Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public Announce 30 Finalists in 2013 Broadcom MASTERS Science and Engineering Competition

IRVINE, Calif., and WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

• 30 U.S. middle school students awarded all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete for more than $60,000 in awards on October 1
• California and Florida are tied with five finalists each, followed by Pennsylvania with three finalists and Texas, Colorado and Virginia each with two finalists
• Sponsored by Broadcom Foundation, Broadcom MASTERS® inspires middle school age scientists and engineering enthusiasts to stay with science and math throughout high school

Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) today announced the names of 30 middle school finalists in the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS® – a leading science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition for middle school students. The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) winners will be named on October 1 in Washington, D.C., after completion of a rigorous competition that tests their abilities in STEM subjects, teamwork and collaboration. Find the full listing of 2013 finalists at www.societyforscience.org/masters and http://www.broadcomfoundation.org/masters/winners/2013.

Finalist Overview:

• The finalists include 14 girls and 16 boys covering 17 states and representing 30 schools. California and Florida are tied with five finalists each, followed by Pennsylvania with three finalists, and Texas, Colorado and Virginia each with two finalists.
• Finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from among 300 semifinalists and 1,695 applicants in 43 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Finalists' independent research projects include a range of topics such as:
  • ScentIt: Digitally Recreating Smells
  • Engineering Pink Salt!
  • The Association of Selling Sweets/Snacks at School and the Obesity Rate at School
  • Broccoli Power: Effect of Sulforaphane on Tadpole Development
  • Rocket Design, Part  3: Exploring How Vortex Generators Affect Boundary Layer Airflow
  • From the Playground to the Boardroom: Modified R-P-S Game as a Model for Negotiations with Constraints

"Congratulations to the 30 finalists whose extraordinary dedication and demonstration of project-based learning has brought them to this exciting stage of the competition," said Paula Golden, Executive Director, Broadcom Foundation and Director, Community Affairs, Broadcom Corporation. "Chosen from among thousands of talented students nominated to the Broadcom MASTERS in science competitions throughout the country, these finalists are exemplars of the transformative power of STEM learning."

"We are inspired by these amazing top young scientists from around the United States," said Rick Bates, Interim Chief Executive Officer of Society for Science & the Public. "We join with our partners at the Broadcom Foundation in rewarding their accomplishments and recognizing their potential."

During Broadcom MASTERS week (September 27 – October 1), finalists will showcase their projects for the public and compete as teams in hands-on STEM activities. The grand prize is the $25,000 Samueli Foundation Prize, a gift of Susan and Henry Samueli, co-founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Technical Officer of Broadcom Corporation. In addition to the grand prize, in 2012 Broadcom Foundation created the $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation, an honor made possible by Samueli's donation of his Marconi Society Prize winnings. There are also experiential awards for first and second place for each of the categories of STEM in addition to the Rising Stars award, in which two finalists have a chance to attend Intel ISEF, the world's largest international high school science fair in May 2014.

Broadcom Foundation and Elmer's® Products, Inc., the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS official classroom partner, also recognize the middle school teachers who have inspired and mentored the finalists. Elmer's will award each finalist classroom with merchandise, rewards and a $250 Walmart gift card, and  Broadcom Foundation will give each finalist school $1,000. In total, Broadcom Foundation and Elmer's will contribute more than $500,000 in prizes, awards and rebates to nominees, entrants, semifinalists, finalists, and their teachers and schools.

While in Washington, D.C., the students will enjoy an exciting introduction to the nation's capitol, experiencing historical sites and organizations that celebrate innovation, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The finalists also will visit the U.S. Capitol to meet their elected representatives as well as learn how to program a credit-card-sized single-board computer called the Raspberry Pi in an interactive programming session with Pi founder and Broadcom employee Eben Upton. The week's activities culminate with an awards dinner at the Carnegie Institution of Washington on October 1, featuring keynote speaker Jeanette Epps, CIA intelligence officer and current NASA astronaut.

Sponsored by Broadcom Foundation, a non-profit public benefit corporation funded by Broadcom Corporation, the Broadcom MASTERS is a program of Society for Science & the Public.

For more information on the Broadcom MASTERS, visit the Broadcom Foundation and SSP websites or visit Broadcom Foundation's Newsroom and read the B-Inspired Blog. To keep up with the Broadcom MASTERS on Twitter, use hashtag #brcmMASTERS or follow Broadcom and SSP. And to stay connected, visit the Broadcom MASTERS and SSP Facebook pages.

About Broadcom Foundation

Broadcom Foundation was founded to inspire and enable young people throughout the world to enter careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through partnerships with local schools, colleges, universities and non-profit organizations. Broadcom Foundation is the proud sponsor of the Broadcom MASTERS®, a program of Society for Science & the Public – a premier science and engineering competition for middle school children. The Foundation's mission is to advance education in STEM by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity. Learn more at www.broadcomfoundation.org. 

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments.  With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

About Society for Science & the Public

Society for Science & the Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the achievement of young researchers in independent research and to the public engagement in science. Established in 1921, its vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its acclaimed education competitions, including the Intel Science Talent Search, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning publications, Science News and Science News for Kids, Society for Science & the Public is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org.

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything®, the Connecting everything logo, Broadcom Foundation® and Broadcom MASTERS® are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners

SOURCE Broadcom Foundation; BRCM Corporate