FHS Senior Matthew Chauvin Quallen to Represent State at National Program

Matthew Chauvin Quallen, of Farmington High School in Farmington, and Ming Zhao, of Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge, have been selected to represent Connecticut at the 2012 National Youth Science Camp. These multi-talented high school seniors will spend four weeks this summer learning about the latest scientific and technological advances from leading scientists and science students from across the country.  Now in its forty-ninth year, the camp is hosted by West Virginia’s Governor, Earl Ray Tomblin, and is located in the Monongahela Mountains near the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, West Virginia.

Established in 1963 as a part of West Virginia’s Centennial Celebration, the National Youth Science Camp is an annual residential summer program where two high-achieving high school graduates from each state convene with leading scientists and other professionals from academic and corporate worlds to learn about cutting-edge research in areas such as fractal geometry, the human genome project, global climate change, the history of the universe, the fate of our rain forests, and robotics.  Delegates to the NYSC are challenged to explore new ideas in the biological and physical sciences, art, music, and to present seminars covering their own research interests.

Matthew Chauvin Quallen is a National Merit finalist and a member of the National Honor Society, Mathematics Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. He also competes on Science Olympiad, JETS, Moody’s Mega Math Challenge, and Zero Robotics teams. During his senior year, Matthew is President of his school’s Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Las Voces (Spanish speaking club), and Amnesty International Club.

Ming Zhao is a National Merit semifinalist, a Presidential Scholar Candidate, and a recipient of a Bronze Medal in the USA Mathematical Talent Search and the Math Prize of Girls. Her science research experience spans the fields of astronomy, psychiatry, and aeronautical engineering. During her senior year, Ming is Captain of the Math Team, President of the Science Olympiad Team, the Marine Biology Club, and Editor-in-Chief of the Literary Magazine.

Alternate delegates selected include Nancy Liu Wu, of Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Holly Ann Robillard, of Berlin High School in Berlin, Devanney Turpin Haruta, of Simsbury High School in Simsbury, and Qungyu Xu, of Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden.

The National Youth Science Camp’s diverse academic program is complemented by an outdoor recreation program that builds valuable leadership and problem-solving skills through activities such as backpacking, caving, rock climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking.

More information is available online at www.nysf.com and www.nysc.org.

Submitted by the State Department of Education.