ASMS Students Awarded In National Competition

Two students of the Mobile-based Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) are national winners of the world’s largest K-12 science competition for their CiliaBuilder innovation to address hearing loss. Gabriel Gurt and Marlan Zha were selected as second place winners out of 2,000 submissions and 6,000 students at Toshiba and the National Science Teaching Association’s ExploraVision. The competition challenges students to solve real-world problems with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They are tasked with envisioning a new technology 10 or more years in the future and researching the current science landscape for their solution. Gurt and Zha were coached by Dr. Elisa Rambo of the ASMS chemistry department. They submitted a 150-word abstract, 11-page paper description, research bibliography and five sample web pages on their idea to create a prosthetic hair extension for the inner ear. The students were honored in Washington, D.C., and will each receive $5,000 in U.S. savings bonds.