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Davidson Fellows are students under the age of 18
who have completed a significant piece of work in science,
mathematics, technology, music, literature or philosophy.
The work of a Davidson Fellow must have the potential to make a
positive contribution to society. During the past four years, 57
Davidson Fellows have been recognized by the Davidson Institute and
each Fellow has received either a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000
scholarship.
Positive contributions to society made by the 2004
Davidson Fellows include:
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The development of a
process to grow blood-forming stem cells outside the body from
umbilical cord blood, instead of embryonic stem cells, thus
quelling the controversy associated with stem cell research and
opening doors to treatments for blood disorders such as leukemia.
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The development of a more
adaptive and accurate spam filter, which is 99 percent effective.
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The discovery of how
DNA “bends” under certain circumstances to form RNA, an
intermediary nucleic acid that is formed during the transcription
and translation of DNA to protein, providing a foundation for
future research in nanotechnology and biocomputation.
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The confirmation of the
existence of a super-massive black hole in a neighboring galaxy
found by analyzing NASA data studying the amount of radiation
emitted from Centaurus A.
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The discovery of a
biological connection as to why people gravitate toward religion.
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The isolation and testing
of the gene that is believed to cause colorectal cancer, enabling
doctors to treat the disease much more effectively.
Contributions of Davidson Fellows recognized since
2001 include:
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The identification of the
relationship of specific proteins in the human immune system in
order to develop more effective treatments for HIV patients.
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The development of new
methods for treating yeast infections, which cause serious threats
to patients with weakened immune systems.
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The mathematical modeling
of gasoline sprays to reduce automobile emissions.
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The identification of
antibodies that can extend the life of terminal cancer patients by
retarding the spread of malignant tumors.
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The utilization of the
herb fenugreek as a cost-effective, safe and natural way to
preserve fruits and vegetables, and as a non-toxic water purifier.
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The exploration of
advanced graph theories with potential applications in
communication networks, robotic vision systems and expansion of
the Internet.
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The development of a new
approach to a 10-year-old combinational geometry problem with
broad implications in the study of illumination and the abstract
shape of space.
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Musical performances and
compositions exhibiting extraordinary talent and depth of emotion.
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Literary portfolios
comprised of poetry, short stories and other genres displaying
advanced knowledge of writing styles and self-expression.
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Click
here to visit the Davidson
Fellows Press Room.
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