PHS student chosen for prestigious award at 41st Annual Research Science Institute

McLean, Va. — Amelie Chen, a student from Pacific Horizons School was chosen by her Research Science Institute (RSI) peers for the top honor—Rickoid of the Year—at the Center for Excellence in Education’s (CEE) 41st annual RSI, an intensive, six-week summer science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program jointly sponsored by CEE and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The award recognizes academic acumen, leadership, and personal demeanor, and is named for the late Admiral H.G. Rickover, father of the nuclear Navy and co-founder of CEE. 

CEE President and founder Joann P. DiGennaro said, “Amelie Chen is a model student who demonstrates qualities that others wish to emulate. To be chosen as Rickoid of the Year is an honor that she should hold in highest regard during her life.”

Ms. Chen is one of the 100 top achieving U.S. high school and international scholars competitively chosen for the 2024 RSI. CEE’s RSI provides students with the opportunity to conduct original, state-of-the-art STEM research at no cost to students. This year RSI was presented in person at MIT from June 23 to August 3.

RSI consists of one week of theoretical classroom work, followed by four-and-a-half weeks of innovative research under the mentorship of leading scientists, engineers, and researchers in the students’ respective areas of interest. In their final week, students demonstrate their research work through written academic papers and oral presentations to their peers and a panel of judges.

RSI students are selected by CEE’s committee of professional educators and RSI alumni based on high school records, personal essays, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, research experience, potential for leadership, and honors and awards in math and science.

To date, over 3,000 high school students representing every U.S. state and 61 nations have experienced RSI. CEE alumni enjoy referral, networking, and enrichment activities throughout their collegiate and professional careers. For more information about RSI, visit https://www.cee.org/programs/research-science-institute.