MARVEL'S IRON MAN 3: INVENTOR AND INNOVATOR FAIR Announces Finalists

When Marvel's "Iron Man 3" lands in theatres, it's going to have company-some of the brightest young scientific minds in America.

Disney announced the 12 finalists in the Marvel's IRON MAN 3: INVENTOR and INNOVATOR FAIR, a nationwide science competition held in conjunction with the release of "Iron Man 3", sponsored by Discovery Science Center, Broadcom Foundation and Marvel Studios, along with Visa Signature and the famous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood., On the evening of May 3rd, at the 4:30pm screening of Marvel's "Iron Man 3," Grand Prize winners will receive their awards in a special ceremony onstage at the El Capitan Theatre, hosted by Asa Kalama, a Walt Disney Imagineer. All 12 INVENTOR and INNOVATOR FAIR finalists will have their projects on display at the El Capitan from May 3rd - June 19th.

Like Iron Man's alter ego, Tony Stark, these young geniuses are discovering and creating the world for tomorrow. And getting to be a finalist hasn't been easy. Sixth through ninth-grade girls and boys across the nation were invited to participate in MARVEL'S IRON MAN 3: INVENTOR and INNOVATOR FAIR and asked to produce innovative, inventive projects based on STEM themes from "Iron Man 3" - STEM: (science, technology, engineering and math). The competition encouraged students to submit projects that aligned with the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering.
Earlier this month, after judges reviewed over 300 science projects from all over the country, 30 semi-finalists were chosen. From the 30 semi-finalists, the panel of judges chose 12 finalists, who will compete for the grand prize awards.
Following are the 12 finalists and their winning projects:
Anin Sayana, Cupertino, Calif. - "A Novel Configuration of Carbon Nanotubes to Inhibit ABCG2 and Selectively Target Chemotherapy-Resistant Cancer Stem Cells
Arjun Dhawan, Newburgh, Ind. - "Walking with Sensors"
Audrey Harris, Nokomis, Fla. - "Opening New Opportunities"
Cassie Drury, Louisville, Ky. - "Exploring Cell Signaling in Wound Healing"
Chase Lewis, Chapel Hill, N.C. - "Rescue Travois- Saving Lives"
Emma Christensen, Greenville, N.C. - "Saved by the Bug"
Galen Lee, Cottondale, Ala. - "Solar Funnel Cooler"
Justin Abrahim - Pittsburgh, Pa. - "Ouch! Helmets and Concussions"
Maya Patel, The Woodlands, Texas - "Gauging Inferno Sprawl"
Megan Swintosky, Hatfield, Pa. - "Novel Mutations in the FLCN Gene in Cases of Familial Spontaneous Pneumothoraces"
Shixuan Justin Li, Lynn Haven, Fla. - "No Mo Squites"
Stephen Coyne, Knoxville, Md. - "Robotic Prosthetics: A Hand Prototype"
Grand Prize judges for the Marvel's IRON MAN 3: INVENTOR and INNOVATOR FAIR will be Dr. Henry Samueli, Chairman of the Board, Broadcom Corporation; Joe Adams, President, Discovery Science Center; Janet Yamaguchi, Vice President of Education, Discovery Science Center; Dr. Yannis Yortsos, Dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California; and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Chairman and CEO, NantWorks, LLC.
The 12 finalists of the Marvel's IRON MAN 3: INVENTOR and INNOVATOR FAIR won a trip to Southern California, provided by Visa Signature. The trip includes a meeting with Disney Imagineers, a trip to Disneyland, a visit to Discovery Science Center, a special experience at Broadcom Foundation, and more.