South junior among top 20 chemistry students

Peng

Williamsville South High School junior Elizabeth Peng has been selected as one of 20 finalists in competition for a place on the U.S. team for the 2007 International Chemistry Olympiad.

Also named a finalist was St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute student Brian Chmielowiec.

The announcement was made by Mariusz Kozik, professor of chemistry at Canisius College and local IChO coordinator, and David Nalewajek of Honeywell's Buffalo Research Laboratory, which sponsors the Chemistry Olympiad in Western New York.

The 20 finalists will meet for a two-week study camp in June at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. At the conclusion, the four top students will be named to represent the United States at the international finals that will take place in July in Moscow, Russia.

The finalists were selected from more than 1,000 outstanding high school students nationwide who were chosen from an original pool of about 10,000 students.

Chmielowiec and Peng are the 13th and 14th finalists from WNY since the region entered the competition in 1985. Past finalists include two gold, one silver and two bronze medalists in the international finals.

This is the first time in the history of the WNY region that more than one student qualified for the study camp.

The United States has participated in the IChO for 24 years. The

Olympiad involves a series of exams, laboratory tests and other activities aimed at identifying the best chemistry students from around the world.