Sophomore places first in chemistry contest

Upper St. Clair High School sophomore Kevin Chen recently earned first place in the Pittsburgh Annual Secondary School Chemistry Contest, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society. Kevin, who receives chemistry instruction from Dr. Dominic Frollini, competed in the first-year chemistry, large schools category.

Kevin and other contest winners were honored at the organization’s annual awards dinner on May 23, 2016, at Duquesne University. In addition to American Chemical Society members, the event was attended by students, parents and chemistry teachers.

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.