Top 20 high school students compete for spot on U.S. Chemistry Olympiad Team

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2019 — The teachers competing for prizes in the “Jeopardy!^TM” Teachers Tournament are not the only ones studying and preparing for tests. Twenty of the nation’s top high school chemistry students have outscored more than 16,000 others to qualify for an intensive study camp at the University of Maryland, June 2-13.

The top four students from the 20 attending the camp will represent the U.S. at the 51^st International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Paris on July 21-30. Two additional students will be designated as alternates on the U.S. team.

During the camp, the students will receive college-level training, with an emphasis on organic chemistry, through a series of lectures, problem-solving exercises, lab work and testing.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has sponsored the American team annually since the U.S. joined the Olympiad in 1984. Principal funding is through the ACS Donald F. and Mildred Topp Othmer Olympiad Endowment, with additional support from Chemours; the University of Maryland at College Park, department of chemistry and biochemistry; Carolina Biological Supply Company; Macmillan Learning; Texas Instruments; Pearson and others.

The 20 finalists, including 18 boys and two girls representing 10 states, are:

* Students who participated in 2018 IChO Study Camp
** Students who participated in 2017 and 2018 IChO Study Camps

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.