Stella K. Abraham senior is an Intel semifinalist

Ilana Radinsky, a senior at Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls in Hewlett Bay Park, is one of 300 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists.

Radinsky, a West Hempstead resident, was selected for her project: Effects of Carbon Chain Length in Thiol-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles Coating a Nafion® Membrane on PEM Fuel Cell Efficiency. Her research was seeking improving hydrogen cell efficiency using the gold nanoparticles.

"I am very grateful, I worked very hard and I am very passionate about my project," Radinsky said. "It's nice to see all the effort being recognized and that someone appreciated the work I did." After graduating SKA this year, she will take a year off to go to Israel, then attend Yeshiva University beginning in September 2016.

Radinsky worked on her project this past summer at the Stony Brook Garcia Center for Research under the guidance of Dr. Miriam Rafailovich and at SKA with Dr. David Friedman. "It's fabulous," said grade 11-12 Principal Dr. Tzipora Meir. "She is a very brilliant girl."

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Rafailovich said she spoke with Radinsky regarding the research, but it was Radinsky, who made the nanoparticles, assembled the test station and fuel cell. obtained the data and wrote the paper. “She was one of the best students we’ve had in the program,” Rafailovich said. “She was very creative, motivated and her work was on par with that of a graduate student.”

Semifinalists were awarded $1,000 and the same amount was given to their schools. On Jan. 21, 40 of the 300 will be selected as Intel finalists. They will receive $7,500 and compete for more than $1 million in awards during judging in Washington, D.C. from March 5 to 11.

New in 2015, the single $100,000 grand prize will be replaced by three Medal of Distinction awards of $150,000 each, which will be given to students who demonstrate exceptional scientific potential in three areas: Basic Research, Global Good and Innovation. Along with that, there will be a trio of second place awards of $75,000, and three third place awards of $35,000.