Marshall Middle School
Marshall Middle School
Dan Williams, Coach
Coach Dan Williams is excited to be back for his seventh trip to the National Science Bowl! In addition to coaching Sci-Bowl, Coach Williams also coaches cross country, National Academic League, Mock Trial, and speech and debate. (Pretty much the nerd quintathlon). Additionally he runs the school Spelling and Geography Bees as well as the Calcu-Solve Competition. Outside of school Coach Williams enjoys spending time with his wife Erin and their two dogs, Gracie and Murray as well as movies, hiking, and following the Pittsburgh Penguins to a degree that is probably not good for his health. During his lifetime Coach Williams has also been struck by lightning and been bitten by a lion.
Aaron Liu
Aaron Liu has a passion for math and science. He likes to learn and read books.
Kavin Puri
Kavin Puri is a seventh-grader who attends Marshall Middle School. One of his main interests includes science, namely biology, paleontology, and earth science. He is also interested in robotics, competing in an international competition in Arkansas, in a program called First Lego League. He also enjoys writing stories and drawing. With an interest in math, he has competed in MATHCOUNTS, participated in the American Mathematics Competition Level eight and ten and skipped three grades of math. This is Kavin’s second year in the National Science Bowl. He got third in the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair and qualified for Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science. Last year in the Math Kangaroo competition, he received the second place award in the state round. He also qualified for the state round in the National Geography Bee. A while back, he got a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. His hobbies include drawing, swimming, reading, writing, biking, playing chess, and playing the piano.
Audrey Zheng
Audrey Zheng is an eighth-grade student who’s favorite subjects are English and chemistry. In her free time, Audrey likes to read, play tennis, and dance. Besides participating in the Science Bowl team, she also partakes in MATHCOUNTS, science fairs, and speech and debate. After college, Audrey hopes to get a job in the medical field.
Samuel Xiao
Samuel Xiao is currently an eighth-grader at Marshall Middle School, and this is his second year participating in Science Bowl. He has a deep interest in math and chemistry, and also participates in math tournaments throughout the year. His favorite subject is math. Samuel plays violin in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, and is also passionate about music. He hopes to pursue a career in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
Sameer Gosalia
Sameer Gosalia is currently in the eighth grade at Marshall Middle School, and this is his second year participating in the National Science Bowl. He finds the fields of math and astronomy fascinating, but he also has a strong passion for engineering. Through a program called FIRST Robotics, he has served as the primary designer for his robotics team for five years. He has also learned how to and now enjoys teaching others about the field of robotics. On the athletic side of things, Sameer plays tennis both for fun and competitively. In the future, he hopes to pursue higher education to later join the growing field of aerospace engineering. But for now, he will be in his basement figuring out how to fix his dang 3D printer.
