Six Hawai'i high school students won awards at the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Friday in San Jose, Calif.

The Hawai'i Academy of Science 2010 delegation to the International Engineering and Science Fair in San Jose included 23 students from public and private schools on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.

High competition brings the best students from around the United States as well as the world. This year Intel ISEF hosted more than1,500 students from around the world, representing approximately 50 countries.

Hawai'i excelled, placing 1st, 2nd and 4th in the Grand Awards Division as well as winning special organizational awards.

1st PLACE GRAND AWARD ($3000) – Nolan Kamitaki, Waiakea HS, Senior

Project: "Gene Dosage and Expression in Human Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines"

BEST OF CATEGORY ($5000 +$1000 to school) – Nolan Kamitaki, Waiakea HS

2nd PLACE GRAND TEAM AWARD ($1500)

Megan Kurohara & Hannah Rojeski, Hilo HS Juniors

Project: "A New Spin on Green Energy: Increasing Hydrogen Evolution in a Spirulina Derived Photobiological system"

In addition to their awards, the 1st and 2nd place winners get "naming rights" to minor planets in our solar system. This program is sponsored by the Ceres Connection at Lincoln Earth Asteroid Research from MIT.

4th PLACE GRAND AWARD ($500) – Mali'o Kodis, Waiakea HS, Senior

Project: "Diversity of Foliar Fungal Endophytes in Wild and Cultured Metrosideros polymorpha Inferred from Environmental PCR and ITS Sequence Data

4th PLACE GRAND TEAM AWARD – Michael Flynn & Taylor Nakamura, Maui HS, Juniors

Project: "Muon Detection at Elevation"

Special Awards given by organizations and corporations

AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION ($1000 Award) -

Nolan Kamitaki, Waiakea HS

EUROPEAN ORGANIZATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH (CERN) –

Michael Flynn, Maui HS, won an expense-paid trip to CERN to either Switzerland or France

For information, contact the Hawai'i Academy of Science or Carolyn Kaichi, 551-1030.