Evansville student named finalist in science competition for research conducted at USI

An Evansville high school student who conducted research in the University of Southern Indiana's chemistry labs has been named one of 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020, the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, and will receive a $25,000 prize with the opportunity to receive up to $250,000. 

Ankush Dhawan, a senior at Signature School, was named a finalist for his project: An Improved Method for Trace Level Arsenic Quantification in Water. This research project, which was conducted for college credit and uses visible absorbance spectroscopy to improve how arsenic is detected in water, was done under the supervision of Dr. Jeff Seyler, professor of chemistry and chair of the USI Chemistry Department. Dhawan listed Seyler as his mentor when applying for the Regeneron Talent Search.

 "Ankush has demonstrated a passion to understand science, specifically aspects related to environmental issues," said Seyler. "He is a very talented young man, and it has been a pleasure to work with him over the last several years."

As a finalist, Dhawan will travel to Washington, D.C. alongside the other 39 participants from March 5-11, where they will undergo a rigorous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. They will also have an opportunity to interact with leading scientists, meet with members of Congress and display their projects to the public on March 8. The finalists are each awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000. 

Previously, Dhawan was named winner of the Overall Senior Division Grand Award at the 2019 Tri-state Science and Engineering Fair (TSEF), sponsored by USI's Southwest Indiana STEM Resource Center (SWiSTEM), and the 11th grade second place award winner at the 2019 Hoosier Science and Engineering Fair for a separate project conducted under Seyler's mentorship, Synthesis and Use of Robust Cobalt (II) Catalysts for the Reduction of CO2 to CO.  

The 2020 TSEF will be held on USI's campus on Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 12. For more information, as well as information on all of SWiSTEM's programs for students and teachers, visit USI.edu/stem.

About the Regeneron Science Talent Search

The Regeneron Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science and the Public since 1942, is the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Each year, around 2,000 student entrants submit original research in critically important scientific fields of study and are judged by leading experts in their fields. Unique among high school competitions in the United States and around the world, the Regeneron Science Talent Search focuses on identifying, inspiring and engaging the nation's most promising young scientists who are creating the ideas that could solve society's most urgent challenges.

In 2017, Regeneron became only the third sponsor of the Science Talent Search as a way to help reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM as a way to positively impact the world. Through its 10-year, $100 million commitment, Regeneron nearly doubled the overall award distribution to $3.1 million annually, increasing the top award to $250,000 and doubling the awards for the top 300 scholars and their schools to $2,000 each to inspire more young people to engage in science.

Program alumni include recipients of the world's most coveted science and math honors, including 11 National Medals of Science, five Breakthrough Prizes, 21 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, two Fields Medals and 13 Nobel Prizes.

Learn more at https://www.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts/.