Nine Students to represent Thailand at Intel ISEF 2012

Nine Thai students have been selected to represent their country at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA from May 13-18. 

 

The annual Intel ISEF provides an opportunity for over 1,500 students from around the globe to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge science projects, and compete for international recognition and over US$4 million in awards and scholarships.

 

“The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair is a great platform for Thai students to showcase their talents in innovation with their peers and compete with other students on a global stage. This year also marked the 12th year that Intel Thailand has supported the students to compete at the event. The event highlights our continued commitment to cultivating the next generation of scientists and innovators,” said Accharas Ouysinprasert, country manager, Intel Microelectronics (Thailand).

 

This year Thai student representatives will be vying for awards at Intel ISEF with five projects, including three in the Animal Science category and one each in the Mathematical Science and Environmental Science categories.  The topics of the students’ group projects vary, including the effect of Siamese snail mucus on natural rubber coagulation (which can be applied to the production of rubber in Thailand); the study of synthetic gems made from ashes of tamarind wood and lignite (which can add value to Thailand’s jewelry industry), and a mathematical project aiming to extend algorithms to cover all types of theta graphs.

 

Two individual projects focus specifically on the field of Animal Science. Kitthanaet Thanaroungrochthawee of Kanthararom School, Sri saket province studied the effect of food types on quantity and nutritional quality of weaver ant larvae (oecophylla smaragdina) which are normally collected and commercialized as a popular delicacy with an expensive price tag in north eastern Thailand. This research supports weaver ant farming, which is important because it provides people with a food source rich in protein, increases income for rural farmers and helps prevent deforestation. The other individual project is by Phornwimol Siabbamrung from Takhliprachasan School in Nakornsawan province who studied the diversity of millipedes and their contribution to the richness of the soil.

 

Participating students from all over the world are set to compete in a diverse range of categories, including animal science, computer science, engineering, energy and transportation, environmental management and environmental science. 

 

Intel ISEF finalists are selected annually from 443 affiliated fairs around the world. Their projects are then evaluated onsite by hundreds of judges from diverse scientific disciplines, each typically with a Ph.D or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines. The Intel ISEF 2012 is funded jointly by Intel and the Intel Foundation with additional support from other corporate, academic, government and science-focused sponsors. 

 

More information about the Intel ISEF 2012 can be found at http://www.societyforscience.org/intelisef2012.