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Isaac Zhu wins North Carolina state chemistry competition sponsored by BASF and Brenntag
Sixth grade student to face off against other state champions at the National You Be The Chemist Challenge® in June
CHARLOTTE, NC, April 4, 2016 – Isaac Zhu, a sixth grader from Davis Drive Middle School in Cary, North Carolina, competed against 28 middle school students to win the North Carolina state You Be The Chemist Challenge®. He will represent North Carolina at the 12th annual National You Be The Chemist Challenge® in Philadelphia on June 20.
Developed by the Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF), the Challenge is a question and answer competition for fifth through eighth grade students to test their knowledge of chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries, chemical safety awareness and real-world applications as they compete to represent their state on a national level.
The North Carolina state competition is sponsored by leading chemical distributor Brenntag North America, Inc. and BASF Corporation. Students from 13 local schools participated in the Challenge.
“As the world’s largest chemical company, BASF understands the importance of engaging students in science education at an early age,” said Merritt Sink, Site Manager at BASF in Charlotte, NC. “Our strength as a company lies in our ability to find innovative solutions to meet the needs of the future. It is important that we support and develop the best scientific talents in our community.”
“The students in the Challenge consistently impress us with their level of knowledge and enthusiasm,” said Tom Corcoran, Senior Vice President of Brenntag North America. “It is rewarding to see industry members and educators playing such a key role in motivating students to learn both inside and outside of the classroom, and to discover the ways chemistry is in their everyday lives.”
At the National Challenge in Philadelphia, Isaac will compete against other state competition winners. The top four finalists at the National You Be The Chemist Challenge® will receive scholarships totaling $18,500.
The top four students of the North Carolina state competition were:
- Winner: Isaac Zhu, 6th grade, Davis Drive Middle School, Cary, NC
- First runner up: Conner Scott, 7th grade, Kennedy Middle School, Charlotte, NC
- Second runner up: Siddharth Sivaram, 7th grade, Marvin Ridge Middle School, Waxhaw, NC
- Third runner up: Sashank Ganapathireju, 6th grade, Davis Drive Middle School, Cary, NC
Download photo on right, suggested caption: North Carolina state competition winner Isaac Zhu from David Drive Middle School moves on to National Challenge. Pictured left to right: Stephanie Carouthers; Chemist for BASF and coordinator of North Carolina and South Carolina You Be The Chemist Challenges, Isaac Zhu; North Carolina State Challenge winner and Alan Smith; DEF Business Director of Brenntag.
About Brenntag
Brenntag, the global market leader in chemical distribution, covers all major markets with its extensive product and service portfolio. Headquartered in Germany, the company operates a global network with more than 490 locations in over 72 countries. For more information about Brenntag’s North American operations, headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, visit www.brenntagnorthamerica.com.
About BASF
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has nearly 17,500 employees in North America, and had sales of $17.4 billion in 2015. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.
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