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<h1><img alt="Davidson Institute" src="http://news.ditd.org/March_16/eNewsBanner_NEW.jpg" height="105" width="725" border="0"></h1>
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<font face="georgia" color="004c87"><em>November 2016</em></font>
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<font face="Arial" size="1" color="#000080"> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#DavidsonNews"><font color="000080">Davidson News</font></a> |
<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#NewInGiftedEd"><font color="000080">What's
New in Gifted Education</font></a> | <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#Legislative">
<font color="000080">Legislative & Policy News</font></a> |
<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#OnWeb"><font color="000080">On the Web</font></a> |
<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#NewsArticles"><font color="000080">In the News</font></a> |
<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-us/suite#Spotlight"><font color="000080">In the Spotlight</font></a></font><font size="1">
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<h2><b>
<a name="DavidsonNews"> </a><font face="calibri" size="5" color="#ffffff">Davidson
News</font></b></h2></td>
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<font face="calibri" size="3"><b><font color="#2071d3">Davidson Academy Announces New Online High School</font></b><br>
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/DavidsonOnline1.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0">The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/473/4/">Davidson Academy</a> is pleased to announce the launch of a new
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3957/5/">full-time online high school option</a> opening for the 2017-2018 academic year! Consequently, the
Academy will now offer two educational options for students
the online high school for those living anywhere in the
U.S. and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/473/6/">day school</a> on the University of Nevada, Reno
campus. <br>
<br>
The Academy is a proven leader in educating our
nations brightest students. Since 2006, the Davidson
Academy has been recognized as an exceptional school for
profoundly gifted middle and high school students already
living in the Reno area and those who can move to Nevada.
For those who cannot move, the new full-time online high school
option reflects the Academys commitment to the profoundly gifted
student population by offering a rigorous online academic environment
where these students can thrive among their intellectual peers.
<br>
<br>
The online high school will feature:<ul><li>Accredited courses</li><li>Live sessions</li><li>Small class sizes</li><li>Quality peer interactions</li></ul>
The
Davidson Academy Online High School application deadline is March 1, 2017 and,
if space remains available, late applications will be
considered until April 15, 2017.
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3951/7/">How to Apply
></a>
<br>
<br>
The
Davidson Academy Reno School's final application deadline is Jan. 15, 2017.
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3740/8/">
How to Apply ></a><br>
<br>
<b><font color="#2071d3">2016 Davidson Fellows Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.</font></b></font><br>
<img alt="Group shot of Davidson Fellows" src="http://news.ditd.org/September_16/fellows-group3.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><font face="calibri" size="3">On Sept. 21, 2016, 20 young people were honored at the
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3787/9/">Davidson Fellows</a> award ceremony for their work in science, technology, engineering, literature,
music and the category of Outside the Box. Davidson Institute for Talent Development
founder Bob Davidson presented the awards at the 16th
annual ceremony held at the Smithsonian National Museum of
the American Indian. In recognition of their remarkable
achievements, each of the
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3865/10/">
2016 Davidson Fellows</a> received a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship. <strong>
<br>
<br>
2017 Davidson Fellows Scholarship Application
</strong><br>
The 2017
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/1079/11/">Davidson Fellows Scholarship</a> application is now
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3866/12/">available online</a>.
Young people 18 and younger have the opportunity to earn a $50,000,
$25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of
work in the categories of science, technology, engineering, mathematics,
music, literature and philosophy, or a project that represents outside
the box thinking. The application deadline is Wed., Feb.
8, 2017.<br>
<br>
<b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">Davidson Young
Scholars </font></b></font><br>
<font face="calibri" size="3">The
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3849/13/">Davidson Young Scholars</a>
program provides FREE services designed to nurture and support
profoundly gifted young people and their families, including talent
development and educational advocacy, an online community, annual
get-togethers and the Ambassador Program. Applications are due the first
of each month. For more information, see the
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3850/14/">How to Apply</a> and
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3851/15/">Qualification Criteria</a> pages.
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<h2><b>
<a name="NewInGiftedEd"> </a><font face="calibri" size="5" color="#ffffff">What's New in Gifted Education</font></b></h2></td>
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<img alt="Fordham report" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/highstakes.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">Report Examines State Accountability For High-Achievers</font><br>
</b><font face="calibri" size="3">
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3958/16/"><em>High Stakes for High Schoolers: State Accountability in the Age of ESSA</em>
(PDF)</a> is the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's follow-up report to
<em>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3868/17/">High Stakes for High Achievers</a></em>.
The report finds that just four states Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania
and Texas are
effectively creating incentives for high schools to serve
high-achieving students,
and that only four states Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana and New York
are headed in the right direction under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
<br>
<br>
The report also
finds that 18 states are not looking at high-schoolers academic growth using a model that includes high-achievers.
Recommendations for every state include: upgrading high school accountability systems
through increased emphasis on student growth; providing schools additional credit for
helping students to advanced levels of achievement; and,
giving high schools an incentive to help able students earn college credit before they graduate. Read more:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3959/18/">Thomas B. Fordham Institute</a>,
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3960/19/">NAGC</a>,
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3961/20/">
THE Journal</a><br>
<br>
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/google-science.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">Google Science Fair
- Innovative Science Ingenuity </font></b></font><br>
<font face="calibri" size="3">Recently-announced <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3024/21/">2016 Google Science
Fair</a> award recipients include: <ul><li>
Charlie Fenske, who created an experiment that could enhance space flight efficiency and
maneuverability (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3962/22/"><em>My Fox Boston</em></a>);</li><li>Alex Howard, who developed a project that could efficiently remove heavy metals from water (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3963/23/"><em>ABC</em></a>);</li><li>Anushka Naiknaware, who developed a sensor design
to help people suffering from chronic wounds heal more quickly, (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3964/24/"><em>The Oregonian</em></a>); and</li><li>
Ashton Cofer, Luke Clay and Julia Bray, who produced a carbon
filter that could significantly decrease landfill waste and make water
safe to drink. (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3965/25/"><em>Nature.com</em></a>).</li><br>
</ul><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3966/26/"><em>Watch video
of the 2016 Awards Celebration</em></a>.<b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3"><br>
<br>
Epsilon Camp - A Challenging Summer Math Experience for Young Students</font><br>
</b><img alt="Epsilon" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_15/epsilon.jpg" hspace="7" height="70" width="221" vspace="3" align="left" border="0">Application season has begun for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3194/27/">Epsilon Camp</a>,
a two-week summer residential camp serving promising young
mathematicians and their families through an intensive student program
and parent workshop. The mission of Epsilon is to meet the learning
needs of students ages 7-11 with extreme intelligence and a love of
mathematics by exposing them to suitable content, pedagogy, peers and
mathematicians. Epsilon Camp 2017 will be held at Washington University
in St. Louis, MO from July 23 to August 6, 2017. Epsilon will offer one
full scholarship for a camper and one parent/guardian and up to four
additional financial assistance awards.<br>
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<h2><b>
<a name="Legislative"> </a><font face="calibri" size="5" color="#ffffff">
Legislative & Policy News</font></b></h2></td>
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<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3967/28/">
<strong>ALABAMA</strong></a> Dollars allocated for gifted and
talented programming in the state increased to $2.5 million for the
2015-16 school year, more than double the budget for the previous year.
Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3968/29/">Dothan Eagle</a>
<br>
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/giftedstudents1.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3969/30/">
<strong>CONNECTICUT</strong></a> The Wilton school district will
start identifying students for giftedness in second grade. As part of
the identification process, the district will also ensure that every
school follows the same timeline of reviewing test results, writing
recommendations and informing parents. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3970/31/">The Hour</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3877/32/">
<strong>FLORIDA</strong></a> The portion of students
identified as gifted has grown exponentially on a
year-by-year basis, particularly among students from
underrepresented populations, after the Orange County school
district shifted to a model of universal screening in the
2012-13 school year. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3971/33/">
Education Dive</a> <br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3879/34/">
<strong>GEORGIA</strong></a> The Carroll County School System is
placing an increased emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) learning for students in the district's gifted
program. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3972/35/">Times-Georgian</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3887/36/">
<strong>MONTANA</strong></a> A $2.5 million appropriation
to the state's gifted and talented grant program has been
approved. There also will be a number of changes to the
Missoula school districts
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3973/37/">
gifted education policy (PDF)</a>. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3974/38/">Missoulian</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3814/39/">
<strong>NEW YORK</strong></a> A new program for gifted and
talented students will be opening in New York City next fall, with
acceptance tied to academic performance, grades and teacher
recommendations. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3975/40/">DNA Info</a>
<br>
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/gifted-ed6.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0">
<br>
Starting next fall, the Brooklyn School of Inquiry will set
aside 40 percent of its kindergarten seats to low-income gifted and
talented students. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3976/41/">Chalkbeat</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3977/42/">
<strong>RHODE ISLAND</strong></a> A Providence school is offering
a pilot program for students capable of handling advanced coursework,
part of a drive to offer gifted programs to all students, not just
affluent ones. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3978/43/">Providence Journal</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3979/44/">
<strong>WISCONSIN</strong></a> The Racine school district will be
changing how it identifies gifted and talented students and how they
are taught. The changes are designed to better track student progress
after initial identification. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3980/45/">Journal Times</a>
<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3823/46/">
<strong>VIRGINIA</strong></a> A five-year, $2 million project by
Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education
is designed to create advanced-course curricula for gifted students in
13 high-poverty rural Virginia districts. The project, called Promoting
PLACEfor Place, Literacy, Achievement, Community, Engagement seeks to
help districts identify students who may be otherwise overlooked for
gifted programs. Source:
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3978/47/">Education Week</a>
<br>
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<h2><b>
<a name="OnWeb"> </a><font face="calibri" size="5" color="#ffffff">
On the Web</font></b></h2></td>
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<font face="calibri" size="3">
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/giftedstudents3.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">Featured Articles and Resources</font></b><br>
The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3795/48/">Davidson Gifted Database</a>
features easy search capabilities for articles, resources and state
policy pages to help students, parents and educators pinpoint gifted
information.<br>
<br>
<strong>Articles</strong><br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3981/49/">8 Reasons You Should Label Kids as Gifted</a> provides a number of justifications for labeling students as gifted.<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3982/50/">Dont Always Choose Academics! Why Sports Participation May Be Just as Important</a>
describes the significance of non-academic activities for
gifted students.<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3983/51/">Tips for Parents: Understanding and Promoting Emotional Regulation</a> provides advice on how to encourage healthy social/emotional development.<br>
<br>
<strong>Resources</strong><br>
The book
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3984/52/">Make Social Learning Stick! How to Guide and Nurture Social Competence Through Everyday Routines and Activities</a>
offers a social learning diet of concepts and actions that can be used
in everyday life to increase verbal and nonverbal language, listening
skills, understanding of hidden rules, perspective taking, executive
functioning and more.<br>
<br>
<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_13/legis.jpg" hspace="7" vspace="6" align="right" border="0"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3985/53/">Moving Beyond the Page</a>
is a complete literature-based homeschool curriculum designed to
allow children to grow in their love of learning.
The curriculum encourages critical and creative thinking, provides
challenging and engaging projects, and supports different learning
styles.<br>
<br>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3986/54/">Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities</a>
is an organization designed to educate, guide and inspire
parents of children with learning disabilities or ADHD. <br>
<br>
The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3987/55/">Understood.org Parenting Coach</a>
equips parents with experts who can answer questions about
their students' situations and offer advice about where to go next.
<br>
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<a name="NewsArticles"> </a><font face="calibri" size="5" color="#ffffff">
In the News</font></b></h2></td>
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</td>
<td style="width: 1125px"> <font face="calibri" size="3"><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3988/56/">We grade-skipped our daughter
. . . You should consider doing it too</a><font size="2">
(Omaha World-Herald)</font></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3989/57/">'Ludicrous' education system failing gifted children, parents and experts say</a> <font size="2">(<font face="calibri" size="2">ABC
Australia</font>)</font></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3990/58/">The Intensity of Gifted Children: Pros And Cons</a> <font size="2">(<font face="calibri" size="2">Jewish Press</font>)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3991/59/">Are gifted classes necessary?</a>
<font size="2">(CBC.ca)</font></li><li>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3992/60/">This is Us ... Too: The Need for Gifted Education</a>
<font size="2">(Education Week)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3943/61/">We can't let any gifted kids slip through the cracks</a>
<font size="2">(Orlando Sentinel)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3993/62/">Should I Grade-Skip My Gifted Child?</a>
<font size="2">(Good Men Project)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3994/63/">The Unfortunate Reason Only Certain Students Are Labeled 'Gifted' in the Classroom</a>
<font size="2">(ATTN)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3995/64/">How Taking a Gap Year Can Shape Your Life</a>
<font size="2">(New York Times)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3996/65/">
African-American Teen Awarded For Ethnic Studies</a><font size="2">
(Insight News)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3997/66/">Gifted students are not necessarily high-achievers</a>
<font size="2">(Midland Reporter-Telegram)</font></li><li>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3946/67/">Getting Restless At The Head Of The Class</a>
<font size="2">(NPR)</font></li><li> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3998/68/">Kids and Giftedness - Debunking Myths</a>
<font size="2">(Parent's Planet)</font></li></ul><font size="2">Discuss these stories and more on the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/1025/69/">Gifted Issues Discussion Forum</a>.</font><br>
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<font face="calibri" size="5" color="#000099"><b>Maya Varma - 2016 Davidson Fellow</b></font>
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<img alt="" src="http://news.ditd.org/November_16/MayaVarma2.jpg" hspace="10" height="260" width="231" vspace="3" align="right" border="0"><font face="calibri" size="3"><em>Maya Varma of Cupertino, Calif. will receive $25,000 for her 2016 <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3787/70/">
Davidson Fellows</a> project, "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3999/71/">A Wireless Smartphone-Based System for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Illnesses</a>."</em><b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">
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What kind of impact can your Fellows project, A Wireless
Smartphone-Based System for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Illnesses have on
society?</font></b><br>
According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of
respiratory diseases has been growing rapidly around the world over the
past few decades. More than 600 million people around the world
currently have some form of respiratory illness, with COPD (Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) being the third leading cause of death
after heart disease and cancer. These illnesses are diagnosed by a
spirometer, which determines lung function by measuring the volume of
air that a patient expels. Current spirometers used to diagnose these
respiratory illnesses cost thousands of dollars, which makes them too
expensive for use in developing nations. As a result, 75
percent of those afflicted with COPD are receiving no medical
treatment. Thus, it is not surprising that almost 90
percent of all pulmonary illness-related deaths occur in developing
nations.
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For my Davidson Fellows project, I developed a low-cost
smartphone-based pulmonary function analyzer that can be used to
diagnose five prevalent pulmonary illnesses: asthma, COPD, emphysema,
chronic bronchitis, and restrictive lung disease. The total cost of
parts of my system is less than $50, which is a fraction of the cost of
commercial diagnostic equipment currently in the market. My system,
based on open-source hardware and software, can be used at health care
facilities in poor countries, providing the same functionality of
high-end spirometers at a fraction of the cost. Patients who have
already been diagnosed with a pulmonary illness can use the disease
management tool in my application to record symptoms and test results
each day and track the severity of their disease over time. Patients who
are at risk for respiratory illnesses can use the lung function
estimator tool, which utilizes a predictive algorithm to determine
expected lung function values. With early
detection and treatment of respiratory illnesses, millions of lives can
potentially be extended or saved.
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<b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">What are some of your short-term and long-term plans?</font></b><br>
I am currently a freshman at Stanford University, and I intend to
pursue an engineering major. I am working on improving my Davidson
Fellows project and I will be continuing engineering research throughout
college. Eventually, I hope to obtain a Ph.D. My goal is to utilize the
power of technology to design medical devices that will help improve
the quality of life for all, not just a privileged few. While it is
important to advance technology, we also have a moral responsibility to
make it accessible to the less privileged populations of the world.<br>
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<b><font face="calibri" size="3" color="#2071d3">Please describe your academic setting and some positive experiences with mentors.</font></b><br>
I would like to thank the Cogito program at Johns Hopkins Center
for Talented Youth for providing me with an initial financial grant to
begin working on my project, and I am extremely grateful to Dr. Ali
Yousuf from Johns Hopkins University for answering my questions and
being an incredible mentor throughout this project. Also, Mr. Michael
Blaisdell, Director of the Respiratory Therapy program at Ohlone
Community College provided me with access to the ASL 5000 system that I
used to test my device and valuable feedback on my project. I recently
graduated from Presentation High School, where I was president of the
Math and Science Independent Research Club. I enjoyed being part of this
group and encouraging others to pursue research. I am grateful to our
faculty advisor, Dr. Tracy Hughes, for always supporting my passion for
research. <br>
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<font face="calibri" size="3">"Gifted programs provide support
to gifted students whose brains are wired differently.
These students have affective needs that most students do not
have or the affective needs are increased due to the giftedness. Gifted
students may develop asynchronously with their minds developing far<br>
ahead of their physical growth. Their cognitive and affective development
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can be uneven. Not all gifted students are gifted in everything they do.
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They may be gifted in one domain, multiple domains, or all areas."</font></i></div>
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<font face="calibri" size="3"><i>~ Shirley Farrell, Gifted Education Specialist, Alabama Department of Education, in the </i>
<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://ditdlyris.davdgrp.com/t/784105/53568/3968/72/">Dothan Eagle</a>
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