Polk County Public Schools
Prachiti Dalvi and Pranali Dalvi, Lakeland residents and sisters attending the International Baccalaureate program at Bartow High, are among 102 students nationally who are regional finalists in the 2008-2009 Siemens Foundation Competition in Math, Science & Technology.
The Dalvi sisters, both Bartow IB juniors, teamed up on a research project that they will present to a panel of university judges at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta on November 21 and 22. Their research project is about therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer’s Disease. The Dalvi sisters are among six Florida students named national regional finalists.
As regional finalists, both Prachiti and Pranali received $1,000 scholarships and $2,000 will be awarded to Bartow High to support science, mathematics and technology programs at the school. The Dalvis could win up to $100,000 in scholarship money if they advance in the competition. Winners of the regional Atlanta competition advance to the national finals in New York City in December. In addition to Georgia Tech, other regional competitions in this nationwide event are being held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Texas at Austin, the California Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Approximately 1,900 national and international students entered the 2008-2009 Siemens competition. The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. The Siemens corporation is an international company operating in the electronics, engineering, energy and healthcare industries.
The Siemens Foundation Competition in Math, Science & Technology is administered by the College Board. Visit www.siemensfoundation.org for further information on the competition.