Press Releases

Contact: Rena Subotnik
Director
American Psychological Association
Phone: 202-336-5923
rsubotnik@apa.org


Catalyst Program Brings Together Young Super-Chemists and Masters in the Field


WASHINGTON, June 16-- This summer, 12 ultra-gifted high school juniors and seniors will get a head start in becoming the next generation of important scholars and scientists at the Catalyst Summit, to be held June 27-July 5 at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. These students, who have already demonstrated superior achievement in chemistry, will be exposed to the frontiers of the field through study with two levels of mentors- established "Masters," who are world-famous scientists, and "Associates," who are rising talents in the field. The students, in concert with their mentors, will embark on a yearlong scientific project to be decided at the summit.

Catalyst Masters come from various disciplines in chemistry, notably biochemistry, physical chemistry, chemical engineering and energy or environmental chemistry. They constitute an impressive roster of scientists, several of whom have been elected to the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Engineering.

"The Catalyst Program provides a terrific brain trust of mentors for the next generation," says Dr. Mark Cardillo, executive director of The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, which is sponsoring the three-year program, currently in its second year. "These special high school students will work with some of the nation's top scientists, and each will develop a one-on-one relationship with someone who has dedicated his or her career to the advancement of important knowledge at the frontiers of modern chemistry research. It is a unique opportunity for these students to experience the passion and excitement associated with a successful research career."

The Catalyst program was conceived by the American Psychological Association's (APA) Center for Gifted Education Policy. "We're looking at the psychosocial dimension of developing talent," says Rena Subotnik, director of APA's Center for Psychology in Schools and Education. "When is it appropriate for student scholars to take risks and fight for their ideas? What do they do when faced with failure? How do they collaborate with colleagues? We're exploring the dynamics of talent development in order to encourage optimal performance among gifted adolescents."

 

Catalyst 2008 Summit
The 2008 Summit will kick off with a reunion and presentations by the 2007 Catalyst participants. Students Ben Gross, Jeff Samuelson and Gabe Skyrms worked with Dr. Matthew Tirrell, dean of the College of Engineering at University of California at Santa Barbara, on research involving programmed cell death in cancer cells, which scientists believe may one day supplant surgery, chemotherapy and radiation because it zeroes in on cancer cells without destroying any surrounding healthy cells. Stephanie Wong, Stephanie Lau and Lawrence Ku investigated effective treatments for latent tuberculosis under the guidance of Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, professor of chemistry at University of California, Berkeley. Peter Zhang worked in tandem with Aditya Mahalingam-Dhingra and Ruby Lee to design and construct a working solar energy-to- hydrogen conversion system under the tutelage of Dr. Daniel Nocera, professor of chemistry at MIT. David Ku, Kiran Gollakota and Nitin Viswanathan studied the protein believed to trigger Alzheimer's disease in the lab of Princeton Chemistry Professor Dr. Giacinto Scoles.

Catalyst Masters for the 2008 program include: Purdue Emeritus Professor Dr. Ronald Andres, whose current research interests include the synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe/Au nanoparticles and the use of these particles as MRI contrast agents and for non- invasive detection and treatment of cancer; Dr. Paul Barbara, professor of chemistry and the director of the Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology at the University of Texas at Austin; Harvard Professor Dr. William Klemperer, whose fields of interest extend to quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and spectroscopy; and University of Chicago Professor Dr. Steven J. Sibener, who has made seminal contributions to chemical physics, surface and materials chemistry, and nanoscience.

During the week, each 2008 Catalyst Master will present a talk to participants followed by a question-and-answer session, with more informal discussion to take place at lunch the next day. Masters will also meet with their team each morning for lectures and tutorials and to develop their projects that will be implemented over the course of the succeeding academic year. The 2008 projects will be presented at the Catalyst Summit in 2009.


The Arts Connection
Another important goal of the Catalyst program is to incorporate the arts and recognize the similarities in the creative process used by both artists and scientists. Students will be exposed to "Art Masters," who also participate in the program. Joining the team this year will be Erica Dankmeyer, artistic director, dancer, choreographer, and teacher, who is on the faculty of the Martha Graham School; sculptor Wendy Klemperer, who earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Harvard University before pursuing an art career and whose work has been exhibited extensively in New York City and throughout the United States; and world-renowned composer Andrew Thomas, teacher and director emeritus of the Pre-College Division at Juilliard, who performs as a pianist, conductor, and is a guest teacher throughout the world.

 

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The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, based in New York, is a leading non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the chemical sciences. It was established in 1946 by chemist, inventor, and businessman Camille Dreyfus, who directed that the foundation's purpose be "to advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances around the world."


Based in Washington, D.C., the American Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. With 148,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide.