Gifted students selected to study computing and technology at Ohio Supercomputer Center's 20th annual Summer Institute

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Jun 20, 2008) — 

The Ohio Supercomputer Center has selected 20 Ohio high school students for its 20th annual Summer Institute (SI), to be held July 6-19, 2008, on the campus of The Ohio State University.

During the two-week residential program, these gifted high school freshmen and sophomores will gain hands-on experience with some of the nation’s most sophisticated computer technologies.

“Summer Institute attracts some of Ohio’s best students,” said Elaine Pritchard, Summer Institute director. “We’ve built a reputation for not only teaching students how to compute at an advanced level, but also showing how they can apply that knowledge in the real world.”

Working in small project teams, students will solve practical, yet complex, science and engineering problems, such as tracking hackers with network forensics, studying the spread of bird flu or designing a multi-player video game. In the process, they develop and apply fundamental computing skills in areas such as programming languages and techniques, operating systems, and visualization. SI participants also tour a research lab and meet experts in science, engineering, computer science and technology.

Since the program’s inception in 1989, hundreds of Ohio students have participated in SI’s unique learning experience. “Former participants, many who have become leaders in academia, industry, and government, often credit SI as a milestone in their lives,” Pritchard said. “SI develops both technical and interpersonal skills that lay a foundation for future educational and professional success.”

This year, alumni and current students will celebrate the 20th anniversary of SI and the achievements of its participants with a special reception following the closing ceremonies July 19.

OSC provides a variety of computational science summer programs to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers. This year, more than 100 K-12 students will participate in these programs, which include SI, Young Women’s Summer Institute (seventh and eighth grade girls), and STEM Academy (eleventh and twelfth grade students).

SI is sponsored by the Ohio Supercomputer Center and the Ohio Department of Education. For more information, visit the SI website at http://www.osc.edu/SI or call 614-292-0890.

EDITORS: The following identifies the students selected for SI. The list is arranged by last name and identifies the high school each attends and his or her hometown.

David Baker, Cornerstone High School, Columbus
Vinay Balaji, Dublin Jerome High School, Dublin
Martin Bobb, Rutherford B. Hayes High School, Delaware
Ellen Chuang, Hudson High School, Hudson
Michael Fu, Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek
Ryhan Hassan, Worthington Kilbourne High School, Columbus
Chris Hsu, Dayton Christian High School, Dayton
Michael Huntley, Upper Arlington High School, Columbus
Jacob Lincoff, Orange High School, Chagrin Falls
Joseph Marmerstein, Western Reserve Academy, Beachwood
Scott Martin, East Knox High School, Howard
Chris McAuley, Fairborn High School, Fairborn
Caden Ohlwiler, The Miami Valley School, Dayton
Ravi Sheth, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati
Ashvin Srivatsa, Sycamore High School, Cincinnati
Sarat Tallamraju, Solon High School, Solon
Robert Wirthman, The Columbus Academy, Columbus
Max Yano, The Columbus Academy, Columbus
Feibi Yuan, Solon High School, Solon
Chris Yungmann, Northmont High School, Englewood

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Celebrating 20 years of service, the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is a catalytic partner of Ohio universities and industries that provides a reliable high performance computing and high performance networking infrastructure for a diverse statewide/regional community including education, academic research, industry, and state government. OSC promotes and stimulates computational research and education in order to act as a key enabler for the state's aspirations in advanced technology, information systems, and advanced industries. For additional information, visit http://www.osc.edu.