The Regeneron Science Talent Search has named Buchholz High School senior Nathan Wei as one of 40 finalists in its 2024 competition.
The talent search is the oldest and most prestigious science and math competition in the nation, according to the Society for Science. The search, which started in 1942, selects 300 scholars, then narrows the pool to 40 finalists. This year, there were 2,162 applicants, the most since the 1960s.
Finalists are selected from the applicant pool based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, and their achievement and leadership in and out of the classroom.
“Every year, the Regeneron Science Talent Search helps inspire and engage a new wave of talented young scientists with the potential to improve the world,” George D. Yancopoulos, Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron, said in a press release. “I congratulate these exceptional young finalists as they embark on their scientific journeys.”
Wei and the other finalists will each receive a $25,000 award and participate in the Finals Week competition March 7-13 in Washington, D.C. The top 10 awards, to be announced March 12, range from $40,000 to $250,000.
Before receiving finalist status, Wei was also recognized as one of the 300 Regeneron 2024 Scholars, earning a $2,000 prize for himself and another $2,000 for Buchholz’s STEM programs.
“I think I’ve taken just about every AP science and math class,” he said. “All the advanced curriculum Buchholz offers I’ve tried to get my hands on. Having such early exposure to STEM really sparked my interest and gave me the fundamentals to be able to do this research.”
Search applicants submitted original research projects, essays and recommendations for consideration. Wei had researched the development of a plastic made from renewable resources that is strong and recyclable. His project is called “Novel Elastomeric Polystyrene via Photopolymerization and Post-Functionalization of Durable Ultra-High Molecular Weight Perfluorostyrene Copolymers.”
According to a Regeneron and Society for Science press release, Wei believes his approach should also work with biologically based raw materials, which would make the process even more sustainable.
“My generation has grown up always hearing about climate change and how the planet is being damaged,” Wei said in a press release. “We’re the ones who are going to be affected by this, so when I got the opportunity to work at a research lab at UF (University of Florida), I wanted to do something that was targeted toward sustainability.”
Wei is also a member of the Buchholz math team, which won its 15th national title last year. He is a 2024 National Merit Semifinalist and earned the highest possible score on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Wei plans to attend Princeton University and major in chemistry, with the eventual goal of going into the academic world.
“I like both sides of it,” Wei said. “You’re teaching new students and inspiring them to hopefully pursue the same things you’re pursuing, but you’re also doing groundbreaking research, making discoveries that will have a really big impact in the world.”