Subj: National Young Astronomer Award Winners 
Date: Thu 12 Apr 2001 5:04:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time 
From: BobGent

For Immediate Release, April 12, 2001

Greetings Project ASTRO Partners, 

The results are in for this year's NYAA competition. Millions of high school students were eligible for the 2001 award, and dozens of students from across the United States competed for the Astronomical League's National Young Astronomer Award. This year's finalists were very closely matched, and the judges had much work to select the winners. In the words of one judge, "They are all winners!" 

The top seven finalists' award applications were submitted to a panel of national judges, all noted astronomers. This year, the judges were Dr. Frank Bash, Director of the McDonald Observatory, Dr. David Hans Hough, professor at Trinity University, and Dr. Robert Stencel, professor at the University of Denver. In addition to other prizes, all finalists won complimentary memberships in the International Dark-Sky Association. Here are the results:

 1st Place: Susannah C. Lazar

Susannah Lazar is the first place NYAA winner. She is a home school senior in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Susannah will receive an all expenses paid trip to the Astronomical League's 54nd annual convention at Frederick, Maryland, this July where she will receive a $3,000+ Meade 10-inch LX-200 telescope donated by Meade Instruments Corporation. In addition, she will receive a lifetime pass to the McDonald Observatory, compliments of the University of Texas. 

Susannah has done exceptionally well in Regional and State Science and Engineering Fairs. Last year, among many other awards, she won first place in the Louisiana State Science Fair in the Senior Division, Earth and Space Category. In her science fair projects, she has studied asteroid photometry, solar rotation rates, and completed other astronomical projects. When only 15 years old, the International Amateur-Professional Photoelectric Photometry (IAPPP) society awarded her a $3,000 scholarship. 

Working at the Highland Road Park Observatory, she performed photometry of many asteroids. In 1999, she was a co-discoverer of two asteroids, 1999 AC3 and 1999 AD3. She was also the principal observer of the occultation of minor planet, Siegena 386, and with other observers, she helped determine the shape of this object. Susannah has also volunteered much time to work with the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society during public star parties. She was also invited to give numerous lectures, including one to the Exxon Photography Club in 1999 covering astrophotography. 

2nd Place: Brinda A. Thomas 

Brinda Thomas, a senior at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, won second place honors. She has won a Meade ETX 125 telescope with computer controls and field tripod valued at more than $1,000. In addition she won a trip to the Astronomical League's annual convention in Frederick, Maryland this July. She will receive a lifetime pass to the McDonald Observatory. 

In her astronomical research, Brinda studied the "Multifractal Properties of the Solar Wind Magnetosphere System." Brinda has a most impressive record. Taking a challenging class load that included Quantum Physics and Optics, she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average (unweighted on a 4.0 scale). Earlier this year, Brinda was selected as a 2001 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist, a major accomplishment. 

 3rd Place: JoHanna N. Przybylowski

Our third place winner is JoHanna Przybylowski, a senior at Cheltenham High School in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. Among several outstanding astronomical projects, JoHanna's research included determining "Mass Constraints on Sgr A." During her junior year, she was elected as president of the high school astronomy club, and as a senior she continues in this position. This is a very active astronomy club, now building a cosmic ray detector. In addition, the clubs hosts many public outreach activities to promote the science of astronomy. She has also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in her studies which include advanced math and science. 

She has a long list of very impressive awards. She won first place in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science. She is a Rensselaer Medal winner which includes a $40,000 scholarship sponsored by Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute. JoHanna also completed the advanced Astronomy camp for Teens at the University of Arizona.

4th Place: Adam Kowalski 

Adam Kowalski is a junior at Ottawa Hills High School in Toledo, Ohio, and he placed fourth in this year's NYAA. Unable to take astronomy in school [a tragedy in most USA high schools, Ed.], he enrolled in astronomy at the University of Toledo, and received an A+ grade. Adam wan several exceptional awards in chemistry competition, including 9th place in the US National Chemistry Olympiad (he was first in his year group). 

Adam studies the night skies with his Meade 8-inch LX-10 telescope, and has completed a multitude of observing reports. Using the Observatory at the University of Toledo, Adam performed a spectroscopic study of K and G stars. He observed various spectral lines and calculated stellar surface velocities, a remarkable achievement for a high school student. 

5th Place: Stephanie Fawcett

The fifth place winner is Stephanie Fawcett, a senior at Boulder High School in Boulder, Colorado. Last summer, Stephanie was a teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate astronomy classes at the University of Colorado. As a high school senior, she took the Introduction to Astronomy class at the university, and she received the highest grade in the class, an A+. Last year as a junior, Stephanie was one of our NYAA finalists. 

She has a long list of exceptional achievements. Stephanie attended the University of Arizona's Advanced Astronomy camp. As part of her application for this camp, she wrote an essay, Application of Extrasolar Planetary Data in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Using the Drake Equation. More recently, Stephanie has been working on "Analysis of Eclipsing Binary Stars."

During her freshman and sophomore years, she served as her school's science club president, and later, she established an astronomy club for her high school. This astronomy club is now building a 5-inch Newtonian reflector telescope. During her high school studies, she has taken many advanced math and science course and maintained excellent grades. When only a junior, she already completed Advanced Physics, one of her favorite subjects. Stephanie observes the night skies often with her Meade ETX-90 telescope.  

6th Place: Kwayera A. C. Davis 

Kwayera Davis placed sixth in NYAA, and he is a senior at the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Math, in Hartsville, SC. In 1999, Kwayera founded the astronomy club at his high school, and he has maintained excellent grades despite a very challenging course load (all classes are honors level). He is an exceptional observer, and last year, he used the high school's telescope to observe the total lunar eclipse of January 20, 2000. Thanks to the work of the astronomy club, nearly the entire school observed this eclipse. 

Last January, he presented a paper at the 197th meeting on the American Astronomical Society in San Diego, California. This is a rare achievement for high school students. His paper described Analysis of Data Gathered by the Hipparcos Satellite on Cepheid Variable Stars. Kwayera is currently building a solar telescope, called a "Sun Gun" and described in "Sky And Telescope" magazine. He has also enrolled in Astronomy courses at Charleston College. Kwayera observes the night sky with his Orion SkyQuest 8-inch telescope. 

7th Place: Chris Orban

Our seventh place winner is Chris Orban, a senior at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida. In his junior year, Chris founded and served as president of the astronomy club at Manetee High School. His research paper was titled, Black Hole Space Stations and Space Ships: Investigations of a New type of Interstellar Travel.

Chris has an outstanding academic record. He understood the importance of mathematics, and began studying calculus at an early age. He became only the second student in his school to pass the AP Calculus exam as a junior. He also won a scholarship to attend the astronomy camp in Upstate New York, near Alfred, NY. A multi-talented person, Chris is also a talented musician and was section leader for French horns in his school's band. 

 2002 NYAA and Horkheimer Awards

We ask all Astronomical League members to be on the lookout for outstanding young astronomers. Please let us know who they are, so we can help them apply for these awards. In addition to the NYAA program, we now administer the two new Horkheimer Awards. Young Astronomical League members aged 18 or under are eligible, and these awards include $1,000 checks to be presented at the ALCON banquet thanks to the generosity of Mr. Jack Horkheimer. 

We are now accepting applications for the 2002 National Young Astronomer Award and the Horkheimer Awards. The NYAA entry deadline is January 31, 2002, and the Horkheimer Award deadline is March 31, 2002. For additional information or an application, contact the NYAA Vice-chair, Terry Mann, Astronomical League Secretary. She can be reached at starsrus@i... or (937) 678-5032. 

Wishing you all clear skies and bright stars, 

Bob Gent 
Vice-President, Astronomical League