• April 23, 2019

    Chemistry contest honors four

    Chemistry Contest winners Four Upper St. Clair High School students recently earned recognition in the 2019 Secondary School Chemistry Contest, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society.

    Sophomores Christian Chiu and Richa Mahajan finished first and second, respectively, in the first-year chemistry, large schools’ category. Junior Julia Brubach and senior Nicholas Devlin finished second and third, respectively, in the second-year chemistry category.

    The contest includes a 65-point exam, which is comprised of 50 one-point multiple choice questions and three challenging problems at five-points each. The contest recognizes three categories: first-year students in large schools, first-year students in small schools, and second-year students.

    This year 80 students from 18 schools competed for prizes and scholarships. First place in each category is awarded $250, second place $150, and third place $100.

    Christian, Richa, Julia and Nicholas – along with their chemistry teacher Laura Marks – will be honored at the organization’s annual awards dinner in May at Duquesne University.

    According to its website, the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society sponsors an annual contest for secondary schools to recognize outstanding achievement by the students and their teachers as well as to encourage interest in chemistry. The contest, which was first introduced in 1945, is also used to qualify students interested in participating in the International Chemistry Olympics and to identify students for scholarships. The exam is administered to students from schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.