McLean, Va. – Xuanye Zhang, a student at Holliston High School, is competing in the 2025 USA Biolympiad (USABO) National Finals at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from June 22 to July 4, 2025.
“CEE’s USA Biolympiad program encourages excellence in biology education and challenges students and their teachers to reach the gold standard in science,” said Joann DiGennaro, President of the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), which runs the USABO program.
Finalists participate for ten days in high-level biology instruction inclusive of laboratory training and conceptual understanding followed by two days of testing. Four students will earn the honor to represent the United States at the 36th International Biology Olympiad, a worldwide competition involving student teams from over eighty countries. It will be hosted July 20-27 in Quezon City, Philippines.
Xuanye has always been into biology, ever since he wondered how life came from rocks in Third Grade. He is particularly fascinated with molecular biology. When not contemplating the mysteries of life, Xuanye competes in Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), debate, and National History Day (NHD), and he enjoys chatting with friends, swimming, playing piano, taking in the morning dew, and arguing about sports teams with anyone who will listen. He is looking forward to meeting his fellow USABO Finalists and applying his biological knowledge to complex problems…like figuring out how to survive another New England winter.
“This is an incredible journey these students take, and it demonstrates the passion these students have for biological sciences,” said Kathy Frame, director of the USA Biolympiad. “For high school USABO Finalists to experience this level of excellence is an exceptional opportunity.”
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About the Center for Excellence in Education
CEE, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in 1983 by the late Admiral H.G. Rickover and Joann P. DiGennaro, President of the Center. The Center’s mission is to nurture high school and university scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and to encourage collaboration between and among scientific and technological leaders in the global community. CEE sponsors the Research Science Institute (RSI), USA Biolympiad (USABO), Teacher Enrichment Program (TEP), and STEM Lyceums. For more information, visit www.cee.org.
About the USA Biolympiad
CEE’s USA Biolympiad (USABO) is the nation’s most prestigious biology education and testing program for U.S. high school students. USABO’s mission concentrates on stimulating intellectual curiosity in young scholars and developing their critical thinking in laboratory skills and biological reasoning to propel them to careers of excellence and leadership in STEM. CEE provides resources for students to prepare for the exam and for exploring biological sciences. With school registration, teachers gain access to a wealth of online biology resources, including recommended readings, study guides, practice questions, guidelines, checklists, and previous exams to help them prepare students for study and testing. For more, visit https://www.cee.org/programs/usa-biolympiad.
