Inventor Dean Kamen, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, and Distinguished Guests Recognize Student Leaders at FIRST® Dean’s List Award Ceremony

April 24, 2015 | By Business Wire News

ST. LOUIS

FIRST^®(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an international K-12 not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen, announced 20 student recipients of the Dean’s List Award during a ceremony at the FIRST Championship in St. Louis, Mo.

The Dean’s List Award recipients – FIRST^® Robotics Competition (FRC^®) and FIRST^® Tech Challenge (FTC^®) students nominated by their team Mentors – were chosen based on their leadership skills, commitment to FIRST ideals, contributions to their team, and their effectiveness in increasing awareness of FIRST within their schools and communities.

“I had incredible teachers who showed me the magic of science and technology by letting me do it myself. That’s what FIRST is all about,” said Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer. “You, as Dean’s List finalists and winners, are extraordinary leaders. You are the future of this country, and also the current awesomeness of this country.”

Since its introduction in 2010, the Kamen family has sponsored the Dean’s List Award with the hopes that the award winners will continue on as great leaders of the FIRST Alumni community, and as advocates for the FIRST experience.

“It took me 20 years to realize that in addition to all the FIRST awards we have, we needed something to help organize and mobilize our Alumni to share this amazing experience with their peers,” said Dean Kamen, founder, FIRST. “As Dean’s List students, that’s your role. Keep your school and community involved in FIRST, and network with each other. Take this leadership role seriously so we can more quickly make FIRST available to every kid in this country and the world.”


The 2015 Dean’s List Award Winners included:

James Chin	New York, N.Y.	FTC

Emilie Dufour	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	FRC

David Earle	Ann Arbor, Mich.	FRC

Stephen Eckert	Davenport, Iowa	FTC

Cynthia Erenas	Los Angeles, Calif.	FRC

Sarah Fogwell	West Vincent, Pa.	FTC

Alyssa Garcia	Lapeer, Mich.	FRC

Camilo Gonzalez	Boston, Mass.	FRC

Serena Grown-Haeberli	Belmont, Calif.	FTC

Logan Hickox	Gainesville, Fla.	FRC

Laura Irvine	Stillwater, Minn.	FTC

Hannah Liao	Oklahoma City, Okla.	FTC

Alexandra Miller	McHenry, Md.	FRC

Sebastian Orellana	Orlando, Fla.	FRC

Mashroor Rashid	Hazelwood, Mo.	FTC

Cameron Richards	Granville, Ohio	FTC

Ben Rowley	Slidell, La.	FRC

Katherine Thomas	Plano, Texas	FTC

Michael Uttmark	Oak Harbor, Ore.	FRC

Austin Wang	Stanford, Calif.	FTC

Celebrating its sixth year, the Dean’s List Award Ceremony featured: Karen Goudey, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, WPI; Jeremiah Quinlan, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Yale; Stu Schmill, Dean of Admissions, MIT; and Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Assistant to the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House.

Winners of the Dean’s List Award will receive a written recommendation from FIRST to the colleges or employers of their choice, and an invitation to attend an all-expense paid trip to the FIRST Dean’s List Award Winners Summit at FIRST Headquarters in Manchester, N.H., this summer.

About FIRST^®
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $20 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^®Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^®Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST^®LEGO^® League for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST^®LEGO^® Leaguefor Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.