Three North Carolina students are regional finalists in a national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) competition.

Sabina Iftikhar and Yifei Wang of East Chapel Hill High School and Jenny Wang of the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham presented original research projects and competed last month at the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology Regional Finals at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

Students competed for prizes in two categories and were eligible to win $3,000 for an individual, $6,000 for a team, along with the chance to advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C., where $500,000 in scholarships will be awarded, including two top prizes of $100,000.

Past Siemens Competition winners have contributed to advances in drug therapies for cancer patients, used gaming technology for potential health applications, and solved seemingly incomprehensible mathematical problems.