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YES Projects on Human Papillomavirus and Autism Take Top Honors in National Science Competition

The 2008 national finalists. Front row, left to right: Danielle LeePow, Jessica Palmer, Katherine Xue, Elyssa Goldberg and William Chang. Back row, left to right: Scott Kobner, Katie Everett, Qiushuang (Michelle) Jin, Jonathan Yeh, Utsav Bhat, Emily Barker and Maya Mathur.


On April 7, Katie Everett from Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Jessica Palmer of Ossining High School in Ossining, N.Y., were each awarded a $50,000 college scholarship for taking first-place honors in the Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition, one of the nation’s most prestigious and influential high school science competitions.

The YES Competition, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the College Board, is designed to spur students’ interest in the field of public health, specifically epidemiology. Epidemiology explores patterns of disease, illness and injury within populations, with the goal of developing methods for prevention, control and treatment to improve health.

YES competitors each developed a research project in which they identified a health problem, gathered data about the issue and developed a solution based on the data they compiled. Katie and Jessica were selected from among 60 high school student finalists, who were chosen from more than 550 students from across the country who submitted projects. The 60 students competed in the final competition held in Washington, D.C., April  4-7, during which each student presented his or her project and fielded questions from a panel of judges that included some of the nation’s top epidemiologists, as well as high school teachers and
curriculum developers.
 
One of the 12 national finalists, Scott Kobner, summed up the competition: “I would say one of the best parts of my experience was listening to the work of others as they presented. It was amazing to hear so much research done which could be used to build a better world,” he said. Kobner is a junior in high school. He hopes to work some day for the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Epidemic Intelligence Service.

“The YES Competition encourages students to use the same skills and research methodologies employed by expert epidemiologists to tackle today’s most pressing public health problems,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “The projects presented by Katie and Jessica displayed creative thinking and strong analytical skills.  Their work is the perfect example of how today’s youth can shape the future of public health research and make a meaningful difference.”

While the highly competitive scholarship contest focuses on epidemiology, application of the research skills demonstrated by all students who participated in the YES Competition has the potential to extend far beyond the field.

“The YES Competition was developed to help students hone their skills in using research methods and critical thinking to identify new ideas that may help address some of the major public health issues we face today,” said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board.  “We congratulate this year’s winners — the skill they have demonstrated here in Washington, D.C., will serve them well as they move on to college and pursue a career
in epidemiology.”

For more information about the YES Competition, click here.

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