27 February 2018

Marcellin College, Bulleen, Year 11 student Stephen Catsamas has been selected to represent Australia at the 2018 Asian Physics Olympiad in Hanoi, Vietnam (APhO).

In 2017, Stephen competed in the Australian Science Innovations Big Science Competition receiving High Distinction awards in both Chemistry and Physics. He was later offered a two-week summer school position at the Australian National University where undertook many of the preparatory theoretical and practical tasks that lead to his selection, along with eight other students. APhO will run from 5–13 May 2018 and is hosted by the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) with the support of the Vietnamese Government through the Ministry of Education and Training.

Stephen’s Physics and Mathematics Teacher Mr Arnis Kalejs had the following to say about his achievements, ‘Stephen is a self-effacing yet enthusiastic young man with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for critical and analytical thought. I have had the pleasure of observing first-hand how Stephen approaches set tasks at high school; extending relatively mundane research tasks into challenging investigations that would do university undergraduates proud. I wish to congratulate him on his success and look forward to an interesting and stimulating Specialist Mathematics class in 2018.’

Stephen is currently undertaking an accelerated program in Mathematical Methods and Physics, completing two VCE Units 3 and 4 sequences while in Year 11. ‘I am very excited to be representing Australia at an international event. I look forward to working and training with my team members in preparation for APhO but also the competition itself, which I believe will be an amazing opportunity to greatly challenge myself and meet with students from other countries who share in my interest in physics.’

Stephen is a self-effacing yet enthusiastic young man with a thirst for knowledge and a passion
for critical and analytical thought