Young Scientists Honored at ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair

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    --  Madeleine Ball, Kaleigh Gallant and Emily Lowry named top winners at
        25th annual statewide science competition
    --  More than 1,000 young Texas scientists competed for prizes at
        ExxonMobil-sponsored event
    --  Fair hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas Science
        Careers Consortium

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than two hundred bright, young Texans were recognized with awards today at the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair (EMTSEF), a four-day competition that brings together top science fair winners from across the state. Madeleine Ball of Dallas received Best of Fair in the senior division, and Kaleigh Gallant and Emily Lowry, both of Frisco, won the top honor for the junior division. The event was hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

Madeline Ball (left), a senior at The Ursuline Academy in Dallas, took top honors at the Texas Science and Engineering Fair held in San Antonio. She is shown with Emily Snooks with ExxonMobil, who is the title sponsor of the event. More than 1,000 students from across the state competed in the annual contest. (Photo: Business Wire)

Students competed in two divisions - junior (grades six through eight) and senior (grades nine through 12) - in one of 17 categories. Selected from more than 1,000 entries, awards were given to first through fourth place winners in each category as well as Grand Prize and Best in Fair projects in each division.

Senior division Grand Prize winners received all-expense paid trips to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair May 8-13 in Los Angeles. The top 10 percent of competitors in the junior division qualified to participate in the Broadcom MASTERS program.

"ExxonMobil is committed to encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers through initiatives such as the Texas Science and Engineering Fair," said Suzanne McCarron, general manager, public and government affairs, Exxon Mobil Corporation. "We are proud to recognize their achievements and expect to see these brilliant, young students at the forefront as our country tackles significant technology challenges in the future."

For the 11th consecutive year, ExxonMobil sponsored the state-level competition and provided a grant of $75,000 that also funded a diversity recruitment initiative to aid with project and travel expenses for those students who would otherwise be unable to participate. The University of Texas at San Antonio has hosted the fair since 2004 and the Texas Science Careers Consortium has managed the fair since its inception 25 years ago.

"On behalf of UTSA, I'd like to congratulate the winners of this year's ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair," said Dr. George Perry, dean, The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Sciences. "We are honored to host this outstanding competition and are continually astonished by the ingenuity, creativity and hard work we see in their projects. We also applaud the parents and teachers who provide support and daily encouragement to these budding scientists."

Students qualified to compete in the EMTSEF by being selected as the Grand Prize winner or placing first, second or third in one of 12 regional fairs held throughout the state. Each regional fair is sanctioned by Science Service, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages.

Additional information on the 2011 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair can be found at www.emtsef.org.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, providing energy that helps underpin growing economies and improve living standards around the world. ExxonMobil also engages in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education, promote women as catalysts for economic development, and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2010, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $237 million in contributions worldwide, of which $110 million was dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

About The UTSA College of Sciences

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in Texas and the third largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions in the UT System. As a multicultural institution of access and excellence, UTSA aims to be a national research university providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment. The UTSA College of Sciences is changing the future of science by exploring new frontiers in the fields of science and mathematics. As the third largest academic college at UTSA, the college serves more than 5,000 students in 12 bachelor's, nine master's and five doctoral degree programs in the departments of biology, chemistry, computer science, geological sciences, mathematics and physics and astronomy. For more information, visit www.utsa.edu/cos.

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    Source: ExxonMobil

Released April 4, 2011