Written by AMA staff (06/1996); Transcribed by JS (06/2008), Reformatted by JS (01/2010)

Mac Schwager of Seal Beach, California, is attending Stanford University, where he is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He was given an award of $3,000.

Mac’s modeling experience has been an important part of his education. Incorporating model gliders in his high-school projects, he performed tests involving such things as dihedral angles and spiral stability. Most of his modeling experience has centered around Sailplanes and Free Flight models – even his pleasure modeling includes experimentation.

Many of Mac’s activities center on his scientific interests. He received the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Service Award; it was accompanied by a scholarship to the University of Rochester. The offer from Stanford, however, proved to be the one that was accepted. Mac has been a Tandy Scholarship Nominee, National Science Scholar Program Finalist, and has achieved a host of honors associated with science fairs.

In athletics, Mac was a four-year varsity letterman, competing in a variety of swimming events. He marked record performance for his school in the freestyle, butterfly, and medley events. He also has participated in the International Karate Championships.

Mac is a self-taught guitar player – an activity he now teaches to others. He participates in a variety of activities through Key Club; these include tutoring in physics and working as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. In June of 1994, he performed 120 hours of work under the mentorship of a professor at the University of California. The work involved nonlinear dynamics, or chaos theory.

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