Caltech president David Baltimore will address the 34 RSI scholars July 14 at 7:15 p.m. in room 142 of the W. M. Keck Engineering Laboratories at Caltech. He will be introduced by former first lady of California, Caltech trustee, and CEE trustee Gayle Wilson who was integral to bringing RSI to Caltech.
RSI, the premiere national research science internship program for academically talented high school students, has been housed on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the past 11 years, and was expanded to the Caltech campus for the first time this year. The Caltech program began June 27 and will continue until August 6.
A total of 75 students from across the U.S. and 35 international students were competitively chosen to participate in the programs on the campuses this year.
The students at Caltech are engaged in research projects under the mentorship of leading scholars and researchers. In addition to their research, students attend lectures in the humanities and sciences, and participate in social activities so that they become well-rounded "Renaissance scholars." Baltimore will be speaking to the students as part of their Distinguished Lecturer Series.
RSI is offered free of cost to students, who are funded by a scholarship valued at $10,000. The program combines classroom training and research mentorships that strive to challenge students beyond their potential. Considered the most prestigious competitive science programs for high school students in the nation, RSI has more than 1,400 alumni including student scholars from 46 nations. Selection criteria include grades, SAT scores, teacher recommendations, and participation in science competitions and activities that indicate leadership potential. Applicants' SAT scores generally range in the high 1500s to 1600.
RSI alumni go on to participate and garner top prizes in science competitions. In 2003, alumni received the top $100,000 scholarship awards in both the Intel Science Talent Search and the Siemens Westinghouse competition.
Caltech president David Baltimore is enthusiastic about the new program. "Caltech is proud to co-sponsor RSI. It's a natural fit for us since Caltech is an institution that strongly supports and values student research," Baltimore said.
According to CEE president Joann DiGennaro, "A program like RSI is more essential today than ever before in the history of our nation. U.S. competitiveness in science and technology depends on strong math and science skills, and on opportunities that go beyond those offered at a typical high school."
CEE was co-founded by the late Admiral H. G. Rickover and DiGennaro, to nurture young scholars for careers of excellence and leadership in science and technology and to promote international understanding among future leaders of the world. President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Senators William H. Frist and Joseph I. Lieberman, and former Secretary of Defense Frank C. Carlucci serve on the center's board of trustees. The center also sponsors the USA Biology Olympiad for high school students.
For more information on the center's programs, please visit http://www.cee.org/rsi. ### Media contact: Jill Perry Caltech Media Relations (626) 395-3226 jperry@caltech.edu
Suraiya Farukhi Center for Excellence in Education Office: (703) 448-9062 x229 Cell: (412) 609-4887 sfarukhi@cee.org
Visit the Caltech Media Relations Web site at: http://pr.caltech.edu/media
Written by Jill Perry