Beverly Hills Student Finalist In STEM Competition

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Beverly Vista Middle School student Leia Gluckman has been named a Top 30 finalist by Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public in the Broadcom MASTERS — the nation's most prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle school students, the press release said. Gluckman and the other finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from 2,499 applicants in 37 states, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense overseas.

Gluckman's project is inspired by her volunteer work at a center for homeless teens, and is called "A Clean Conscience: Formulating an All-Purpose Hair, Dental and Body Cleansing Powder for the Homeless Population." Gluckman has seen how much of a challenge personal hygiene can be for people who don't have regular access to showers, but want to be clean.

“The most requested hygiene items are toothpaste, shampoo and body powder.” she said. “With this in mind, I decided to create an all-purpose tooth, hair and body cleansing powder made from natural, inexpensive ingredients.”

Gluckman will travel to Washington, D.C. for the final competition from October 19-25 to compete for more than $100,000 in awards, including a top prize of $25,000. The Broadcom MASTERS is a program founded and produced by the Society for Science & the Public that seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators who will solve the grand challenges of the future, the press release said.

Winners will be named on October 24 after the finalists complete in a competition that will test their abilities in STEM, critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.

"These talented young scientists, mathematicians and engineers, whose projects range from computer science and mechanical engineering to microbiology and sustainability, are part of the generation that will solve the grand challenges we face today,” said Paula Golden, President of the Broadcom Foundation in a statement. “For many of our finalists, their first spark of curiosity was struck by a dedicated teacher, parent or friend who took the time to ignite their personal passion. Congratulations to each of our finalists and their adult role models and mentors who have put them on their road to discovery.”

This year, the Broadcom MASTERS finalists include 15 female and 15 male students: California has 10 finalists, Pennsylvania has three, and New York and Florida each have two. Other states who are represented by one finalist each include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. All finalists receive a $500 cash award and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the competition.

The awards include:

• $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, a gift of Susan and Henry Samueli, Co-Founder of Broadcom Corporation, Chairman of the Broadcom Foundation, and Chief Technical Officer of Broadcom Limited, for the student who demonstrates mastery of all STEM fields, and exemplifies how research, innovation and teamwork come together to impact our everyday lives.
• $20,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement, which recognizes the student whose work and performance shows the most promise in health-related fields.
• $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, awarded to a student who demonstrates prowess in electrical engineering.
• $7,500 Lemelson Award for Invention, awarded by The Lemelson Foundation to a young inventor creating promising solutions to real-world problems.
• First and Second Place Awards issued in each category of STEM will receive $3,500 or $2,500, respectively, to use toward a STEM summer camp experience, plus an iPad.
• Two Rising Stars in sixth or seventh grade will be named as delegates to represent the U.S. at the Broadcom MASTERS International next spring in Pittsburgh. Delegates will attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest international high school science fair in May 2018.

Broadcom MASTERS recognizes finalists’ science teachers with a one year classroom subscription to Science Newsmagazine, and awards the finalists’ schools with $1,000 each to use toward STEM activities. For a full listing of the 2017 finalists and project descriptions visit their website.

Photos courtesy of Society for Science & the Public