Young Arab scientists win top awards at ISEF 2011

Projects by five young Arab scientists from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon received top awards at the Intel Science and Engineering Faire, a program of Society for Science & the Public, which concluded last week in Los Angeles, California.

Bayan Mohammed Mashat from Saudi Arabia received the first place grand award in the “Behavioral and Social Sciences” category for her project “GOOPLAY! The effectiveness of educational video game in improving Web-searching skills for cildren”. Other winners from the Arab World include Doha Raaouf Sokarieh and Hayat Mousa Itani from Lebanon in the “Environmental Sciences” category, Mahmoud Motaz Ghulman from Saudi Arabia in the “Cellular and Molecular Biology” category, and Mohamed Maamoon Sehimat from Jordan in the “Earth Science” category. (Full list of winners below)

“We champion the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair because we believe that math and science are imperative for innovation,” said Ferruh Gurtas, Corporate Affairs Director, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. “This global competition features youth trying to solve the world’s most pressing challenges through science. We are proud to see young students from our region win against thousands from across the globe”.

This year, more than 1,500 young entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists were selected to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science research competition. They were selected from 443 affiliate fairs in 65 countries, regions and territories, including for the first time France, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Macao SAR of the People's Republic of China.

In addition to the winners mentioned above, more than 400 finalists received awards and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Awards included 17 "Best of Category" winners who each received a $5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair-affiliated fair they represent.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair finalists are evaluated onsite by hundreds of judges from nearly every scientific discipline, each with a Ph.D. or the equivalent of six years of related professional experience in one of the scientific disciplines.