[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S2008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SMITH (for himself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 2752. A bill to authorize the President to award grants to improve 
the capacity of nongovernmental organizations and individuals in 
foreign countries to provide appropriate mental disability and mental 
trauma care training, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate an inspiring 
young man, Brian McCarthy. Brian is a student at Liberty High School in 
Hillsboro, Oregon, and was this year's third place finalist in the 
prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. He was selected from over 1600 
students and is the recipient of a $50,000 scholarship. The Science 
Talent Search is lauded as the ``junior Nobel Prize'' and America's 
oldest and most prestigious research competition for high school 
seniors.
  Brian's award winning chemistry project focused on solar cells. 
During his lab work, Brian synthesized extremely thin and fragile films 
of plant-like materials found in nature. What he discovered is a 
polymer that could potentially act as a less expensive option to 
today's silicon-based solar cell technology.
  It is no surprise that Brian is first in his class of 293. However, 
his interests and abilities span a wide gamut, including being a member 
of the varsity track and field team, volunteering with the community 
emergency response team, and studying aviation history.
  Brian and his peers from the Science Talent Search are an inspiration 
and give me hope for the future of our country. Congratulations to the 
McCarthy family. I can only imagine what heights this young Oregonian 
will reach.
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