Gunn Seniors Semifinalists in Intel's National Talent Search

Twenty-nine Bay Area high school seniors were chosen as semifinalists in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search today, Intel officials said.

They include Jin Pan, 17, and Jean Wang, 17, both from Gunn High School.

The students are among 300 students chosen from 173 schools out of a field of more than 1,800 applicants, organizers said.

"The Intel STS encourages student to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills to solve the problems of tomorrow," Intel spokesman Mark Pettinger said in a statement.

"Projects submitted for consideration cover all disciplines of science including biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, behavioral science, and medicine and health," Pettinger said.

Fourteen Bay Area schools are represented, with 11 of the students attending The Harker School in San Jose and four students chosen from

Bellarmine College Preparatory School, also in San Jose, Intel officials said.

Other Bay Area semifinalists attend schools in Cupertino, Fremont,

Mountain View,Pleasanton, Saratoga and San Ramon, Intel officials said.

Each semifinalist will receive a $1,000 award from the Intel Foundation with an additional $1,000 going to his or her school.

Forty of the 300 semifinalists will be named finalists on Jan. 25.

In March, the finalists will travel to Washington, D.C., where the contestants will compete for more than $1,250,000 in awards, Intel officials said.

 Winners will be announced March 13.

The Science Talent Search started in 1942 and former finalists of the contest have gone on to be named Nobel Laureates and win the National Medal of Science and the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the contest's website said.

--Bay City News