Junior a Finalist in International Chemistry Olympiad

National chemistry champion Grace Zhang, has qualified to compete for one of four spots on the U.S. team bound for the 44^th annual International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). 

A junior at East Brunswick High School, she is one of only 20 students nation-wide invited to a two-week intensive study camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.

“Grace worked really hard to prepare for the national test, learning areas of chemistry not normally covered in the AP course,” said EBHS chemistry teacher Dr. Paul Kimmel. “She has a great work ethic, and we wish her the best of success at the study camp.”

The competition to be part of the international event is fierce, beginning with an exam taken by 12,000 high school students in the U.S.  Grace’s performance on this exam, along with teacher recommendations, resulted in the opportunity to take the three-part National Chemistry Olympiad test. Out of more than 1,000 of the nation’s brightest chemistry students who took the national test, she advanced to the top 20 and will head to the study camp being held June 5-20.

“Grace’s selection as a U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad finalist is an incredible accomplishment.  Her academic gifts and her focused pursuit of excellence are remarkable,” said Trudy Atkins, East Brunswick Public School’s Supervisor of Science and Gifted and Talented. 

During the camp, Grace will receive college-level training, with an emphasis on organic chemistry through a series of lectures, problem-solving exercises, lab work, and testing. At the camp’s conclusion, four students will be chosen to represent the U.S. at the International Chemistry Olympiad where they will compete with their peers from more than 70 nations for gold, silver and bronze medals.

This year, for the first time since 1992, the U.S. will host the International Chemistry Olympiad, to be held July 21-30, at the University of Maryland, College Park. ACS is the official organizer and The Dow Chemical Company is the official sponsor of the overall international event.

“The students who compete in the IChO are the brightest minds in chemistry,” said ACS President Bassam Shakhashiri. “These young people are the ones who will make the discoveries that shape our future by curing disease, addressing climate change, feeding our rapidly expanding population and much more.”

“At Dow, with more than 100 years of investment in STEM education programs, we know that innovation begins not only in the classroom but also in personal imagination,” said Bo Miller, Global Director for Corporate Citizenship for The Dow Chemical Company and president and executive director of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation. “We are excited to use the 44^th International Chemistry Olympiad as an opportunity to engage and inspire bright young scientists from across the globe to pursue careers in chemistry as a means of creating solutions to challenges that affect our planet, our communities and improve the human condition.”

—American Chemical Society