in the most recent California State Science Fair. She also enjoys studying piano, playing basketball, and participating in a competitive folk dance team.

“I’m fascinated by the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of STEM,” explained Ruchi. “Scientists and engineers frequently collaborate with researchers from multiple disciplines to develop useful and innovative products for society.”

Ruchi’s mentors are Dr. Jessica Koehne, NASA Ames Center for Nanotechnology, and Amanda Alonzo, STEM Research Coordinator, Lynbrook High School.

The Winning Team

Homeschooled senior Shakthi Shrima of Austin, Tex., junior Jacob Gurev from Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, Calif., and Adam Forsyth from Georgetown Day School in Washington, D.C. won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship for their project, titled “Metacommutation of the Hurwitz Integers and the Projective Line Over F_p.”

Shakthi, Jacob and Adam, working together from three different states, characterized unique factorization in the Hurwitz integers by using methods taken from projective geometry. Their results have possible applications in cryptography and quantum field theory. Their research ultimately showed that a problem about factorizing certain kinds of numbers was equivalent to a problem in geometry.

“Number theory is a foundation of mathematics, and these three students really understood its application in order to reach their advanced findings,” said Philipp Mösta, Postdoctoral Scholar in Numerical Relativity at the California Institute of Technology. “The teamwork Shakthi, Adam, and Jacob displayed was really unique, especially having worked together remotely. This showed their dedication to the project, as well as their spirit and enthusiasm.”

An alumnus of the PROMYS program and of the Iowa Young Writer’s Studio, Shakthi is also Executive Editor at Polyphony H.S., was awarded a National Latin Exam gold Medal, and is an avid Carnatic vocalist. Following her college education, she would like to work as a mathematician and number theorist.

“There is no language without an alphabet; in a way, doing pure mathematics is a bit like working with the alphabet,” explained Shakthi. “The possibilities for applications are endless.”

A two-time winner of the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl, Jacob is an avid skier, and participates in his school’s philosophy club. He hopes to work as a mathematician some day in the future.

“My interest in STEM began with math contests, which later developed into devouring math textbooks and seeking research ideas,” said Jacob. “For that reason, I will be a lifelong competition supporter!”

In addition to studying mathematics on his own and participating in the PROMYS program, Jacob is heavily involved with his school’s student theater program, as well as its philosophy club. He hopes to one day work as a professor.

“A big challenge we faced was coordinating with each other to work on our project after the conclusion of the PROMYS program over video chat, since we all live in different time zones and have very different schedules,” Adam explained. “Much like mathematical research, this required a great deal of patience, but it’s more than worth the time.”

The team is grateful for the support they received from their shared mentor Dr. Henry Cohn, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Regional Finalists

The remaining Regional Finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were:

• Sharon Chen, Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Valerie Ding, Catlin Gabel School, Portland, Ore.
• Agastya Gupta, Saratoga High School, Saratoga, Calif.
• Aileen Wang, Aliso Niguel High School, Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Team Regional Finalists were:

• Jason Chu, The Harker School, San Jose, Calif.; Lea Sparkman, Castilleja School, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Aaron Huang, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Calif.; Pranav Sekhar, Saint Francis High School, Mountain View, Calif.
• Vineet Kosaraju, The Harker School, San Jose, Calif.; Neerja Garikipati, Huron High School, Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Sadhika Malladi, The Harker School, San Jose, Calif.; Jonathan Ma, The Harker School, San Jose, Calif.

The Siemens Competition

This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the Siemens Competition, the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. A record 4,428 students registered for this year’s competition and submitted a total of 1,784 projects for consideration – a 12% increase over the number of projects submitted last year. 408 students were named semifinalists and 97 were named regional finalists, representing 38 states. Entries are judged at the regional level by esteemed scientists from six leading research universities which host the regional competitions: California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Notre Dame and The University of Texas at Austin.

For news and announcements about the Regional Competitions and the National Finals, follow us on Twitter @SFoundation (#SiemensComp) and like us on Facebook at SiemensFoundation.

About the Siemens Foundation

The Siemens Foundation supports educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. Its signature programs include the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Science Day. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ U.S. companies. For further information, visit www.siemens-foundation.org or follow @sfoundation.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Photos of winners available on request.

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