May 2011 Davidson Academy Prospective Student eNewsletter

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2011 Graduates | Program Updates | Student Life | Testimonials Page | In the News

2011 Graduates
	Congratulations, Class of 2011! Of the five Davidson Academy graduates this year, two have attended the Academy since its opening in 2006. The Davidson Academy’s graduating class of 2011, and the colleges they will attend, are: Casey Acklin – College of the Atlantic Darlon Jan – Washington and Lee University Erik Jensen – University of Nevada, Reno (B.S./M.D. Program) Tristan Rasmussen – University of Chicago Hannah Wierson – University of Rochester The Davidson Academy faculty and staff are very proud of these graduates and wish each of them the best in their future endeavors. They have made great contributions to the Academy during their time here and each will be missed! Read the press release. All students pictured except Casey Acklin, who was at the 2011 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Program Updates
	The Right Fit for You? While the deadline to submit applications for the 2011-2012 school year has passed, it’s not too early to think about 2012-2013. If you are looking for an environment to better fit your social and academic needs, The Davidson Academy may be the place for you! If you are interested in applying to The Davidson Academy of Nevada for the 2012-2013 school year, the application will be posted in July 2011. Please review the Qualification Criteria and How to Apply pages of our website for more information. The Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of profoundly gifted middle and high school students who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests, such as the SAT or ACT. On the Application Review Process page, you will find detailed information about the on-site assessment. Upcoming Tours for Prospective Students - New Dates Announced! Hear from current students and Academy parents, familiarize yourself with faculty and staff, network with others and ask specific questions at one of our upcoming school tours. Everyone is invited to attend one of the following tour dates below and RSVPs are required. If you would like more information, please contact us at outreach@davidsonacademy.unr.edu. Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 Friday, Dec. 16, 2011
Student Life
	DECA Members of The Davidson Academy's DECA team proudly represented the Academy and the state of Nevada at the 2011 DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Fla. Stephan Kim placed in the top ten of the entire competition among 15,000 participants. Christopher Huh placed in the top 20 and earned a medal for achieving an exceptionally high score on the Principles of Business Management and Administration written exam. Amy Bodner and Ikya Kandula both delivered an excellent presentation in their Hospitality Services Team Decision-Making event. All of these students earned a spot to compete at this conference following their achievements at the Nevada State Career Development Conference. "A Night in Venice” Prior to the end of the school year, Academy students attended "A Night in Venice," a fun, highly-successful spring formal dance in a ballroom at the Joe Crowley Student Union on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Members of the student council planned every aspect of the event, and their hard work paid off. It was a terrific example of students working together to create an exciting, unforgettable event. RRR Club - Having a Blast! The Robots, Rockets, & Radio (RRR) had a busy, eventful school year, taking part in events ranging from a high-altitude balloon launch to a pedestrian safety awareness campaign, which was recently featured in the University of Nevada, Reno article, University attempts to improve safety of crosswalks. They commemorated the end of school with an end-of-the-year rocket launch.
New Davidson Academy Testimonials Page
	As part of the new Expert Testimonials page on The Davidson Academy website, experts in the field of gifted education offer their opinions about he Academy based on their visits to the school. Dr. Jim Delisle (pictured with students, below, right), Dr. Felicia Dixon and Dr. Eugene Paslov have been featured up to this point, with more to come!
In the News
	Academy Students Win Big at 2011 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Congratulations to two Davidson Academy students who received awards at the world's largest pre-college science competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), for the second consecutive year! This year’s ISEF competition took place in Los Angeles. Taylor Wilson (pictured third from left; photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times) achieved spectacular results - he was named the top individual winner and received more than $50,000 for his project, "Countering Nuclear Terrorism: Novel Active and Passive Techniques for Detecting Nuclear Threats." To read more about Taylor and his achievements at ISEF, view these news articles from the U.S.News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times. Casey Acklin, a 2011 graduate, received the first award of $3,000 from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the second award of $1,000 from States United for Biomedical Research (SUBR) for his project, "The Effects of Cage Naturality on the Scientific Viability of Mouse Models in Relation to Stress and Cognition." View the press release in the Intel Newsroom. Jay Mathews' High School Challenge For the first time, The Davidson Academy was featured on The Washington Post's list of the "Top-performing schools with elite students" in America. The Academy was one of 24 top-performing schools excluded from The Washington Post High School Challenge list, due to admission rules and the ratio of students to certain testing criteria. Thank you to Jay Mathews for compiling this list every year!
	“It's a system that uses my fusion reactor that I started building when I was 11 years old. When I was 14 I first got nuclear fusion, the youngest person in the world to ever do that. And then I needed a challenge, so I decided to fight terrorists with that fusion reactor.” Taylor Wilson, Third Year Davidson Academy Student, on his Intel ISEF project, in an interview on KRNV-TV

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