Philip Streich’s science project may be difficult to comprehend.
But the awards for his work on nanotubes are clear.
Streich, a 16-year-old who is home-schooled in Belmont and takes classes at UW-Platteville, was one of three students out of 1,500 to take home top honors last week at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Albuquerque, N.M.
“This is huge. This is Stanley Cup. This is the Super Bowl of science and Philip has just done an amazing job,” said James Hamilton, a chemistry professor at UW-Platteville and Streich’s mentor. “Working with him is like working with a Ph.D in the field of chemistry and physics.”
Streich’s prizes included a $50,000 scholarship, about $20,000 in cash and savings bonds for winning other categories at the competition and a trip to China’s Adolescent Science and Technology Innovation Contest in August.