Four high school students have been selected to represent the U.S. in the 49th International 

Chemistry Olympiad in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, on July 6–15.

The U.S. team was finalized after an intensive two-week  Chemistry Olympiad Study  Camp, 

sponsored by  the American  Chemical  Society and held at the  U.S. Air  Force Academy in 

Colorado Springs.

The students are Steven Liu of Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif.; Joshua Park of 

Lexington High School in Massachusetts; Harrison Wang of Hinsdale Central High School in 

Illinois; and Brendan Yap of Carmel High School in Indiana.

Jeffrey Shi of Marcellus  High  School in New  York is  the first alternate. Aniket Dehadrai of 

Oklahoma School  of  Science and  Mathematics in  Oklahoma City is the second alternate.

“This is one of the strongest groups we have seen,” says mentor Michael Danahy, a lecture

r in  chemistry  at  Bowdoin  College.  “They came  in really well  prepared  in all aspects of 

chemistry.”

Liu says he has been preparing for this moment for years. “Last year, I was the first alterna

te, and it was heartbreaking,” he says. “Going through the cycle twice really helped me gro

w and improve. I think that’s what helped me make the team this year.”

Yap says that participation in the study camp motivated him to change his intended college 

major from electrical engineering to chemistry or chemical engineering.

“To  be honest,  I’m  still kind of stunned,”  says  Park. “I’m  going to be one  of four  people 

representing the U.S., and it’s a big responsibility. I’m kind of nervous about that.”