Catherine Chen Named U.S. National Finalist for Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition

Congratulations to junior Catherine Chen on being named the U.S. National Finalist for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, the most prestigious youth award for water-related research in the world.

Catherine’s project was selected as the top entry from across the United States following a highly competitive national competition held last weekend at Washington University in St. Louis. There, a panel of esteemed industry professionals, academics, and environmental leaders evaluated state finalists based on their submitted research papers, poster presentations and Q&A sessions.

As the U.S. National Winner, Catherine receives a scholarship, trophy, and an all-expenses-paid trip to Stockholm, Sweden, where she will represent the United States in the International Competition this August during World Water Week. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is administered by the U.S. Water Environment Federation and held under the patronage of HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The competition’s mission is to inspire young people to develop innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing water challenges. 

Catherine’s research was conducted in our high school lab, where she developed a novel integration of in vitro and in silico approaches to address issues of global water sustainability. Her work demonstrates not only scientific excellence but also a commitment to environmental stewardship. In Stockholm, Catherine will compete alongside national winners from over 30 countries, each presenting groundbreaking work in the pursuit of sustainable water solutions. The top international award includes a cash prize, the international crystal trophy and a $5,000 award given to the winner’s school.

Catherine now joins an elite group of Manhasset Science Research students from our school to reach this level of global distinction. Most notably, in 2017, Ryan Thorpe and Rachel Chang represented the United States at the international competition and went on to win top honors.

We wish Catherine the best of luck as she prepares to represent our country and school community on the world stage.