Marylander of the Year 2012: Honorable mention

Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images for Smithsonian Mag

Just 15 years old, Jack Andraka, a freshman at North County High School in Glen Burnie, won the grand prize at the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his development of a new test for pancreatic cancer and other diseases. The test is a tremendous leap forward: It allows earlier detection than previous tests, is much more accurate, is much cheaper and requires nothing more than a test of blood or urine. The test identifies the presence of the biomarker mesothelin. It is 90 percent accurate, takes five minutes and costs 3 cents. The technique can also detect ovarian and lung cancer. We can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

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Barbara Haddock Taylor, Baltimore Sun

Dr. Eduardo D. Rodriguez led a team of 150 doctors, nurses and others at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center this year in the most extensive face transplant surgery ever performed in the world. The patient, Richard Lee Norris, received new skin and muscle and a new jaw, teeth and tongue to replace damage from an accidental gunshot wound he suffered 15 years ago. Mr. Norris had been living largely as a recluse since then, and the surgery gave him a new face and a new life. The techniques Dr. Rodriguez and his team pioneered will help others, as will their efforts to reduce the side effects of anti-rejection drugs transplant patients must take for the rest of their lives.

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The Sun narrowed down the contenders for Marylander of the Year to five finalists, but many more were deserving; here's a sampling.