Mary Kay Awards Nearly US$10,000 In Grants To Aspiring High School Scientists

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- Mary Kay Inc recently awarded three grants to five standout high school scientists, selected from nearly 2,000 participants representing almost 70 countries, at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, United States (US).

The grants, totalling nearly US$10,000, 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. (US$1=RM4.71)

“These future STEM leaders demonstrated innovative research, creative solutions, and novel approaches to complex problems that will directly impact cures for cancer, sustainable business practices, and redefine industry norms,” said Mary Kay Director, Package Engineering and Sustainability, Kristin Dasaro in a statement.

Keshvee Sekhda and Nyambura Sallinen from Georgia, US won the first prize for their app that utilises artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify cancerous tumours with 99.6 per cent accuracy.

Second prize went to Madalena Filipe and Frederico Mauritty (Lisbon, Portugal) for their creation of sustainable, biodegradable materials from crustacean shells, to help reduce waste and environmental pollution.

Meanwhile, Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) won third prize for her research on how metals and their transporters affect cancer cell behaviour for novel therapeutic cancer treatments.

ISEF, a programme of Society for Science for over 70 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students, and through a global network of local, regional, and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry.

Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately US$9 million in awards and scholarships.

For 60 years, the Mary Kay opportunity has empowered women to define their own futures through education, mentorship, advocacy, and innovation as well as in support of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and youth pursuing their dreams.

-- BERNAMA