Jose Miguel Gonzalez Arias, a young high school student at the Don Bosco Technical and Professional Institute, received the second-place award from the United States Patent and Trademark Office Society at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh last night.

According to an official communication in Costa Rica by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT), the young Tico’s project received a special certification for its innovation and economic importance. There are eleven young Ticos still competing at the ISEF through the end of today. They are among 1,500 other students from 68 countries who are gathered at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

The project presented by Jose Miguel Gonzalez Arias was described on the pages of The Costa Rica Star earlier this week:

• Braille Keyboard, Printer and Recyclable Sheets
• A run-of-the-mill desktop printer is transformed it into a Braille printing device that boasts a keyboard and stores data. The sheets used can be recycled after printing.

Jose Miguel’s project was completed when he was still in high school. He is now studying Electronic Engineering at the Technology Institute of Costa Rica (TEC).

Costa Rica has been participating in ISEF since 1998. While our students have brought back second, third, and fourth place awards, Costa Rica is still hoping to score the grand prize at ISEF. The projects this year are very interesting, and they stand a good chance to bring home glory. There is also a strong presence by young Ticas this year, who are becoming more involved in science and technology.

The eleven bright young minds from Costa Rica traveled to Pittsburgh with MICIT Vice Minister Keilor Rojas and Karla Rojas, an executive from Intel. Vice Minister Rojas provided the following observation on the competition:

“We are definitely in the major leagues here. The competing projects have already won awards, and more than 1,500 other students with high-caliber and high-quality projects are also here, which means we have to keep improving.”

Vice Minister Rojas also added that the students don’t consider their projects completed unless they become a product that can serve the needs of people and society.

UPDATE – Just moments ago this Friday, the ISEF judges announced that one more project from Costa Rica that earned an award:

Best of Electrical and Mechanical Projects – Second Place Award

• RIIS-ED: Prototype of Wheelchair for Quadriplegic People Controlled by Neural Impulses
• Luis Gerardo Leon-Vega, 17, Colegio Jose Maria Gutierrez, Bagaces, Guanacaste

This is the second time Luis Gerardo competes at the ISEF, and his RIIS-ED project had been a favorite this year. The Costa Rica Star will follow up with the MICIT as the students return home. Congratulations to all.