KNOXVILLE—Two Oak Ridge High School students were among 10 from across the state who received $6,000 annual scholarships to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in this year’s UT-Pro2Serve Math Contest. More than 700 students from 51 schools all across Tennessee competed in the competition, held November 6 at UT.
The scholarship winners were:
- Joseph Andress, Oak Ridge High, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- Christopher Dean, Cookeville High, Cookeville, Tennessee
- Jason Fu, Farragut High, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Gene Li, Ravenwood High, Brentwood, Tennessee
- Remilia Li, Pope John Paul II High, Hendersonville, Tennessee
- Ohm J. Patel, White Station High, Memphis, Tennessee
- Daniel Tancredi, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
- Barbara Xiong, University School of Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee
- Albert Xue, Oak Ridge High, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
- Chang Yu, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
Scholarships are funded by UT and Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek.
The honorable mention winners (those who have previously won scholarships) were:
- Daniel Edwards, Pope John Paul II High, Hendersonville, Tennessee
- Jia Liang, Collierville High, Collierville, Tennessee
- Richard Ouyang, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
- Yunhua Zhao, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
- Melissa Yu, Farragut High, Knoxville, Tennessee
The contest had two parts. All 714 participants took a multiple-choice test on algebra and geometry called the Fundamental Exams of Remarkable Mathematical Ability and Talent (FERMAT) I. The five top scorers each received a trophy. The top 50 FERMAT I scorers received T-shirts.
The five top-scoring students were:
- Lily Gao, Farragut High, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Gene Li, Ravenwood High, Brentwood, Tennessee
- Ohm J. Patel, White Station High School, Memphis, Tennessee
- Daniel Tancredi, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
- Chang Yu, Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee
Students with the top 50 scores on the FERMAT I moved on to the FERMAT II, which included eight essay questions requiring creative and original thinking. All exams were hand-graded by faculty members from UT’s Department of Mathematics.
The second part of the contest was the Math Bowl, a double-elimination team competition. Sixty-four high school teams competed head to head to be the fastest to answer 10 math questions correctly. The winning teams won a trophy and the individual team members received a T-shirt and a medallion.
The winners were:
- Small schools: First place (and overall winner), Memphis University School, Memphis, Tennessee; second place, Webb School of Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Large schools: First place, White Station High, Memphis, Tennessee; second place, Oak Ridge High, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
The contest was presented by UT’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Chancellor’s Office, the Department of Mathematics, and UT alumnus Barry Goss and his company, Professional Project Services Inc. (Pro2Serve).
Pro2Serve provides technical and engineering services that support the infrastructures of government and private industry and help ensure national security.
Pro2Serve has sponsored the contest for the past 14 years and has committed to sponsor it for three more years. Without its support, the contest would be unable to reach students all across the state.
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