Tram Hoang-Le, a senior at Marshall Fundamental High School in Pasadena, has been awarded the inaugural Taylor & Don Hall Scholarship, a $20,000 grant distributed over four years by the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF). Tram, who maintains a 4.35 GPA and aspires to earn a Ph.D. in pharmacology, plans to attend California State University, Long Beach, to study biochemistry. The scholarship, established by long-term Pasadena Community Foundation supporters Taylor and Don Hall, aims to support high-achieving local high school students with a strong interest in Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (iSTEM) [3a8c1820]. Tram stood out to the selection committee for her exceptional academic record, evident iSTEM aptitude, and commendable qualities of leadership, resilience, and commitment. She has already gained valuable experience in the field through her participation in the Huntington Medical Research Institute’s STEM internship program for high school students [3a8c1820]. The Pasadena Community Foundation, founded in 1953, manages more than $161 million in charitable assets and works with individuals, families, and organizations to establish philanthropic funds, create and build endowment funds, and distribute charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations. In 2023, the Pasadena Community Foundation awarded $2.8 million in grant funding to more than 100 Pasadena-area nonprofits, and its scholarship funds supported more than 150 students [3a8c1820].
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) Foundation has received a $30,000 grant from The Trane Technologies Foundation. The grant will support GoSciTech Summer Camps, which aim to promote access to STEM and sustainability education and careers for underrepresented students. Trane Technologies' grant and partnership with GSSM highlight their shared commitment to equipping the next generation of young scientists with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in STEM fields [84cf2edb].
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) awarded over $9 million to high school scientists and engineers. The top award of $75,000, named the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, went to Grace, a 16-year-old from Lexington, Kentucky, for her research on building a better organic electrochemical transistor. Other top prizes were awarded for projects in second-order cone programming, microplastics filtration, and multi-sensory therapy for dementia. The competition featured nearly 2,000 young scientists from 49 U.S. states and nearly 70 countries. Regeneron ISEF aims to foster the next generation of STEM leaders. Since 2020, Regeneron has provided STEM experiences to approximately 2.4 million students [56a6c721].
Mary Kay Inc. awarded three grants totaling nearly $10,000 to five standout high school scientists at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles. The grants were awarded to students with innovative projects focused on finding cures for cancers affecting women, sustainable packaging innovation, and protecting the planet's most valuable resources. The winners included Keshvee Sekhda and Nyambura Sallinen from Georgia, USA, who developed an app that detects brain, breast, lung, skin, and pancreatic cancer with 99.6% accuracy. Madalena Filipe and Frederico Mauritty from Lisbon, Portugal, created a waterproof bioplastic made from chitosan extracted from shrimp shell waste. Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, researched how metals and their transporters affect cancer cell behavior for novel therapeutic cancer treatments. Mary Kay Inc. served as a Special Award Organization for the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair [0e238464].
Melissa Guillet, creative director of 15 Minute Field Trips (15MFT), received a $44,000 capital grant from the Champlin Foundation to help with laptop and vehicle costs. The grant will be used to upgrade equipment, including a new computer and hybrid vehicle. 15MFT offers before and after-school programming and a summer camp to connect children and families to the environment. The organization combines art and nature to foster belonging and learning, and also engages in citizen science activities. 15MFT has partnered with local schools and libraries in Providence and northern Rhode Island. Guillet hopes to establish more community partnerships and increase awareness of the organization's resources [75578366].
Lino Guajardo, a fifth-year doctoral student in mathematics education at Texas State University, has become the first-ever student from TXST to receive the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship. The fellowship, awarded by the National Academy of Education with financial support from the Spencer Foundation, provides $27,500 for one academic year and includes participation in two professional development retreats. Guajardo was selected as one of 35 fellows from a pool of over 380 scholars. Their research focuses on investigating how mathematics majors attempt to understand proofs in their junior and senior-level courses. Guajardo hopes to work at a Carnegie classified R1 or R2 institution in the future to teach and continue their research to support future students in their courses [73c21857].