Broadcom MASTERS® Names 30 Finalists in Fifth Annual National Middle School STEM Competition in Silicon Valley

IRVINE, Calif. and WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- 

News Highlights:

• 30 U.S. middle school students awarded trip to Silicon Valley to compete for cash and other awards from October 1-7
• Finalists join 120 Broadcom MASTERS alumni who have achieved the highest national middle school STEM accolades 
• Broadcom MASTERS celebrates its fifth anniversary with a 51% percent increase in applications since its 2011 introduction

Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) today announced the selection of 30 finalists in the fifth annual Broadcom MASTERS^® -- the nation's most prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) middle school competition. Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) winners will be named on October 6 after completion of a rigorous competition that will test their abilities in STEM, teamwork and collaboration.

Find the full listing of 2015 finalists at SSP and Broadcom.

Finalist Overview:

• Finalists include 14 girls and 16 boys representing 28 schools and one home school in 14 states
• California has eight finalists, Florida has five, Texas has three and Minnesota, New York and Utah each have two
• Finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from among 300 semifinalists and 2,230 applicants in 47 states and two territories
• Finalists' independent research projects include a range of topics such as:
  • Using Geometry to Protect the Environment and Save Lives
  • Stereoscopic Three-Dimensional X-ray Reconstruction Processing and its Application to Cancer Prevention
  • A New, Better and Economic Method to Measure and Extract Caffeine from Drinks
  • Ammonia: A Fishy Problem
  • Force Field Fact or Fiction

Broadcom MASTERS celebrates its fifth anniversary with major milestones in the national and international programs including a surge in science fair participation and individual nominations. Since 2011, the program saw a 51% increase in applications from affiliated state and regional science fairs in the U.S. and Broadcom MASTERS International reached fairs in 14 countries on six continents. The program has developed a model to engage underserved students in after-school programs called the Broadcom MASTERS Jr. Varsity. 

"I take great pride in the significant volunteer contribution from Broadcom executives, engineers and administrators who have overseen the growth and development of the STEM collaboration with SSP," said Paula Golden, President and Executive Director, Broadcom Foundation and Director, Community Affairs, Broadcom Corporation. "All of us at Broadcom are honored to work with SSP to reach hundreds of thousands of young people with the message that they can be the STEM innovators who tackle the Grand Challenges of the 21st Century. We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary achievements at the fifth annual Broadcom MASTERS."

"Broadcom MASTERS finalists have proven that they are in the top tier of middle school scientists and engineers from across the country. The finalists, as well as their families, teachers and mentors should be very proud," said Maya Ajmera, President and Chief Executive Officer of Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. "We look forward to joining with Broadcom to learn more about their research, watch how they approach hands-on team challenges, and celebrate these talented young people during the fifth anniversary of Broadcom MASTERS in Silicon Valley." 

During Broadcom MASTERS (October 1–7), 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. The $10,000 Marconi/Samueli Award for Innovation will be awarded to a student that demonstrates prowess in electrical engineering. In addition to prizes for first and second place in each of the STEM categories, two finalists will be named the Rising Star delegates who will represent the U.S. at the Broadcom MASTERS International next spring in Phoenix. Delegates will attend Intel ISEF, the world's largest international high school science fair in May 2016. Broadcom MASTERS recognizes finalists' science teachers with a one year classroom subscription to Science News magazine, and awards the finalists' schools with $1,000 each to use toward STEM activities.

Sponsored by Broadcom Foundation, a nonprofit public benefit corporation funded by Broadcom Corporation, the Broadcom MASTERS is a program of Society for Science & the Public. SSP has overseen the world's most prestigious science competitions for more than seven decades.

Resources

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 nonprofit 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 one of the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip 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 Students, Society for Science & the Public is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org.  

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything® and the Connecting everything logo 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 Corporation; BRCM Broadcom Foundation

Related Links

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