Nikhil Buduma, who will be a senior this fall, is one of four high school students in the nation who will represent the United States in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) in July.
Nikhil earned his spot on Team USA by competing against a field of more than 10,000 high schoolers who took the qualifying test last year. The top 20 students from throughout the country qualified as National Finalists and competed June 3 through 15 at the 10th Annual USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) National Finals at Purdue University. This is the second consecutive year Buduma has achieved National Finalst status.
“Being able to participate in the USABO finals for my second year was a smashing experience! Although the two-week camp was intense, I had the chance to reunite with many of my old friends and make lots of new ones too." said Buduma, adding "I'm extremely honored to be selected as one of the four members of Team USA and to represent the United States at the 23rd International Biology Olympiad in Singapore." Nikhil, who counts biology as one of his greatest passions, will spend the next few weeks studying intensely for the competition. "I look forward to the preparation ... the next couple weeks are going to be fun!”
“Nikhil has been an outstanding science student since his arrival at Bellarmine,” said Mr. Rod Wong, Bellarmine Science Department chair. “His participation and success in the USABO during the past two years has been amazing. He is a leader and a role model in the Bellarmine Science Club and will play a key role in the development of the new Bellarmine STEM-Med (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) program in the coming year. He serves as an inspiration to both the Science Department and the school as a whole.”
During his free time, Nikhil is extensively involved in community outreach, helping local middle school students design science fair projects, writing competition problems for the local MathCounts chapter, and, for the past three years, coaching middle school Science Bowl.
Representatives from approximately 60 countries will compete in the IBO, scheduled for July 8 through 15 in Singapore. The competition, for secondary school students, awards individual achievement in theoretical and laboratory biology knowledge.