Iron Man 3 Inventor and Innovator Fair Finalists Named, Honored

Earlier today, Disney announced the 12 finalists in the Marvel's Iron Man 3: Inventor and Innovator Fair, a nationwide science competition held in conjunction with the release of today's blockbuster superhero sequel and sponsored by Discovery Science Center, Broadcom Foundation and Marvel Studios, along with Visa Signature and the famous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Earlier tonight at a 4:30 p.m. PST screening of Iron Man 3, Grand Prize winners received their awards in a special ceremony onstage at the El Capitan Theatre, hosted by Asa Kalama, a Walt Disney Imagineer. All 12 Inventor and Innovator Fair finalists will have their projects on display at the El Capitan from May 3rd – June 19th. Disney's support for the Inventor and Innovator Fair is life imitating art: like Tony Stark, these young geniuses are discovering and creating the world for tomorrow. And getting to be a finalist hasn't been easy. Sixth through ninth-grade girls and boys across the nation were invited to participate in Marvel's Iron Man 3: Inventor and Innovator Fair and asked to produce innovative, inventive projects that aligned with the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering. Earlier this month, after judges reviewed over 300 science projects from all over the country, 30 semi-finalists were chosen. From the 30 semi-finalists, the panel of judges chose 12 finalists, who will compete for the grand prize awards. Following are the 12 finalists and their winning projects:

• Anin Sayana, Cupertino, Calif. – "A Novel Configuration of Carbon Nanotubes to Inhibit ABCG2 and Selectively Target Chemotherapy-Resistant Cancer Stem Cells
• Arjun Dhawan, Newburgh, Ind. – "Walking with Sensors"
• Audrey Harris, Nokomis, Fla. – "Opening New Opportunities"
• Cassie Drury, Louisville, Ky. – "Exploring Cell Signaling in Wound Healing"
• Chase Lewis, Chapel Hill, N.C. – "Rescue Travois- Saving Lives"
• Emma Christensen, Greenville, N.C. – "Saved by the Bug"
• Galen Lee, Cottondale, Ala. – "Solar Funnel Cooler"
• Justin Abrahim – Pittsburgh, Pa. – "Ouch! Helmets and Concussions"
• Maya Patel, The Woodlands, Texas – "Gauging Inferno Sprawl"
• Megan Swintosky, Hatfield, Pa. – "Novel Mutations in the FLCN Gene in Cases of Familial Spontaneous Pneumothoraces"
• Shixuan Justin Li, Lynn Haven, Fla. – "No Mo Squites"
• Stephen Coyne, Knoxville, Md. – "Robotic Prosthetics: A Hand Prototype"

The 12 finalists of the Marvel's Marvel's Iron Man 3: Inventor and Innovator Fair won a trip to Southern California, provided by Visa Signature. The trip includes a meeting with Disney Imagineers, a trip to Disneyland, a visit to Discovery Science Center, a special experience at Broadcom Foundation, and more.