National chemistry champion Timothy Man Hay Lee, a senor at Arcadia High School, has qualified to compete for one of four spots on the U.S. team bound for the 44th annual International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). For the first time since 1992, the U.S. will host the Olympiad on July 21-30, at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Hay is one of only 20 students nation-wide invited to a two-week intensive study camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. Timothy attended the study camp in 2010 and 2011; this fall, he will attend Stanford University, pursuing a degree in one of the sciences.
“Timothy Lee is one of the brightest chemistry students I had in my teaching career. He loves chemistry, likes working as part of a team, and enjoys the thrill of competition,” said Cherryl Mynster, his AP Chemistry teacher and Science Bowl coach. “This is the 9th time since 2003 that Arcadia High School has a student qualifying for the study camp and it has been seven years since Arcadia High School had a student represent the U.S. in the International Chemistry Olympiad. I’m excited about Timothy’s chances of being part of the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad Team!”
“The students who compete in the IChO are the brightest minds in chemistry,” said ACS president Bassam Shakhashiri. “These young people are the ones who will make the discoveries that shape our future by curing disease, addressing climate change, feeding our rapidly expanding population and much more.”
The competition, to be part of the international event, is fierce, beginning with a three-part exam taken by 12,000 high school students in the U.S. Timothy’s performance on this exam resulted in the opportunity to take the National Chemistry Olympiad test. Out of more than 1,000 of the nation’s brightest chemistry students who took the national test, he advanced to the top 20 and next he will be heading to the study camp being held June 5-20.
During the camp, Timothy will receive college-level training, with an emphasis on organic chemistry, through a series of lectures, problem-solving exercises, lab work, and testing. At the camp’s conclusion, four students will be chosen to represent the U.S. at the International Chemistry Olympiad where they will compete with their peers from more than 70 nations for gold, silver and bronze medals.
The American Chemical Society (ACS), a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and the world’s largest scientific society with more than 164,000 members, is the the official organizer, and The Dow Chemical Company is the official sponsor of the overall international event.
“At Dow, with more than 100 years of investment in STEM education programs, we know that innovation begins not only in the classroom but also in personal imagination,” said Bo Miller, Global Director for Corporate Citizenship for The Dow Chemical Company and President and Executive Director of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation. “We are excited to use the 44th International Chemistry Olympiad as an opportunity to engage and inspire bright young scientists from across the globe to pursue careers in chemistry as a means of creating solutions to challenges that affect our planet, our communities and improve the human condition.”