About Us
The University of Chicago Science Olympiad is an undergraduate Registered Student Organization founded in 2017
with the mission to provide a rigorous Science Olympiad experience for middle and high school students in the
Chicagoland area and across Illinois. In addition to hosting our tournaments during the winter quarter, we also
work in the wider Illinois Science Olympiad community as test writers and event supervisors and engage with the Chicago
Public Schools and South side schools to expand access to STEM programs such as Science Olympiad. UCSO is entirely
run by UChicago undergraduates and alumni, and our Division B and C invitationals would not be possible without the
tireless dedication and effort of our board and members.
Katherine Chen
President
Major(s): Biological Chemistry, Minor in Computer Science
Year in the College: 3rd Year
Favorite events: Disease Detectives and Experimental Design
Hometown: Chicago, IL.
Jenny Hu
President
Major(s): Biology and Economics
Year in the College: 3rd Year
Favorite events: Scrambler and Flight
Hometown: San Diego, CA.
Danielle Zumi Rieske
President
Major(s): Physics and Computer Science
Year in the College: 2nd Year
Favorite events: WiFi Lab and Tower
Hometown: Springfield, VA.
Liya Luk
Treasurer
Major(s): Mathematics and Economics
Year in the College: 2nd Year
Favorite events: Forensics and Fermi Questions
Hometown: Jamesville, NY.
Rebecca Ives
Testing Events Director
Major(s): Geophysical Sciences and Biological Sciences
Year in the College: 1st Year
Favorite events: Fossils, Ornithology, and Rocks & Minerals
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA.
Richard Song
Lab Events Director
Major(s): Biological Chemistry
Year in the College: 3rd Year
Favorite events: Detector Building, Designer Genes, Write it Do it
Hometown: East Lansing, MI.
Alan Naranjo
Build Events Director
Major(s): Economics
Year in the College: 1st Year
Favorite event: Air Trajectory
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Amer Džanković
Community Outreach Director
Major(s): Chemistry and Biology
Year in the College: 4th Year
Favorite events: Chemistry Lab and Anatomy & Physiology
Hometown: Chicago, IL.
Amelia Cifu
Community Outreach Director
Major(s): Chemistry and Physics
Year in the College: 3rd Year
Favorite events: Environmental Chemistry, Codebusters, and Fermi Questions
Hometown: Chicago, IL.
Maya Dudek
Logistics Coordinator
Major(s): Chemistry and HIPS
Year in the College: 1st Year
Favorite events: Forensics and Potions and Poisons
Hometown: Palos Hills, IL.
Kaushik Sankar
Logistics Coordinator
Major(s): Economics
Year in the College: 2nd Year
Favorite events: Disease Detectives and Experimental Design
Hometown: Skillman, NJ.
Matthew Castillo
Social Media Chair
Major(s): Chemistry and Biological Molecular Engineering
Year in the College: 3rd Year
Favorite events: Chemistry Lab, Astronomy, Dynamic Planet
Hometown: Pembroke Pines, Fl.
Sohaib Samad
Volunteer Coordinator
Major(s): Physics and Statistics
Year in the College: 2nd Year
Favorite events: Experimental Design, Helicopter, Materials Science
Hometown: Atlanta, GA.
Alumni
The UCSO Alumni Network not only inspires our current members to continue trailblazing in the sciences, but has also
made this on campus chapter a pinnacle of our civic engagement experience. We’d like to honor our previous presidents,
board members, mentors, and leaders who taught us the power of Science Olympiad and inspired generations of youth to
pursue higher education in STEM.
