Kurtis Carsch, a senior in the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas, was named one of 40 finalists in the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search.
Carsch, who has worked on developing a more efficient way to convert methane gas into methanol, competed with more than 1,800 high school seniors across the country.
He will present his research March 8-13 in Washington, D.C., where he will compete for the grand prize of a $100,000 four-year scholarship.
"I have a lot to do before March 8," said Carsch, who is currently working on his presentation board for the competition.
He and eight other TAMS students made it to the semifinals, but Carsch, who is from Plano, was the only one who advanced to the finals. He is one of only three finalists from Texas.
The semifinalists each received $1,000, as well as $1,000 for their schools.
The top 10 finalists will receive scholarships between $20,000 and $100,000. The other 30 finalists will each receive a $7,500 scholarship.
Carsch said he is looking forward to meeting interesting people in Washington and learning more about the research other students are doing.
"Hopefully, I will be able to perform well in the competition," he said.
Carsch said he's grateful to have a flexible schedule in TAMS, a residential program for Texas high school students interested in math and science, which allows him to allocate time for research. ON THE WEB
• Intel Science Talent Search: www.societyforscience.org/sts , www.intel.com/about/corporateresponsibility/education/sts
"It's been a very great opportunity," he said.
Carsch has been working on his research under the direction of Thomas Cundari, regents professor of chemistry at UNT.
Cundari said his lab is part of the Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling, and its goal is to efficiently and economically convert methane, a major component of natural gas, into methanol.
"What we are essentially trying to do is convert it into a liquid," Cundari said.
For methane to be used on a large scale for something like transportation fuel, it has to be turned into a liquid, he said.
Carsch has been in the lab for about a year and a half. He likes that through his research, he gets to see real-world applications for what he learns in the lecture hall.
Carsch plans to go on to study chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
RACHEL MEHLHAFF can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is rmehlhaff@dentonrc.com .
