But despite Lucie and Xianlin’s overnight notoriety, their achievement was not an overnight success. In fact, their contribution to the field of cancer research was the result of two years of research with Duke University mentors at Duke’s breast cancer research laboratory. In the lab, the students examined healthy and cancerous genes using cell-by-cell sequencing. During the course of their research, Lucie and Xianlin discovered that indicators in one particular gene could serve as an early marker for identifying breast cancer. With further research, their discovery may very well lead to advances in the early treatment of breast cancer. “We know we’ve just taken a very little step [toward curing cancer] Xianlin said, “but every little step helps in this giant stride toward the cure.”

“These two young women were very composed and straightforward,” said Kathie Olsen, associate director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology, former chief scientist at NASA, and the Siemens Competition’s lead judge. “It was very clear they did much more than just carry out the experiment, but understood the intellectual components as well.”

Lucie’s motivation was derived not from the excitement of competition and the opportunity for scholarship money, but from stories about her grandfather, who died from lung cancer before she was born. “I was really frustrated by the doctors,” Lucie recalled of her feelings as she learned about her grandfather. “Why couldn’t they find the cancer early enough to save him? It was this frustration that fueled the wish to cure cancer.”

Xianlin expressed a similar sentiment. “Our research wasn’t started to win the Siemens prize. It was just based on an interest in cancer we had,” she said. “We certainly never expected to come this far.”

But go far they did. And because of that, future cancer survivors may one day be able to say the same thing.

Class of '85 Celebrates School History

Appearing as the official logo of The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, the Cupola atop Watts Hall is arguably the most recognized architectural feature on NCSSM’s campus. Having guarded Watts for over 100 years, the Cupola has seen generations of North Carolinians pass below, but only in the last quarter century has its vigil been devoted to North Carolina's brightest and most motivated students. It remains an architectural landmark of the School, but after enduring a hundred years of wind, rain, snow and sunlight, the Cupola has begun to show its age. Aside from an occasional coat of paint (the last in the mid-1980s), its upkeep has fallen by the wayside.

But now, thanks to the Class of 1985, the Cupola has been given new life. Using funds from the Class of ’85 reunion gift, the Cupola underwent a major renovation in late 2005, all in honor of Joe Liles, one of NCSSM’s most beloved and loyal teachers.

Work on the Cupola began in earnest in late November 2005 and continued through the beginning of January 2006. All of the original wood at the base of the Cupola had deteriorated considerably and was replaced, and the entire structure was scraped clean of old, flaking paint, and repainted in bright white. Though the renovations may sound basic, the project was quite complicated. Because the Cupola sits atop a severe slope, an elaborate scaffolding system was erected around the structure to allow workers to safely and efficiently move about the Cupola without damaging the delicate tile roof below. Especially challenging was the problem created by the presence of lead-based paint in the original, underlying coats of paint. Significant steps were taken to safely remove and dispose of the paint, including the construction of a plastic sheathing containment area around the Cupola. A contractor specializing in the removal of lead-based paints was called in to handle the paint removal, and an additional painting contractor was hired to handle the repainting. Fortunately, the patina-colored copper on the Cupola’s dome was still in good shape and was left as is.

Like the Cupola, Joe has been a steady presence at NCSSM throughout the School’s entire history. As one of the founding teachers, he has touched the lives and hearts of countless students as they have made their way through life at NCSSM. The School and, particularly, the Cupola have touched Joe as well. “I have always been attracted to that Cupola,” Joe says. “That Cupola, to me, is like a secular steeple. It symbolizes the human desire to reach out into the world for help from something greater than ourselves. It served as a symbol to [the employees and patients of Watts Hospital] in the daily work of mending and saving lives. It symbolizes our daily work of educating young people.”

A portion of the Class of 85’s reunion gift was also directed to NCSSM’s Unrestricted Endowment, an essential element in maintaining the overall health and vitality of the School. Still, the Cupola project was the closest to the collective hearts of the Class of ’85, and to the loved and respected teacher it honors.

“To me, that Cupola symbolizes the past, the present, and the future,” Joe says. NCSSM and the Class of ’85 look forward to it standing as such for generations of students to come.