America´s Top Young Scientist: Kurup Scores Top Prize [Pipelining: Attractive Programs for Women]

Ninth grader Deepika Kurup is the winner of the 2012 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, which earned her the title ?America?s Top Young Scientist? and an award of US$25,000 for her work. Since 2008, Discovery Education and 3M have held an annual competition encouraging young innovators to develop solutions to everyday problems, competing for a title and cash prizes. At the final competition, the finalists shared their completed innovations with a panel of judges. In addition to presenting their prototypes, the ten finalists competed in two additional challenges in which they were asked to combine multiple 3M technologies to yield new solutions and to build a machine designed to turn on a light bulb using science and engineering principles. Finalists were evaluated on their scientific knowledge, creativity and use of 3M technology.