Team USA Named from among USABO National Finalists
McLean, Va. – June 16, 2014 – Four top scoring high school students will comprise Team USA 2014 at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) in Bali, Indonesia, from July 6-13, air travel will be provided courtesy of Korean Air, the official airline of the USA Biology Olympiad. Members of Team USA earned gold medals at the Center for Excellence in Education’s (CEE) USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) National Finals held in collaboration with Purdue University on its main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Yilun Du, Pullman High School, Pullman, Washington
- William Long, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, Alexandria, Virginia
- Varun Mangalick, Mounds View High School, Arden Hills, Minnesota
- Abhijit Mudigonda, Westview High School, Portland, Oregon
The top 20 student finalists were chosen from nearly 10,500 students based on their scores on the USA Biology Olympiad open and semifinal exams.
During the two weeks at Purdue, the finalists 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, ethology, genetics & evolution, ecology, ethology, and biosystematics.
- Grace Chen, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, Bridgewater, New Jersey
- Michael Gao, Freehold High School, Freehold, New Jersey
- Siddarth Guha, Dulles High School, Sugar Land, Texas
- Catherine Wu, Canyon Crest, San Diego, California
- Kevin Bao, Troy High School, Fullerton, California
- Peter Luo, William G. Enloe High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Austin Wang, Flintridge Preparatory School, La Cañada Flintridge, California
- Zhongxia Yan, Davis Senior High School, Davis, California
All Team USA Members have medaled since the United States first began competing at the IBO in 2003, garnering a total of 35 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze medals. Team USA members earned gold medals at the last five International Biology Olympiad competitions. Team USA has achieved the coveted "Number 1 Position in the World" in 2011 and 2013.
Coaches Kathy Frame of CEE and Dr. Clark Gedney of Purdue University will accompany Team USA at the IBO, which is a worldwide competition involving students from 63 countries. Ms. Frame received the honor of being elected by her fellow jurors to be a member of Indonesia’s Host Committee for the 2014 IBO in Bali, Indonesia. The Subgroup will work in cooperation with Indonesia to review the practical and the theoretical examinations that have been developed, focusing on the quality of the questions in terms of scientific correctness and conceptual formulation.
About the Center for Excellence in Education
The Center for Excellence in Education 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 Contacts: | |
| Maureen Palmer, 703-448-9062 ext. 224 | |
| Phillip Fiorini , 765-496-3133 |
| Sources: | |
| Kathy Frame, 571-228-0098 | |
| Clark Gedney, 765-494-4921 |
Related websites:
Center for Excellence in Education: http://www.cee.org
College of Science: http://www.science.purdue.edu
Discovery Park: http://www.purdue.edu/dp
Team USA 2014 (from left to right): Dr. Clark Gedney (Coach), Abhijit Mudigonda, William Long, Varun Mangalick,
Yulin Du, and Kathy Frame (Coach)
