DENTON (UNT), Texas – The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas lead the nation in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. TAMS had five regional finalists and 14 semifinalists, more than any other school in the nation. 

The Siemens Competition is the nation’s leading original research competition in math, science and technology for high school students. The contest awards college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 in individual and team categories. TAMS is a unique, two-year residential program at the University of North Texas for high school-aged Texas students who are gifted in math and science.  

Siemens regional finalists receive a $1,000 scholarship and advance to the Region Two competition, which will be held Nov. 11 and 12 (Friday and Saturday) at the University of Texas at Austin. Regional winners receive a $3,000 scholarship and advance to the National Finals at George Washington University Dec. 1-5 (Thursday to Monday) to compete for the $100,000 grand prize. 

In 2008, TAMS student Wen Chyan won the national contest and the $100,000 that accompanies it. Eight other TAMS students have advanced to the national competition.

This year’s regional finalists from TAMS are: 

·         Favyen Bastani, of Plano, worked with Dr. Yan Huang, associate professor of computer science and engineering at UNT, on A Greener Transportation Mode – Flexi: Routes Planning and Evaluation

 ·         Kevin Chang, of Plano, worked with Dr. Edward Early, assistant professor of mathematics at St. Edward's University on Determining the Existence of Graceful Valuations of Various Families of Graphs. 

·         Kevin Chen, of Plano, worked with Dr. Xiaotu Ma, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas, on Statistical Analysis of Engineered Zinc-Finger Protein Binding Affinity for Site-Specific Gene Therapeutics.  

·         Alex Hong, of Allen, worked with Dr. Xiaotu Ma, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas on Statistical Analysis of Engineered Zinc-Finger Protein Binding Affinity for Site-Specific Gene Therapeutics 

·         Helen Xiong, of Allen, worked with Alex Cook, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas on Doping Carbon Nanotubes and Organic Solar Cells with Strong Organic Acceptor Molecules 

TAMS students who were named 2011 semifinalists are: 

·         David Chi, of Lewisville, worked with Dr. Zhi-Ping Liu, assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, on Deficiency of Transcription Factor FoxO4 Protects Against Myocardial Infarction 

·         Angela Chin, of Stafford, worked with Dr. Teresa Golden, an associate professor of chemistry at UNT, Electrochemical Deposition of Copper-Nickel-Montmorillonite Coatings for Resistance Against MIC 

·         Vicky Chou, of Dallas, worked with Dr. Bill Acree, professor of chemistry at UNT, on Predictive Spaces for the Solubilities of Organic Compounds Pertaining to Pharmaceuticals and Toxicology 

·         David Hao, of Plano, worked with Dr. Jannon Fuchs, professor of biology at UNT, on The Role of Primary Cilia in the Proliferation of Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglia 

·         William Huang, of Plano, worked with Dr. Jannon Fuchs, professor of biology at UNT, on The Role of Primary Cilia in the Proliferation of Cells in the Dorsal Root Ganglia 

·         Yang (Melody) Jiang, of Plano, worked with Dr. Arnold M. Guloy, a professor of chemistry at the University of Houston, on Reactions of layered TaFeTe­_3­ with alkali metals 

·         Malina Patel, of Richardson, worked with Dr. David A. Boothman, professor at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, on Harnessing PARP1-mediated programmed necrosis for anti-cancer selectivity using highly efficient NQO1 substrates 

·         Mitchell Powell, of Plano, worked with Dr. Angela Wilson, regents professor of chemistry at UNT, on Assessment of Density Functional Theory Methods for Transition Metal Thermochemistry 

·         George Qi, of Austin, worked with Dr. Gary Beall, professor of chemistry at Texas State University, on A Mathematical Model of Structural Behaviors and Physical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites 

·         Amanda Quay, of Austin, worked with Dr. Bill Acree, professor of chemistry at UNT, on Predictive Spaces for the Solubilities of Organic Compounds Pertaining to Pharmaceuticals and Toxicology 

·         Adam Su, of Katy, worked with Benjamin Iriarte Giraldo, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on Rank-Generating Functions for the Distributive Lattice of Order Ideals for Comb Posets 

·         Shan Su, of Amarillo, worked with Dr. Arnold M. Guloy, professor of chemistry at the University of Houston, on Reactions of layered TaFeTe­_3­ with alkali metals 

·         Michael Zhou, of Stafford, worked with Dr. Angela Wilson, regents professor of chemistry at UNT, on Basis Set Reconstruction for Quantum Mechanics: Towards Computational Cost Reduction 

·         Jonathan Zhu, of Plano, worked with Dr. Angela Wilson, regents professor of chemistry at UNT, on Electronic Structure and Potential Energies of Transition Metal Tetrahalides