McLean, VA (June 3, 2021) – The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) announces the names of the high school biology scholars who earned medals at the 19th Annual USA Biolympiad (USABO) National Finals. Nearly 9,000 students from 464 schools, 42 states, and 8 International Schools registered in the nationwide high school competition.
2021 USABO Gold Medalists are:
Derek Chen, Belmont High School, Belmont, MA
Judson Lam, Naperville North High School, Naperville, IL
Greycen Ren, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL
Albert Zhang, North Hollywood Senior High School, North Hollywood, CA
2021 USABO Silver Medalists are:
Arthur Hu, Lexington High School, Lexington, MA
Jonathan Huang, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Peter Pu, University of Chicago Laboratory School, Chicago, IL
Jason Wang, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
2021 USABO Bronze Medalists are:
Albert Tam, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Julianne Wu, University High School, Irvine, CA
Michael Yu Zhao, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Caleb Zhao, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD
During the 10 days of the National Finals, students participated in intensive theoretical and practical tutorials. The high school students studied with leading U.S. biologists who are experts in the fields of cellular & molecular biology, plant anatomy & physiology, animal anatomy & physiology, genetics & evolution, ecology, ethology, and biosystematics. The young scholars were mentored by Michelle King, Ph.D., Manager, USABO and Kathy Frame, USABO Advisor & Consultant.
The gold medalists will participate as the USA Biolympiad Team in the 2021 IBO Challenge II virtually from July 18-23. The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) scheduled for 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal was cancelled due to COVID-19. Instead of leaving national representatives without an opportunity for international competition, the hosts of IBO 2021 are offering a virtual substitute to provide national winners an opportunity to showcase their abilities and encounter new aspects of biology.
At the closing USABO medal ceremony, Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert Lefkowitz participated as the Keynote Speaker. He is Professor of Medicine, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Professor of Biochemistry, Professor of Pathology, Professor of Chemistry, Member of the Duke Cancer Institute. CEE President Joann DiGennaro provided introductory remarks.
“CEE is so proud of these students who worked so hard to compete at the 2021 USABO Virtual Finals,” said Joann DiGennaro, President of CEE. “I am confident of success of the gold medalists as they participate in the international competition,” she added.
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About the Center for Excellence in Education
The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) was founded in 1983 by the late Admiral H.G. Rickover and Joann P. DiGennaro, President of the Center. The Center’s mission is to nurture high school and university scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to encourage collaboration between and among scientific and technological leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), the USA Biolympiad (USABO), and the Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP). For more information, visit CEE’s website, https://www.cee.org .
About the USA Biolympiad
As the premiere biology competition for high school students in the United States, CEE’s USA Biolympiad (USABO) enriches the life science education of nearly 10,000 talented students annually. It provides the motivation, curricular resources, and skills training to take them beyond their classroom experience to the level of international competitiveness. For more information, visit https://www.cee.org/programs/usa-biolympiad-usabo.