Mercer Island High School (MIHS) senior Yu Cao, who goes by Roy, has been nominated to attend the 2015 Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders at Harvard University in Boston, Mass.

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to learn from experts about new technologies and new perspectives at the conference,” said Cao.

At the conference in June, Cao will hear from physics Nobel Laureates like Dr. David Wineland and John Mather, the Dean of Admissions from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and several young leaders who have already made an impact in the fields of science and technology.

“We are all so proud of Roy’s accomplishments and that he was selected to attend this prestigious conference,” said MIHS Principal Vicki Puckett. “He has such a bright future ahead of him.”

Cao is looking forward to a future career in nanotechnology. “Nanotechnology is the future of material engineering. A goal of nanotechnology is to make pure products. It is how you create new, advanced products with new molecules for alloys,” he said.

Cao, who has had incredible academic success, also excels in several areas outside of the classroom. He is the vice president of the MIHS Ham Radio Club also plays clarinet in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. Cao says, “Music develops the mind and thinking. It is closely related to calculus. We even studied how math and music are related in AP calculus.”

Nominees are selected for the conference based on outstanding academic excellence, leadership potential and a determination to serve humanity in the field of science and technology. The conference was founded on the belief that talent must be identified at the earliest possible age and help students acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of vital careers in science and technology.