[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 39 (Thursday, March 22, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E431-E432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNITION OF 2001 INTEL SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH FINALISTS, ALAN MARK 
    DUNN AND WILLIAM ABRAHAM PASTOR, OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2001

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Alan Mark 
Dunn of Potomac and William Abraham Pastor of Rockville. These young 
men were finalists in the 2001 Intel Science Talent Search. The Intel 
Science

[[Page E432]]

Talent Search is America's oldest pre-college competition. Beginning in 
1942 it was first sponsored by the Westinghouse Foundation. This 
competition provides an arena in which students are rewarded and 
recognized for their scientific endeavors.
  Alan and William both traveled down a long road to become finalists. 
First, a team of approximately 100 evaluators, who are experts in their 
field are assembled to evaluate over 1600 entries. The initial 
evaluators then recommend approximately 500 entries to the Intel 
Science Talent Search board of judges. These judges then narrow the 
field to 300 semi-finalists. The board of judges then has the 
challenging task of selecting the 40 finalists.
  The 40 finalists come to Washington, DC to attend the five-day 
Science Talent Institute. During these five days students meet with the 
board of judges to discuss various aspects of their projects. At the 
end of the Institute a black-tie gala is held in which the top-prize 
winners are announced.
  Alan, who attends Montgomery Blair High School, won fourth place in 
this competition. He received a $25,000 scholarship. He competed in the 
computer sciences by studying ways to optimize five encryption 
algorithms. His project is entitled ``Optimization of Advanced 
Encryption Standard Candidate Algorithms for the Macintosh G4.''. The 
algorithms in his research are being considered for the federal 
government's Advanced Encryption Standard, which will replace the aging 
Data Encryption Standard. Alan, who hopes to study computer science or 
engineering in college, is also involved in many other activities. He 
is a member of the math and robotics club, plays guitar, takes karate 
and is an activist in a grass-roots superhighway campaign.
  William, who also attends Montgomery Blair High School, was awarded a 
$5,000 scholarship and a mobile computer as a finalist. He competed in 
the biochemistry division. His project studied the formation of 
fibrils, which are the primary component of the deposits found in the 
brain of Alzheimer patients. Beta-amyloid proteins combine to form long 
sheets which stack on top of each other to produce fibrils. He used a 
combination of experiment and computer modeling to understand and 
predict the orientation and stacking of beta-amyloid sheets in the 
fibrils. William, who earned a perfect score of his SATs is very active 
as president of the Democrats Club and the captain of the It's Academic 
team. He is also a stream monitor for the Audubon Society and led his 
school's International Knowledge Master Open team to first place in 
world competition.
  I am extremely proud to count these young men among my constituents. 
Their hard work and interest in the sciences is an example to their 
peers. I join with their parents, teachers and friends in 
congratulating them on their outstanding efforts and awards.

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