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GCS Student Competes in Prestigious Science and Math Competition
Neil Shah wins $100,000 scholarship in the Siemens Competition
Greensboro, NC – Neil Shah realized his passion for information technology at the young age of 5. Now at 17, the Guilford County Schools student is a national finalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Shah and his teammate, Katie Shpanskaya of Raleigh, are presenting their research at the national finals this weekend in New York City. They are competing for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to the grand prize of $100,000.
Shah’s project, “Supercomputing Analytical Discovery of Plasma Instabilities in Fusion Energy Reactors,” is just as ambitious as it sounds. With the help of mentors, he and Shpanskaya looked for a faster and more efficient way for computers to model the reactions of fusion, a possible alternative energy source. Typically computer simulations of fusion reactions would require thousands of computers and would take weeks or months to process. The students developed an advanced computer science methodology that reduces the processing time to a matter of hours. They also used statistics to find trends and patterns that make the fusion energy data so complex.
“Our methods provide a critical stepping stone in the path to fusion energy production,” said Shah. “Additionally, our techniques may potentially also be applicable to solving problems in fields such as medicine, climate, combustion and astrophysics.”
Shah is a senior at Northwest High who takes most of his classes at Weaver Academy. Susan Morrissett, an information technology teacher at Weaver, says she is not surprised to see him competing at such a prestigious level. She describes Shah as very organized and a person who knows what he wants and pursues it vigorously.
“He works all the time,” Morrissett said.
His impressive resume is further proof of that. Shah is a National AP Scholar and National Merit Semifinalist. He is an A+ Certified IT Technician, a Certified Security Professional, a Microsoft Certified Professional, and he has advanced skills in a dozen computer programming languages. He is currently pursuing additional certifications.
The Siemens Competition is not the first time for his work to receive large-scale recognition. He received first place in the state-level Future Business Leaders of America network design competition and fifth place in the national competition. His team from Weaver was a semifinalist in the FIRST Tech Challenge last year. Earlier this year, Shah presented at the International Association for the Development of the Information Society applied computing conference.
“It's a huge honor to be a national finalist in the Siemens Competition,” said Shah. “I'm really honored to be in this position not only because of the prestige, but also because I am able to meet other individuals who share my vision of making a difference in the world.”
Although Morrissett says Shah came into her class already knowing a lot about computer science and information technology, Shah credits his classes at Weaver for helping him gain background knowledge that he can use to develop computer solutions for science problems, much like he has done with his project for the Siemens Competition.
“My classes at Weaver have provided me with the ability to resourcefully use my time in high school to get a head-start in learning what my future may hold.”
Morrissett recalled a conversation she once had with Shah about how hard he works. “One day he said to me, ‘I don’t think I’ll ever retire, do you?’”
Shah’s future plans include studying computer science in college and obtaining a Ph.D. in order to become a research scientist. He plans to develop cutting-edge computer technology, and his participation in the Siemens Competition has given him a taste of that.
Parts of the Siemens Competition National Finals will be available through webcast at http://www.siemens-foundation.org. The finalists’ presentations are Sunday, Dec. 6th at 1:00 pm and the award presentation is Dec. 7th at 9:30 am.
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