Mariangela Lisanti, 17, won first place at the Intel Science Talent Search last week. The high school senior beat 40 finalists for the $100,000 college scholarship. Mariangela is the third young woman in a row to earn first place in this 60-year-old competition-one of the oldest and most prestigious in the nation.

Mariangela used two wires and a stereo speaker to study the way electrons move in very small structures. Her research could help scientists in the future build tiny electronic devices. Says she: "I love the whole aspect of discovery!"

Daily News from TIME for Kids

March 23, 2001 World Report