Newswise — Students from Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minnesota, won the 2019 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl® (NSB) today in Washington, D.C. In the middle school competition, students from Jonas Clarke Middle School in Lexington, Massachusetts, took home first place.

“I’d like to congratulate the winning teams from Wayzata High School and Jonas Clarke Middle School,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “I am excited to see where the dedication and focus of these teams, as well as each and every National Science Bowl participant, will take them in the years to come. After this challenging competition, I know the next generation is up to the great task of ensuring this nation remains a leader in science, technology and innovation.”

DOE Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty was this year’s featured keynote speaker. "I'd like to acknowledge the more than 3,000 teams who took part in this year's competition. The practice, study, and sacrifice of not only the students, but their dedicated teachers, parents, and coaches is truly inspiring,” said Administrator Gordon-Hagerty. “There will be a continuing need for a new generation of nuclear engineers, chemists, radiochemists, health physicists, nuclear physicists, technicians, and other related disciplines for decades to come and I am confident that our Nation is up to the task."

The top two high school teams emerged victorious from a field of 64 high school regional champions who came to D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl® Finals.

Wayzata High School defeated Dulles High School from Sugar Land, Texas by correctly answering the short answer energy question, “A group of Department of Energy Office of Science researchers conducted a conformation analysis of the epidermal growth factor receptor using modeling and time-resolved fluorescence microscopy. Identify all of the statements that are true concerning this protein,” with the correct answer, “It is a receptor tyrosine kinase.” The members of the winning high school team are Aayush Gupta, Matthew Qu, Stephen Chen, Benjamin Weiner, and Geoffrey Chen and they are coached by Amanda Laden.

For winning the national championship, Wayzata High School will receive a nine-day, all-expense paid science trip to Alaska. While on the trip, the students will take day trips that provide learning opportunities about glaciology, marine and avian biology, geology, and plate tectonics.

For finishing second, Dulles High School will receive a seven-day, fully guided adventure tour of Cordova, Alaska. The tour will consist of experiences to learn about glaciology, different ecosystems, marine biology, and local history.

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, Jonas Clarke Middle School defeated Joaquin Miller Middle School from San Jose, California. The members of the winning middle school team are Jonas Clarke Middle School's Daniel Jung, Charles Chen, Junu Lee, Samuel Wang, and Rohan Venkatesh and they are coached by Lorraine Grosslight and Joy Wang.

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 16 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.

DOE created the National Science Bowl® in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. Approximately 305,000 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.

DOE’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/.