FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			Contact:  Dr. Margaret Haun
							305-365-6278
March 22, 2004

MAST Students and Teacher Earn Local and National Honors

Seven MAST Academy students earned special recognition at the March 13, 2004 Dade County Science Awards Program.

Monica Simo
•	American Association of Women Geoscientists Award
•	American Meteorological Society Award, Miami Chapter Award
•	Florida Association of Science Teachers Award
•	Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Award
•	49th State Science and Engineering Fair Finalist, Senior Section
•	Comprehensive Research Paper Award
•	Best 2004 Physical Science Paper
•	2004 Paper Presenter, FL Junior Academy of Science, UCF

Alexandra Marraccini
•	Best Project, Senior Division
•	Intel Excellence in Computer Science Award
•	Comprehensive Research Paper Award
•	49th State Science and Engineering Fair Finalist, Senior Section

David Amor
•	Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Award
•	Comprehensive Research Paper Award
•	2004 Paper Presenter, FL Junior Academy of Science, UCF

Pam Kolonias
•	Comprehensive Research Paper Award
•	49th State Science and Engineering Fair Finalist, Senior Section
•	US Army Biological Sciences Award

Bryan Yancey
•	US Army Biological Sciences Award
•	49th State Science and Engineering Fair Finalist, Senior Section

Jeremy Fowers
•	Dade County Science Teachers Association Award

Kalty Vazquez
•	Gold Coast Railroad Museum Science Fair Exhibit Award

Senior Monica Simo is the only Miami-Dade County student to achieve 2004 Semi-finalist status in the prestigious Intel Talent Science Search Competition.  A record 1,652 students entered the competition this year.  Only 300 young scientists reached the semifinals. The Intel program, the oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition-often considered the "junior Nobel Prize"-provides an incentive for students to develop their scientific interests at an early age. Monica will attend MIT in the fall.

Dr. Wafa Khalil, Solar Energy teacher and Science Research Coordinator at MAST, has been named one of five national recipients of the 2004 Intel Excellence in Teaching Award.  She will receive a cash award of $3,500 at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair in Portland, Oregon this May.

The MAST Academy Engineering Team of Chris Rokicki, Brian Tovar, Blake Rego, Paul Moore, and David Moore won the Most Innovative Award at the University of Miami's 2004 Engineering "Build It" Competition.  The award recognizes successful and unique design principles.