R.C. Murphy Junior High School of Stony Brook Wins Top Honors at Brookhaven Lab's Regional Middle School Science Bowl

March 12, 2015

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Pictured with their coach, Patrick McManus, are the students from R.C. Murphy Junior High School who won first place in the Middle School Science Bowl at Brookhaven Lab on March 7. From left are Moira Chimpiri, Luke Randall, Reilly Brown, Keene Lu, and Rohan Nagavardhan.

UPTON, NY — R.C. Murphy Junior High School of Stony Brook won the Brookhaven National Laboratory/Long Island Regional Middle School Science Bowl held at the Lab on Saturday, March 7, 2015.  R.C. Murphy students competed against 19 teams from 13 schools across the region in one of the nation's 50 regional competitions in the Annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl®. 

R.C. Murphy Junior High School edged out Commack Middle School in the "Jeopardy-style" academic contest.  John F. Kennedy Middle School of Port Jefferson Station took third place. Four divisions compete in the initial round-robin eliminations, of which J. Taylor Finley Middle School of Huntington took the top spot in their division. As the winning team, R.C. Murphy Junior High School students earned an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., scheduled for April 30 - May 4, 2015.

Student teams are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams face off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format, being tested on a range of science disciplines including life science, earth and space science, energy, mathematics, and general science. The team answering the most questions correctly wins the top honor.

During the competition, more than 9,500 high school students and 4,500 middle school students competed at 70 high school and 50 middle school regional Science Bowl tournaments. The regional tournaments, which host 15 to 50 teams, are sponsored by federal agencies, national laboratories, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. 

"The National Science Bowl® has grown into one of the most prestigious science academic competitions in the country and challenges students to excel in fields vital to America's future," U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said. "I congratulate these students for advancing to the National Finals, where they will be among some of the brightest science and math students from across the country." 

The competition at Brookhaven is sponsored by Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA), the company that manages and operates the Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. BSA provides additional support as well as Science Bowl t-shirts for all participating students and the trophies and medals for the winning teams. 

History of the National Science Bowl 

The Department of Energy (DOE) created the National Science Bowl® in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 240,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 24-year history. It is the nation's largest science competition.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl®, and sponsors the National Science Bowl® finals competition. More information about these events is available on the National Science Bowl® website.

Call (631) 344-2345 for more information.

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