03/28/2014 12:00:00 AM storyJustin Zhong, a second-year student in UNT's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, was named a semifinalist in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search. Zhong was chosen for his research project "Self-Cleaning Mechanism of Gecko Setae: Observation, Modeling and Implication in Biomimetic Design," on which he worked with his mentor, Zhenhai Xia, associate professor of engineering. They investigated the quick-release adhesion and self-cleaning mechanisms of gecko feet and hope to develop an adhesive with similar features for consumer use.