A NEW GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS: VANIER STUDENT IS REPEAT
WINNER AT CITY, PROVINCIAL AND NATIONAL SCIENCE FAIRS
RAMI SAYAR WINS SEVERAL MAJOR AWARDS IN LAST TWO YEARS
MAY 19, 2009

Rami poses with his prize-winning project on "Touchless Computing"

Vanier student Rami Sayar was recently awarded the Silver Medal plus almost $10,000 in various prizes and scholarships at the 2009 Canada-Wide Science Fair, held May 9 to 17 in Winnipeg, Manitoba for his presentation on "Touchless Computing". He also won a Gold medal at the 2009 Montreal Regional Science and Technology Fair. A veteran of similar Science Fairs over the past several years, Rami has won the following awards: the Concordia University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Computer Science, the McGill University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Award and the John Abbott College Science Award.

Rami says that he can only attribute his success to hard work and the enormous amount of support that he received from Vanier College. He thanks all of Vanier for everything we have done to support his work.

PHOTO TAKEN AT NATIONAL COMPETITION HELD IN WINNIPEG, MAY 2009

Rami can be seen on the second row from the bottom at the far left.

PHOTOS FROM THE 2009 MONTREAL REGIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FAIR

A photo from the Awards Ceremony

Rami Sayar with his longtime supporter Stephanie Chang off the Mathematics and Science Center

PREVIOUSLY STORIES ON RAMI SAYAR:

FROM MAY 2008: Stephanie Chang of the Mathematics and Science Centre wrote about her trip to Ottawa in support of Rami Sayar at the Canada-wide Science Fair at which he won a Bronze Medal and added to his overall winnings a $300 cash prize and also a $1000 Scholarship from the University of Ottawa. See some photos taken at the competition. Click for the full story.

When awards were handed out at the Quebec Finals of the 30th Super Expo-sciences Bell held in Montreal, April 16-20, Rami Sayar, a Science Plus Health Science student at Vanier College, was one of the biggest prize winners. He not only earned the Gold Medal in the Senior Category but he also garnered a number of other prizes and scholarships valued at over $11,000.

He will now go on to represent Vanier College and the province of Quebec at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, in Ottawa on May 10-18, 2008, and to compete at the MILSET International Science Fair in Nabeul, Tunisia, in July 2009.

"I have a fundamental interest in the way things work," he explains. "I have always been fascinated by video games and I continually have questions about the inner functioning of them. This led me to look into developing my own video games."

It's not surprising, therefore, that his winning science project was on artificial intelligence and game engine design. He created a platform in software for simulating artificial intelligence in a virtual environment. To do this he designed the software for services such as graphics, sound effects, music, visual effects and movement, necessary for producing simulations in a 3D game environment.

Rami describes, "The game engine provides many features that enhance the user experience as well as producing realistic video games. It is flexible enough to be able to accommodate any type of artificial intelligence as well as any game type. The interesting aspect of the artificial intelligence is that I combine two models, neural networks and genetic algorithms to produce a dynamic, learning artificial intelligence. Neural networks attempt to mimic the brain and genetic algorithms mimic evolution theory."

It all sounds a little daunting, but Rami Sayar conveys the pleasure of the experience very simply, "The Provincial Science Fair was extremely fun and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people. And yeah, I am going to Nationals and Internationals!!!!!!!!!"

Rami Sayar is thinking of eventually studying Medicine, but for now his greatest pleasure is … "Sleeping!" Not surprising for a seventeen-year old who until recently worked 16-hour weekend shifts at MacDonald's "to help pay for Medical School eventually…" while maintaining a very high academic average, and spending countless hours researching and working on his winning science project. And what do his parents think? Grinning ear to ear, Rami answers, "They are ecstatic!"

This year, the renowned Super Expo-sciences Bell competition, organized by the Conseil de développement du loisir scientifique (CDLS), in cooperation with the École de technologie supérieure, brought together 152 young competitors from all regions of Quebec to compete for overall prizes valued at more than $260,000, in recognition of their exceptional work.

Rami had previously demonstrated talents as a writer as well. While still a student at the Royal West Academy in 2007, Rami was one of the winners of the "Write for Justice" contest organized by the Bar of Montreal as part of the 21st Annual Legal Writing Contest for upper elementary and high school students in the District of Montreal. (Photo at right)

Congratulations, Rami, and good luck at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa in May 2008 and the MILSET International Science Fair in Tunisia in July 2009. Vanier is very proud of your many accomplishments.