2005-06 National Third Place Winners
Third Place Winners
$20,000 Scholarship
Soumya Irivinti
Pinkerton Academy
Deery, NH
An Epidemiological Study of Psychosocial Discomfort and Exercise Frequency in High School Students
"In spite of the large body of research among adults that links physical activity and exercise to emotional well-being, there are still many areas of psychological functioning that are not well understood."
Soumya Irivinti's study of 2,568 high school students in the northeastern United States revealed that those who exercised infrequently experienced more psychosocial discomfort (loneliness, shyness, and hopelessness) than adolescents who exercised more frequently. She found that the group which reported exercising zero times per week scored significantly higher on the hopelessness and loneliness scales than other groups. This group, along with those who exercised infrequently (1-2 times per week) also had significantly higher scores on the shyness scale than those who reported exercising 3-4 times per week. Soumya hopes that these and other findings in her research are considered in the context of implications for health education programs aimed at increasing physical activity in youth.
Soumya has a passion for global issues including combating HIV/AIDS, improving access to education, eradicating hunger and poverty, promoting tolerance, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, encouraging diversity, and ensuring environmental sustainability. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Senate, Math Team, and Computer Club.
She plans to major in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University and said she learned "the growing importance of epidemiology as an interdisciplinary science that can be a valuable tool in almost any high school classroom."
Nozlee Samadzadeh
Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Oklahoma City, OK
SIORSS—Simulation of an Influenza Outbreak in a Residential School Setting
"My interest in theoretical work combined with my desire to find practical real-life solutions led me to develop and complete this research project."
Nozlee Samadzadeh developed a computer simulation of an influenza outbreak in a residential school setting and used it to test different strategies for containing it. Using the clinical characteristics of influenza and data from a survey that identified the students' daily activities, a simulation program entitled SIORSS was written. She found that vaccination and limiting the number of people that any student interacts with to be the most effective, reducing the total number of cases by approximately 95% and 70%, respectively.
Nozlee has participated in the USA Computing Olympiad, American Computer Science League, and the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center Graduate Research Education and Technology Symposium. She is a member of the Oklahoma State University Karate Club, Mathematics and French Clubs, and volunteers at the public library's children's summer reading program and for Meals on Wheels.
Nozlee will attend Yale University and plans to study Computer Science or Bioengineering. She said she felt inspired by the cause that the YES Competition is intended to serve, "ensuring better and healthier lives for future generations."