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SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 2007--Ward Tomlinson and Madeleine Ball were awarded Best in Fair for their science and engineering projects during the 2007 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, held April 5-7 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. More than 1,300 students competed in the event, with 60 students receiving top honors during the competition.

Tomlinson's Best in Fair honor was given in the senior division and Ball received the award in the junior division.

The 21st annual state competition, presented by the Texas Science Careers Consortium and hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), recognized all students placing first, second, third or receiving an honorable mention in the fair's 19 competitive categories. In addition, more than $140,000 in scholarships were awarded to students from Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas Tech University, The University of Texas at Arlington, and UTSA.

The competition drew students from across Texas participating in two divisions -- junior division (grades 6-8) and senior division (grades 9-12). Grand prize winners in the senior division received all-expense paid trips allowing them to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), which will be held May 13-19, 2007 in Albuquerque, NM. The top 10 percent of competitors in the junior division were invited to apply for the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge in Washington, D.C. in October.

"We are proud to support a variety of outstanding math and science initiatives, such as the ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair, which help prepare our young people to take on the challenges of tomorrow," said Truman Bell, ExxonMobil's senior program officer for education and diversity.

"Each student who participated in this competition is truly a winner, and we salute them for their hard work and dedication. Whether they are advancing to a national competition or striving for a better understanding of the world around them, participation in scientific inquiry helps hone their skills in research, problem solving and critical thinking. These skills will serve them well in the future, as they continue their studies and prepare to enter the workforce."

For the seventh consecutive year, ExxonMobil served as the title sponsor of the event. The company's contribution included funds allocated for support of a diversity recruitment initiative, aimed at assisting certain qualified students with project and travel expenses that would otherwise deter them from the competition.

"On behalf of UTSA, I would like to congratulate all the winners of the 2007 ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair," said Dr. George Perry, Dean of the College of Sciences, UTSA. "We are honored to host such an outstanding competition, where students are provided with a forum to learn more about science and achieve their goals. I am amazed at the high-level thinking and creativity demonstrated by these students year after year, and we are grateful to ExxonMobil for their continued support."

The Texas Science Careers Consortium, which represents the science programs of public universities around the state, has been operating the state level science competition since 2001.

Students qualify for the state competition by placing first, second or third in a Science Service-sanctioned regional fair. Science Service is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages.

Students in both divisions also received special awards from sponsors such as the American Statistical Association, Intel, Showboard, Society of American Military Engineers, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and Yale Science and Engineering Association.

ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation and the Corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. In 2006, Exxon Mobil Corporation, its divisions and affiliates, and ExxonMobil Foundation provided $139 million in contributions worldwide, with $54 million dedicated to education. Additional information on ExxonMobil's community partnerships and contributions programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.

Additional information on the 2007 ExxonMobil Texas State Science and Engineering Fair is available at www.emtsef.org.

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Copyright Business Wire 2007

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil

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