CEE Alumni Named Hertz Fellows

McLean, VA, May 02, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) congratulates its alumni, Katherine Xue and Maxim Rabinovich, for being named 2015 Hertz Fellows.

Katherine attended CEE’s United States Biology Olympiad (USABO) in 2008 which is jointly sponsored with Purdue University to train in the biological sciences. She is presently a PhD candidate studying biology and genome sciences at Washington University. Katherine is interested in evolutionary biology and has performed research in biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular genetics. She is applying frameworks from theoretical evolutionary biology to problems in medicine and ecology. Her goal is to harness the power of genomic technologies to understand evolutionary forces and their lasting effects.

“Scientific literacy is incredibly important in today’s society—it informs decisions ranging from everyday choices to issues of international importance,” said Katherine Xue. “I think that scientists have a responsibility to communicate to the public not only about scientific findings, but also about scientific ways of thinking.”

Maxim attended CEE’s Research Science Institute in 2008 for six weeks which is offered in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study advanced theory and research in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. He is currently pursuing his PhD in computer science at University of California Berkeley. Maxim is researching machine learning and natural language processing. Maxim is also interested in developing artificial intelligence tools that support and extend human reasoning.

“The scientific community needs tools, and that’s a big part of what artificial intelligence can offer,” said Maxim Rabinovich. “I’m interested in building more efficient ways to gather and process information. One of the great things about the Hertz Fellowship is that it puts an emphasis on going out in the world and using science to do interesting things.”

The Hertz Fellowship is awarded annually by the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. Each Fellowship consists of up to 5 years of academic fiscal support valued at $250,000. The Graduate Hertz Fellowship Award is based on merit and is broken down to a cost-of-education allowance and a personal support stipend.

“Maxim and Katherine are examples of the fine scholarship of alumni of the programs of the Center for Excellence in Education,” said Joann DiGennaro, CEE’s President. “As Hertz Fellows, they will continue to pursue answers to the ‘Big Challenges’ in science.”