NOTES ON PEOPLE

Named semifinalist in Intel science search

SETAUKET, N.Y. - Wolodymyr Szczupak, 17, a senior here at Ward Melville High School, was named a semifinalist in the annual Intel Science Talent Search (STS) competition in January. Considered the "Junior Nobel Prize," the Intel STS recognizes excellence in science and math among America's brightest students.

Each of the 300 semifinalists (selected from 1,581 applicants), and also their schools, will receive $1,000 awards. Forty finalists will take an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, where more than $500,000 in college scholarships will be awarded.

Mr. Szczupak's physics paper, "Trapping Force Studies in a Low-Power Optical Tweezers Device," detailed his efforts to find the best shape for lasers to trap and manipulate microscopic cells.

In school, he is captain of the Academic Team, which is the New York State Champion and represented the state at the Panasonic Challenge in Orlando, Fla., in 2002. He is also co-captain of the Physics Team, a cellist in the chamber ensemble and symphony orchestra, and a member of the varsity tennis team, the history club, yearbook, National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. He is an Advanced Placement Scholar and is listed in Who's Who.

Mr. Szczupak attended the New York School of Ukrainian Studies, Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization and St. John's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Riverhead, Long Island, for many years.

The Szczupaks are members of Ukrainian National Association Branch 172.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 9, 2003, No. 6, Vol. LXXI

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