Los Gatos Weekly-Times

David Hembry

David Hembry is selected for international program

LGHS student studying in Japan

By Michelle Alaimo

Los Gatos High School student David Hembry's zest for biology has landed him in a position that no other student can hold--he is the only biology student in the United States chosen to participate in the 1998 International Science School at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Hembry's family is overwhelmed that David was chosen. "It is very hard to believe that out of all the kids in the U.S., David is the only one going," his mother, Diane Hembry, said.

The session, held from July 21 to Aug. 2, is packed full of lectures, studies and experiments along with sightseeing and a two-day home stay. Hembry will also visit Misaki Marine Biological Station and the National Science Museum.

Japan's Association of International Education, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, sponsors the international school and also pays for room and board plus traveling expenses in Japan. The U.S. Department of Energy paid for Hembry's airfare.

The sponsors choose 22 students from Pacific Rim countries. Each country is allowed two attendees, one for biology and one for physics. The students are paired up with a Japanese student during the program, and all classes are held in English.

The 17-year-old had to complete an application that required recommendations and an essay; David also had to prove his interest in biology, including providing original experiments that he has performed.

This proved not to be a problem for Hembry, who will be a senior at LGHS in the fall. He has spent the past two years serving as a volunteer guide for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Diane Hembry said her son also performed experiments on kelp wrack and has a Web site devoted to it. She added that even an author writing a college textbook has requested permission from David to use his kelp wrack Web site information. David is also president of the LGHS Science Club and has started a research group to study the ecology of the Los Gatos Creek.

Before David left for Japan, he was mailed a textbook from the International Science School, which he had to study in order to understand all the experiments he would perform while in Japan. Topics he is studying include yeast genetics, the dynamics of forests and frog-egg development.

David has set up a Web page that he hopes to update daily, as long as he can find a computer with a modem. If not, he will post a diary of his activities when he returns to the United States.

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