STOCKHOLM --16-year old Stephen Tinnin of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, won the first Stockholm International Junior Water Prize, the preeminent water science award for high school students globally. It was announced by Her Majesty, Queen Silvia of Sweden, during a ceremony at Stockholm's National Museum of Natural History.
Tinnin competed with students from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, England, Poland, and Sweden for the $5,000 prize, which previously had been limited to Swedish entrants.
"Mr. Tinnin devoted three years to his study and produced an impressive and thorough body of work," said Thomas R. Martin, vice president and director of corporate relations for ITT Industries, international sponsor of thepPrize. "Overall, we were delighted by the imaginative and thoughtful submissions provided to us by a remarkable group of young people."
Young adults up to the age of 20 competed with working environmental models in this international competition. Tinnin's project investigated areas of potential harm to the environment by pesticide contamination. The high schooler focused on the embryos of sea urchins, examining their vital functions, including the performance of the egg, sperm, hyaline layer, fertilization membrane, and overall development. From his study, he proved there was a direct correlation between the reproductive rate of sea urchins and water pollution.
The 1997 finalists represented in Stockholm were the winners of national contests held in each of their countries. Tinnin won the U.S. competition early this summer at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Louisville.
The water science projects are judged by an international nominating committee, consisting of representatives from ITT Industries (USA), the Water Environment Federation (USA), Helsinki Commission (Finland), WaterAid (England), The University of Stockholm, University of Kalmar (Sweden), and the Young Scientists Association.
The Stockholm Water Foundation was established in 1990 to encourage research and involvement in questions regarding the world's water environment. The foundation awards the Stockholm Water Prize to a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to the preservation of global water resources. In 1995, the Foundation added The Stockholm Junior Water Prize to encourage the involvement of young people in their commitment to environmental preservation. This is the first year the junior Prize was geared to international competition.
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