“RICKOIDS OF THE YEAR” AWARDED AT CEE’S RENOWNED RESEARCH SCIENCE INSTITUTE (RSI) AT MIT
Prestigious honor voted by their peers at annual gathering of STEM academia
McLean, Va. – August 10, 2016 - The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is pleased to announce Joshua Dong of the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, North Carolina, and Kathy Liu of West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, were named “Rickoids of the Year,” by their peers as part of the convocation of the 33rd annual Research Science Institute (RSI) held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), June 26 – August 5, 2016.
At the conclusion of RSI each year, participants are asked to vote for the “Rickoid of the Year,” an award which is given to a student (or students) who are recognized by fellow RSI classmates for academic acumen and personal demeanor. Both Dong and Liu received the “Rickover Medal of Excellence.”
The Institute, a six-week-intensive internationally recognized program, is held in collaboration with MIT each summer for high school academic achievers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Alumni of the program are known as “Rickoids,” after the late Admiral H.G. Rickover, Father of the Nuclear Navy who co-founded CEE, from which the top award was created.
“These are students with qualities that others want to emulate,” said Joann P. DiGennaro, CEE President. “These bright young minds have demonstrated that they have the potential to make an impact in their respective STEM fields in the future.”
RSI scholars participate in college-level research in pure and applied mathematics, physical and biological sciences, economics, engineering, and computer science, under the mentorship of leading scientists and researchers in the Boston area. RSI consists of one week of theoretical classroom work, followed by four-and-a-half weeks of research in the students’ respective areas of interest. It provides students with the opportunity to conduct original, cutting edge research in state-of-the-art university laboratories, hospitals and corporate research facilities.
RSI is offered cost-free to competitively-selected-top-achieving students in the STEM fields. The RSI Selection Committee, comprised of professional educators and RSI alumni, convene each spring and make their RSI selections based on the following criteria: high school records, personal essays, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, research experience, potential for leadership, and honors and awards in math and science.
This year’s RSI field included students from 38 U.S. States as well as 30 international students from 16 countries.
RSI is the single U.S. program offered at no cost to students competitively selected to attend. Funding for the program comes from corporations, foundations, individuals and U.S. government agencies.
Following the conclusion of RSI, CEE continues to provide extensive enrichment opportunities for alumni throughout their undergraduate and graduate studies and beyond. Since its inception in 1983, there are nearly 2,500 “Rickoids,” at an 80% STEM career retention rate.
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 leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), the USA Biology Olympiad (USABO), and the Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP). For more information about the Center and its programs, visit CEE’s Web site, www.cee.org
| Media Contact: | Sherry Perez, 703-448-9062 ext. 229 |
| Sources: | Joann P. DiGennaro, 703-448-9062 |
| Maite Ballestero,703-448-9062 | |
| Nicole Nova, 502-203-1422 |
Related website:
Center for Excellence in Education: http://www.cee.org/
Research Science Institute: http://www.cee.org/research-science-institute