Falls Church Teen Awarded $25,000 Scholarship for Developing Nanoparticle Coating Technique

What did you do over the summer? “Just advanced cancer treatments and battery applications. How ‘bout you?”

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program has announced its 2024 scholarship winners, including 16-year-old Oliver Wang of Falls Church, Virginia. 

A rising junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) in Alexandria, Virginia, Wang won a $25,000 scholarship for his project, NanoDiffusion: An Ultra-Precision, Compact Powder Optimization System for Advancing Nanoparticle Cancer Treatment and Battery Applications. He is one of only 20 scholarship winners in the 2024 Fellows class.

“Being a Davidson Fellow is more than an honor to me; it provides me with the confirmation that my research has an impact,” said Wang. “I am more confident in my ideas and feel more encouraged to continue pursuing my research passions. I am also grateful for the Davidson Fellows resources and community of other talented students to connect with.”

Wang’s new nanoparticle coating technique foreshadows exciting advancements for both cancer treatment and battery applications. 

For his project, Wang “developed an ultra-precise, compact powder optimization technique to enhance the electrode coating manufacturing process in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), thereby improving their performance and longevity,” a Davidson Institute press release said. “His innovation demonstrated the potential to boost charge flow in electric vehicle batteries, making them a more viable and efficient transportation method. Additionally, Wang's device has potential applications in nanoparticle development, particularly in filtering cancer nanoparticles to improve their targeting ability and increase the success rate of nanoparticle-based cancer treatments. By increasing the delivery rate to tumor sites, fewer nanoparticles are needed, which reduces costs, improves accessibility, and enhances treatment success rates.”

“This year's class of Davidson Fellows Scholarship recipients exemplifies the power of innovation and perseverance,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “Our Fellows continue to push the boundaries of their educational and research pursuits, striving to solve some of the world's most challenging problems by leveraging creative, outside-the-box thinking and cutting-edge technology to expand their networks, access new sources of information, and deliver an impressive array of diverse projects.”

On the Davidson Institute website, Wang describes his approach to learning and experimentation. “I love engineering practical applications for real-life problems, drawing theoretical inspiration from computer science and mathematics. You can find me spending hours in my home lab doing hands-on experimentation with different electronic circuits and mechanical systems.”

“I am an engineer. Whether via pen and paper or keyboard, woodworking or circuits, I love to learn by doing,” Wang continues. “Aside from building projects for research, I also love to build for fun. When I’m not getting my hands dirty in engineering, you can find me playing drums (fun fact: I was in a professional youth symphonic orchestra), saltwater fishing, and swimming.”

On the website, Wang lists his favorite hobby as “building stuff.” Whether it’s a “large speaker system with a dedicated subwoofer or a program to optimize my transit schedule, I love the joy of turning my ideas into reality.” 

The 2024 Davidson Fellows will be honored during a reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.  and with a virtual project presentation ceremony in September 2024.

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offers $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships to students 18 or younger, who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship has provided more than $9.9 million in scholarship funds to 448 students since its inception in 2001, and has been named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report. This scholarship program has been developed by the Davidson Institute, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Reno, Nevada that supports "profoundly gifted youth."

About the Davidson Institute

Founded by Bob Davidson in 1999, the Davidson Institute "recognizes, nurtures and supports profoundly intelligent young people, and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference." The Institute offers support through a number of programs and services, including the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and the Davidson Academy of Nevada.

For more information about the 2023 Davidson Fellows, go to DavidsonFellows.org.

By Christopher Jones