Vivienne Dames, a Grade 10 learner at Victoria Girls' High School, has been selected to attend the 63rd Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 13-18 May next year.
Vivienne Dames, a Grade 10 learner at Victoria Girls' High School, has been selected to attend the 63rd Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 13-18 May next year.
Vivienne was selected based on her superb performance in the National Science Expo in Johannesburg this October and a rigorous four-hour interview with a panel of judges, who included Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor.
Vivienne was the overall winner at the Grahamstown Regional Expo, and a gold-medal winner at National Level. Her project, entitled The Biodegradation of Toxic Dyes, looks at using naturally occurring bacteria to safely breakdown chemicals used in fabric dyes by the textile industry.
The project is one of the first to look at the effectiveness of a biological agent and has potential for great commercial application.
Vivienne will be one of 1 500 high school pupils attending the fair – the most prestigious science expo for pupils in Grades 9-12 – and will have representatives from 65 different countries, regions and territories displaying their research projects.
Prizes on offer include scholarships for top universities and colleges in the US, as well as a total of $4 million US dollars in cash prizes.
