Alexander Plekhanov & Vladimir Mamchik
(PRESS RELEASE) PORTLAND, ORE – The Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program has announced the 2023 scholarship winners. Among the honorees are Vladimir Mamchik, 17, of Hillsboro, and Alexander Plekhanov, 17, of Portland. Only 21 students across the country are recognized as 2023 scholarship winners.
“I am extremely grateful to have been named a Davidson Fellow this year,” said Vladimir Mamchik. “It is an incredible honor to join such an inspiring group of young people, and I hope to use this opportunity to continue my research and advocate for the advancement of vision care.”
Color vision deficiency, commonly known as color blindness, affects over 400 million people worldwide. Motivated by his personal experience and the lack of effective correction methods, Mamchik developed a fundamentally new method of correction. Using an active filter to dynamically control the wavelength spectrum reaching the retinal photoreceptors, he achieved a significant increase in color contrast perception. His method represents a potential new clinical standard for color vision correction that could enhance the lives of those with color vision deficiency.
“For me, as a young scientist and inventor, this recognition affirms that my ideas and efforts have the potential to make a positive impact on society,” said Alexander Plekhanov. “The Davidson Institute has provided me with a platform to showcase my work and contribute to the scientific community. I hope that it will also connect me with like-minded individuals who share a commitment to innovation and discovery.”
Astigmatism affects the vision of approximately 30 percent of the global population. For his project, Plekhanov invented a diagnostic method, the Skew-Axis Cylinder Lens Optical System (SACLOS), to make astigmatism optometry quicker, more accurate, affordable, and user-friendly, potentially revolutionizing optometric practices and enhancing the quality of life for millions of people. His invention uses two independently rotating cylindrical lenses and a simple computer mouse, allowing patients to intuitively determine their required vision correction.
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“We are proud to announce this year’s class of Davidson Fellows Scholarship recipients who have completed significant projects with the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “The innovations and new thinking added by each class of Fellows serve as an inspiration for future scholars to apply novel technologies and groundbreaking ideas to solve the world’s most difficult problems.”
The 2023 Davidson Fellows will be honored during a reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and with a virtual project presentation ceremony in September 2023.
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offers $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships to students 18 or younger, who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship has provided more than $9.4 million in scholarship funds to 428 students since its inception in 2001, and has been named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report. It is a program of the Davidson Institute, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Reno, Nev. that supports profoundly gifted youth.
