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Fort Bend Independent School DistrictNEWS RELEASE |
** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **
Bright Fort Bend ISD Scholars Share Promising Presentations while Receiving Valuable Life Lessons
Final High School G/T Mentorship projects mark end to mentorships with area professionals
FORT BEND ISD ― Fort Bend ISD’s High School Gifted and Talented Mentorship students ended the school year by presenting their final research-based projects to a team of adult evaluators. The end-of-year presentations gave the bright scholars the opportunity to display, discuss and defend the individual projects they developed as a culminating activity marking the end of their spring semester mentorships with area professionals.
Based on their chosen field of interest, the GT students were matched with adult mentors representing the medical, engineering, academic, architecture, research, science and business communities.
Nikhil Kapur of Hightower High School was one of the 11 high school seniors selected for the 2009-2010 GT Mentorship Program. His interest in mechanical engineering led to a mentorship with Professor Matthew Franchek of the University of Houston’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Kapur devoted a minimum of five hours a week conducting research needed to complete his project, titled, “Perturbation of Air-fuel Ratio to Improve Catalyst Efficiency.” The project focused on the investigation of air/fuel ratio modulation to maximize the conversion efficiency of the three-way catalyst, which converts harmful engine emissions into inert products compatible with the environment. According to Kapur, one of the greatest challenges in completing his final project was “learning not to jump to conclusions.”
“The GT Mentorship Program provides students a unique experience in gaining awareness and knowledge in their chosen field of independent research,” said Naomi Brown, GT Mentorship instructor. “The hands-on, learning opportunities provided by the program’s mentors are valuable life experiences that will have a lasting effect on the lives of our students as they enter into their next phase of learning, whether at an institute of higher learning or in the workforce.”
The 2009-2010 GT Mentorship Program students and mentors include:
Merrick Bautista, Kempner High School
Mentorship Topic: Validation of Software for Quantification of Human Lymph Flow Imaged with Near-infrared Fluoresence
Mentors: Eva Marie Sevick, Ph.D., Professor and Cullen Chair of Molecular Medicine Center for Translational Research, University of Texas Health Science Center; and John Rasmussen, Ph.D., Engineering Scientist, Center for Molecular Imaging, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Ana Builes, Clements High School
Mentorship Topic: Himpuma: Analyzing Effects of International Arbitration on State Sovereignty
Mentor: Elizabeth Silbert, J.D., King and Spalding LLP
Sasha Chada, Dulles High School
Mentorship Topic: Rock and a Hard Place: EXIT Procedures and 18th Century Moral Sense Theory
Mentor: Laurence McCullough, Ph.D., Daltan Tomlin Chair of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine
Andrew Haraway, Travis High School
Mentorship Topic: The Use of Statistical Analysis in the Evaluation of NBA Draft Talent
Mentor: Sam Hinkie, M.B.A., Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, The Houston Rockets
Nikhil Kapur, Hightower High School
Mentorship Topic: Perturbation of Air-fuel Ratio to Improve Catalyst Efficiency (Mechanical Engineering)
Mentor: Matthew Franchek, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston Department of Mechanical Engineering
Michael Lam, Austin High School
Mentorship Topic: Fundamental Techniques of Nanotherapy in Kidney Research
Mentor: Farhad Danesh, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine & Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology
Sid Mullick, Clements High School
Mentorship Topic: Understanding the Process of Evaluating Oil Service Companies
Mentor: Jeff Tillery, BBA, Managing Director, Research; Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., LLC
Michael Ngai, Dulles High School
Mentorship Topic: Radiofrequency Induced Heating on Carbon Nanoparticles
Mentor: Lon Wilson, Ph.D. & Yuri Mackeyev, Ph.D., Wilson Research Group, The Wilson Research Group, Rice University
Ian Purnell, Clements High School
Mentorship Topic: a Determination of Optimal Life Support Configurations for Future Space Missions
Mentor: Daniel Barta, Ph.D., Manager, Exploration Life Support, Project Crew & Thermal Systems Division, NASA-Johnson Space Center; and Subramanian Sankaran, Ph.D., Senior Thermal Specialist, MEI Technologies
Rohan Shah, Hightower High School
Mentorship Topic: Evaluation of Congestive Heart Failure Treatments
Mentor: James T. Willerson, M.D., Director and President Texas Heart, Texas Heart Institute
Jana Walters, Elkins High School
Mentorship Topic: The Business of Design: From Idea to Innovation
Mentor: David J. Calkins, AIA, LEAD AP, Principal/Managing Director, Gensler Global Design and Architecture Firm
Photo 1: Rohan Shah of Hightower High School is shown presenting his final project.
Photo 2: Michael Lam of Austin High School
Photo 3: Jana Walters of Elkins High School
Photo 4: Naomi Brown, GT Mentorship instructor, with Dr. Lawrence McCullough, Baylor College of Medicine
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