Stevenson's John Chapman Caddell takes 1st place at international science fair

Big news to come out of the International Science and Engineering fair in Los Angeles. 

Caddell, a sophomore at Stevenson School, took top honors in the Physics and Astronomy category at the competition last week in Los Angeles.

He was one of three Monterey County students to take part on the event. Kapil Sinha, a sophomore at Salinas High School, Jennifer McDonnal, a senior at York School, also competed with more than 1,700 young scientists selected from 435 affiliate fairs in more than 70 countries, regions and territories. More than 500 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including 17 "Best of Category" winners, who each received a $5,000 prize.

The Intel Foundation, which sponsors the event, also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner's school and to the affiliated fair they represent. Additionally, the Intel Foundation presented a select number of students with experiential awards, including an 11-day trip to China to attend the country's largest national science competition, speak with researchers at Intel's lab in Shanghai, and visit the Panda Research Base in Chengdu.

Caddell was also awarded "Best of Category" in Physics and Astronomy. In addition to earning $8,000 in prizes, he'll also travel to China. Stevenson School and the Monterey County Science & Engineering Fair will receive $1,000 grants as well.

Chapman's project, The Leidenpump: A Non-Mechanical Means of Fluid Delivery also earned him two additional special awards: $500 from the Patent and Trademark Office Society and a 4-year renewable scholarship, New American University Provost's Scholarship, at Arizona State University.

Sinha, a sophomore at Salinas High School was awarded $500 from the American Society for Horticultural Science for his project: Molecular Characterization of Wild Beet in the Imperial Valley's Commercial Sugar Beet Fields.

Caddell, Sinha and McDonnal earned the opportunity to compete at ISEF by taking top honors at the Monterey County Science & Engineering Fair held at CSUMB in March.