[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 65 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  IN HONOR OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 45TH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND 
                            ENGINEERING FAIR

                                 ______


                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 23, 1994

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a group of 
New Jersey students for their participation in the 45th International 
Science and Engineering Fair [ISEF], which was held in Birmingham, AL 
from May 8 to 14, 1994.
  Among the award winners were two Hudson County students: Ruchir 
Patel, a sophomore at Academic High School in Jersey City and Mary 
Soto, a senior at Union Hill High School in Union City. Ruchir won the 
Third Place Grand Award, Second Place U.S. Air Force Award, a silver 
medal and a framed certificate. His project was aimed at finding safe 
and economic methods to degrade compounds used in making gun 
propellants. Mary, who was originally an alternate, and became a 
delegate when the original delegate became ill, won four commendations. 
Her project was aimed at learning which neurological disorders could be 
produced by the HIV virus.
  I am proud to have such high-achieving students in my district. Their 
work is exemplary and deserves to be recognized. Their achievements are 
so important because we must be ready to compete scientifically in the 
21st century. Ruchir and Mary have demonstrated that they understand 
this by participating in this fair and working hard in order to win. 
Knowing that such intelligent, motivated students live in my district, 
not only makes me very proud, but makes me confident that we will be 
able to compete in the scientific world.
  Also winning awards were Janos Z. Szatmary, a senior at Somerville 
High School; Maria A. Garrison, a junior at McCorristan Catholic High 
School in Trenton, and Joanna B. Byar, a freshman of the Tri-County 
Home Educators and a resident of Willingboro, who was a delegate from 
the Benjamin Benneker Science Fair, which was held in Philadelphia. 
Other New Jersey contestants attending the ISEF were Dustin R. 
Rubenstein of Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, Emily 
B. Wood of Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, Ryan L. Miller of Warren 
Hills Regional High School in Washington, and Merri C. Moken of Villa 
Walsh Academy in Morritsown.
  These New Jersey students were among the more than 900 participants 
who exhibited a total of 836 projects. Not only did the young 
scientists come from the United States and several of its territories, 
including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Guam, but also from 20 other 
countries around the world.
  The ISEF is the culmination of a year-long process involving more 
than a million students worldwide, who compete in local, regional, 
state, and national competitions to win the honor of attending the 
event. Each affiliated fair may send only two delegates.
  The participants of the International Science and Engineering Fair 
are to be commended for their efforts. The time they have taken to work 
on these projects demonstrates their dedication to helping our country 
advance scientifically. I salute them today and wish them much luck in 
their future endeavors.

                          ____________________