22-year-old Filipino physicist triumphs in Vienna nuclear olympiad

MANILA, Philippines — Anton Tanquintic, a young Filipino physicist, received an award for winning in the Nuclear Olympiad 2015 held in Vienna.

The Olympiad is a unique opportunity for young people to showcase their creativity and knowledge on the topic of Nuclear Sciences and Applications and its impact on human lives, particularly on the topic of "Nuclear Techniques for Global Development."

Tanquintic, who prepared a sixty-minute video on this topic, bested other candidates worldwide and made it to the final round of the Olympiad in Vienna, Austria. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hosted the event at the margins of its 59th General Conference.

Director General Yukiya Amano himself presented the award to Anton Tanquintic for winning second place amongst the five finalists in the World Nuclear University Nuclear Olympiad. The IAEA highlighted the Olympiad, in keeping with the agency's priority to further intensify promotion efforts to create public awareness on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and as part of its pro-active measures to develop a talent pipeline.

The Olympiad had a three-stage selection process which included—in addition to the 60-minute video on the impact of nuclear sciences and application to daily life and the number of likes received, a written essay, and today's final round of six- minute presentation highlighting the finalist’s concept and interpretation of the theme. 

Tanquintic, a 22-year-old cum laude graduate of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University, with his clear and innovative presentation on the production of radioisotopes and its practical application on food and agriculture enamored judges and audience. If not for the number of likes where the Brazilian candidate took the lead, Anton would have been the Nuclear Olympiad champion.

According to Tanquintic, he had no expectations when he entered the Olympiad and having been chosen to be among the five finalist flown by IAEA to Vienna was in itself a reward for his efforts to simplify the complex formula involved in the production of radioisotopes and its value for daily living.

Tanquintic had previously undertaken an internship at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute under the leadership of Dr. Alumanda dela Rosa.

Chargé d'Affaires Sulpicio Confiado said Anton's victory brings honor to the Philippines and "gives hope about the caliber of the next generation of scientists."

"Our support for young scientists like him who show great interest in nuclear science and its applications is line with the present thrust of the Philippine Mission in Vienna, under the leadership of Ambassador Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson, to harness nuclear sciences and its applications, in cooperation with IAEA, to achieve our national development goals," Confiado said in a statement. — with Alixandra Caole Vila