Sri Lankan candidates win four awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014

++ The world’s largest high school science research competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public, announced its top winners in Los Angeles.

++ In 2014, 1,783 of these students were selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to travel to the United States to compete for more than US$4 million in awards and scholarships.

++Namal Udara Piyasiri of Tabuththegama received The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Development Focus Award.

++ Namal also won the First Award from the American Intellectual Property Law Association and a Second Award in the Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical Grand Awards category.

++ Fifteen year old Nipun Kavishka Silva, from Kandana won the fourth award in Computer Sciences for his project

Namal Udara Piyasiri, 18, of Tabuthegama received the Development Focus Award from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for his Versatile Field Construction Machine for Paddy Cultivation at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public.

Namal, a student of Tabuththegama Central College also awarded under two other categories - the First Award from the  American Intellectual Property Law Association and a Second Award in the Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical Grand Awards category.

Hailing from a family involved in agriculture, Namal’s invention aims to improve productivity in the preparatory stage of paddy cultivation, including the cutting of water ways for Sri Lanka’s wet cultivation system.

Nipun Kavishka Silva, 15 from De Mazenod College, Kandana won the fourth award in Computer Sciences for his project - Artificial Intelligence Sense for the blind to play video games using their tongue.

“We must nurture more young scientists and inventors to shape the future of our nation,” His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. “While we continue to develop traditional industries, new ones driven by science and technology need to drive the next phase of our growth. Sri Lanka has to transform into a nation of innovators to remain competitive and relevant in the global economy.”

The success of the young scientists also provides a boost to the new Technology stream that was introduced for Advanced Level examination in 2013. “It is very encouraging to note that one of the boys this year is among the first group of Advance Level students to pursue the new technology stream,” Hon. Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardhana said. “The Ministry made this very important addition to the A/L exams to address the need for more ‘job oriented’ curriculum and will make our youth population more employable right out of school.”

“I am happy to congratulate the three young boys who represented Sri Lanka at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014, particularly Namal Udara for his achievements,” the Secretary to the Ministry of Education Anura Dissanayake said. “Namal Udara’s success not only brings us pride, but is also an inspiration for many more young scientists and inventors out there.”

This year Sri Lanka fielded three young scientists to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014 held in Los Angeles, California. Student winners are ninth through twelfth graders who earned the right to compete at the international fair by winning a top prize at the Sri Lanka Science and Engineering Fair, which is organized in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the National Science Foundation, Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka and Intel. Over the past seven years, 21 Sri Lankan students have participated at Intel ISEF while over ten officials have attended the Intel Educator Academy. Sri Lanka has won two grand awards and four special awards to date at the Event.

“We are very encouraged by the results of this year’s participants,” Indika de Zoysa, Country Business Manager, Intel EM Limited, Sri Lanka Liaison office said. “The achievement of the young Lankan scientists over the years is a testament that Sri Lanka has vast talent pool and Intel strongly believes in nurturing young minds engaged in the pursuit of science, mathematics and technology.”

This year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair featured more than 1,700 young scientists selected from 435 affiliate fairs in more than 70 countries, regions and territories. In addition to the top winners, more than 500 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including 17 “Best of Category” winners, who each received a US$5,000 prize. The Intel Foundation also awarded a US$1,000 grant to each winner’s school and to the affiliated fair they represent. Additionally, the Intel Foundation presented a select number of students with experiential awards, including the new 11-day trip to China to attend the country’s largest national science competition, speak with researchers at Intel’s lab in Shanghai, and visit the Panda Research Base in Chengdu.

Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the competition since its inception in 1950 as the National Science Fair.

Nathan Han, 15, of Boston was awarded first place and received the Gordon E. Moore Award of US$75,000 prize named in honor of the Intel co-founder and fell scientist for developing a machine learning software tool to study mutations of a gene linked to breast cancer. This year also saw two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards winners – Lennart Kleinwort of Germany and Shannon Lee of Singapore – each received prizes of US$50,000.

“In congratulating Nathan, Lennart, and Shannon, we join with Intel in seeing great hope in their research, and that of all of our Intel ISEF finalists,” said Rick Bates, interim CEO and chief advancement officer of Society for Science & the Public. “Not only are they working to discover solutions for society’s challenges, they importantly serve as an inspiration for younger students and encourage them to become involved in the amazing world of hands-on science and engineering.”

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair honors the world’s most promising student entrepreneurs, innovators and scientists. Finalists are selected annually from hundreds of affiliated fairs. Their projects are then evaluated onsite by more than 1,200 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.

A full listing of finalists is available in the event program. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014 is funded jointly by Intel and the Intel Foundation with additional awards and support from dozens of other corporate, academic, governmental and science-focused organizations. This year, more than US$5 million was awarded.

To learn more about Society for Science & the Public, visit www.societyforscience.org, and follow the organization on Facebook and Twitter.

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About Intel: Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. As a leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability, Intel also manufactures the world’s first commercially available “conflict-free” microprocessors. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com, and about Intel’s conflict-free efforts at conflictfree.intel.com

Photo caption: (Top) HE the President shares a moment with the three young scientists on their return from the Initel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014. Also in the picture are Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Anura Dissanayake Hon. Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardena and (from left) Rakitha Malewana, Nipun Kavishka and Namal Udara, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Anura Dissanayake Hon. Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardena and (bottom – from left) Mr. Indika De Zoysa (Intel), Hon. Chief Minister of the North Central Province, S.M. Ranjith, Mast. Rakitha Malewana, Mast. Nipun Kavishka, H.E. the President, Mast. Namal Udara, Hon. Minister of Education, Bandula Gunawardena, Hon. Minister of Special Projects, S.M. Chandrasena, Hon. Minister of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, Tissa Karalliyadda, Hon. Minister of Technology, Research and Atomic Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Anura Dissanayake