Yelick Addresses National Science Bowl Contestants

Every spring, 16 teams of high school students converge on Washington, D.C., to compete in the National Science Bowl after winning their regional competitions. The four-day event coincides with National Science Day and this year, Computing Sciences Associate Lab Director Kathy Yelick was an invited speaker for the event. Yelick presented “Saving the World with Computing,” in which she explained how scientific computing is tackling some of the globe’s biggest challenges.

Leading up to the finals in Washington, more than 9,500 high school students and 4,500 middle school students competed in 70 high school and 50 middle school regional Science Bowl tournaments. Each team consists of four students, one alternate and a teacher who serves as an adviser and coach. These teams face-off in a fast-paced question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines. Among the finalists at this year’s competition was Yelick’s alma mater, Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.

DOE created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 250,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 25-year history, and it is one of the nation’s largest science competitions.