Benjamin Nguyen named top 20 chemistry students in the U.S.

Joan Coyle/ American Chemical Society Office of Public Affairs

It’s quite a feat to be named a top chemistry student in your school, let alone the nation, but that is exactly the accolade Benjamin Nguyen, a junior at Valencia High School in Placentia,California,was recently given. Nguyen has been invited to compete for one of four spots on the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team, bound for an international competition in the Eastern European nation of Georgia later this summer. He emerged from a series of exams that involved more than 16,000 students across the U.S.

Benjamin Nguyen has been named one of the top 20 chemistry students in the U.S. (Photo: Courtesy of Benjamin Nguyen)

The group of 20 students is now taking the next step in qualifying for the U.S. team by attending a study camp at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

The students, who started camp on May 31, are receiving college-and graduate-level training with an emphasis on organic chemistry. They are participating in a series of lectures, problem- solving exercises, lab work and testing. At the conclusion of the camp on June 15, the top four students and two alternates will be selected to represent the U.S. at the 48 th International Chemistry Olympiad in Tbilisi, Georgia, July 23-Aug. 1.

There they will compete with their peers from more than 70 nations for gold, silver and bronze medals. The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.