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science research

Strong Showing at Upstate Science Competition for Byram Hills Teens

April 12, 2019 by The Inside Press

L-R: Emma Lucchino, Joshua Freedman, Renner Kwittken

Byram Hills High School’s Joshua Freedman won the top prize and a $2,000 scholarship and Renner Kwittken finished fourth at the Upstate New York Junior Science and Humanities Symposium last month.

The strong finish allows both seniors in the high school’s three-year Authentic Science Research Program to advance to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico in late April.

At the regional competition held on March 27 and 28 at the University at Albany, Joshua and Renner were among the six finalists who competed by giving 12-minute presentations on their research. Joshua competed in the biomedical science category; Renner’s work was in the biochemistry category.

“I am very proud of them both,” said Stephanie Greenwald, Director of the Byram Hills Authentic Science Research Program. “They worked extremely hard at articulating complex scientific research so the public can understand the work they’re passionate about. It’s always nice to see more students in the science research program being recognized for their outstanding work.”

Joshua’s research focused on targeting nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and treatment. His project involved creating a novel targeted anti-cancer nanoparticle that binds to a receptor only expressed in cancer. He found that his nanoparticle specifically bound to cancer cells in vitro. In the future, this could allow doctors to create sharper and more accurate images of tumors.

Renner’s work also involved nanoparticles. The goal of his research was to enhance the delivery of nanoparticles, small medicines that are less than the width of a strand of hair. He synthesized three novel nanoparticles and improved their delivery using a standard FDA-approved chemotherapy drug, cyclophosphamide. His results were found in mice models and could potentially work in clinical trials, moving nanoparticles into the forefront of anti-cancer therapy.

In New Mexico, Joshua will compete with an oral presentation. Renner will be a poster presenter.

Also in Albany, Byram Hills senior Emma Lucchino won third place as a poster presenter. She analyzed the relationship between the bacteria living in our gut and in our immune system.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Authentic Science Research Program, awards, Byram Hills High School, New York Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Science, science research, Winning

Byram Hills Senior Discovers Planet 119 Light-Years Away

March 6, 2016 by The Inside Press

Byram Hills student Dominick Rowan was a nalist in the 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, presenting his research to a panel in Washington, D.C.
Byram Hills student Dominick Rowan was a nalist in the 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, presenting his research to a panel in Washington, D.C.

By Brian Donnelly

Are we alone in the universe?

It’s a profound question that has inspired countless science fiction thrillers, star gazers and, of course, 17-year-old Dominick Rowan to discover a planet 119 light-years away. “Exoplanet detection is kind of on the forefront of astronomy research,” he said, explaining that an exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star other than the sun.

Yes, this Byram Hills High School senior and Authentic Science Research Program standout is on the forefront of the forefront; a place that, unlike space, is particularly finite. “It’s kind of a little outside my grasp sometimes to think that, ‘Wow, there’s astrophysicists all over the world looking for planets and I just happened to find one,'” he said, his self-assured tone contradicting his overall youthful sentiment. “In that sense it was a happy accident.”

Intellectual Integrity Wins

Accident or not, it’s impressive. Just ask his teachers. “He’s confirmed my belief that age is not a limitation in accomplishment and that hard work and intellectual integrity win out over almost everything,” said David Keith, director of Byram Hills High School’s Authentic Science Research Program. “Here’s a kid who for all intents and purposes shouldn’t be able to do this level of work at his age, and he did; and he does.”

The program is a three-year science elective course in which students pick a topic, identify and work with a mentor in a related field and produce an original piece of research. The model has caught on in high schools across the country in the last decade, but Byram Hills High School was way out in front, launching its program in 1989.

“This is one of the very first organized science research programs,” Keith touted, “and after it became accredited by the State University of New York well over 100 districts adopted this curriculum. So, while everybody adds their own flavor and changes it to suite their district’s needs, a lot of the schools started it based on the idea put forth by Dr. [Robert] Pavlica. it was an ingenious concept.”

Pavlica founded the program with just one student and used the methods he learned as a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry at St. John’s University to structure the program, according to a 2001 New York Times article. In its 27-year history the program has produced 96 semifinalists and 18 finalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. That includes five semi-finalists this year: Sela Berenblum, Kevin Chang, Lyndsay Siegle, Sarah Tang and, of course, Rowan. He was also a finalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology in late 2015 and presented his research to a panel in Washington D.C. Both competitions offer scholarship money to finalists.

Keith became director of the program, named for its founder, in 2005. Since then, the program has doubled in size with 100 students participating this year. “One of the goals of this kind of program is that, if you’re successful, by the end you’re teaching your teachers,” he said. “That’s a very compelling idea for a student… How wonderful is it to be 17 years old and be able to say, ‘I know more than my teachers about this subject and maybe for a brief moment I was the only person in the world who knew something; who had discovered something.”

When students enter high school they can apply for the program, a process that differs by school district. “We actually have been somewhat unique in that we never consider a student’s grade performance as a final indicator as to whether they qualify or not,” said Keith, who is certified to teach physics and earth science. “It’s really up to the student to engage their own passion in science.” He continued, “For Dominick he came in already having a very strong passion for astronomy. He knew that he loved the physical sciences so he was an easy student to facilitate.”

In his sophomore year while searching through some suggested topics, Rowan came across articles on exoplanet research. “It wasn’t really a lot of work,” he said. “It was more of exploring an interest.” The more he dug up on the topic the more sophisticated his project became. “I wanted to look at planets’ habitability to see if planets would be suitable for life as it is on ours,” he said.

To do that he used statistical analysis to identify planets similar to Jupiter in other solar systems. In the formation of this solar system Jupiter’s migration towards the sun and then back out into its position presently served as a vacuum cleaner and got rid of a lot of debris that could’ve impacted and destroyed the earth, Keith said. Rowan added that discovering how common that is in other solar systems can help determine how common earth-like planets would be and, therefore, how common life is.

One day he noticed a Jupiter-like planet that hadn’t been referenced previously. “The numbers weren’t lying to me,” he recalled. The planet hunter brought the discovery to his mentor, who confirmed it.

“I love the fact that this lucky accident happened to him,” Rowan’s biology teacher, Stephanie Greenwald, said of his discovery. “He is such a humble, endearing young man and was genuinely excited every step of the way.”

For his contribution, Rowan’s mentor, Dr. Stefano Meschiari, made him lead author on the research paper, which was published in late January in The Astrophysical Journal.

“To me it’s not about the age, it’s about the research,” he said, expressing a hope that their research will help further research on the commonality of other solar systems. “Because I think that anyone in my position, anyone who has access to the science research program could have utilized their tools in the same way I could have. And a bunch of students are with other projects.”

In addition to the other four Intel semi-finalists, seniors Brian Singer and Ryan Infante are two more examples of that success. They are two of the four finalists in the country for the American Academy of Neurology Neuroscience Research Prize.

Byram Hills seniors (left to right) Dominick Rowan, Lyndsay Sie- gle, Sarah Tang, Sela Berenblum and Kevin Chang, were named Intel Search seminalists.
Byram Hills seniors (left to right) Dominick Rowan, Lyndsay Sie- gle, Sarah Tang, Sela Berenblum and Kevin Chang, were named Intel Search seminalists.

“I think the spreading of science research as a curriculum like this to as many schools as possible, even though it may reduce the number of awards that we can get as one school, it’s just so right.” As for the Haverford College-bound Rowan, Keith said he is an “example of things going right in public education, and parenting.” While his planet has been labeled HD32963b–not his first choice–his father, Mike Rowan, seems to think he’ll get another crack at it someday.

“It looks like he’s found something that he’s really interested in and will put all his energy into it,” he said, supporting his son’s aspirations to become an astrophysicist. “And I’m sure he’ll make something out of it and in the end maybe he devotes his time to research and pursuing this and we find another solar system to live in.”

Brian Donnelly is a freelance reporter and public relations specialist. Born in Mamaroneck, he has lived in White Plains and Cortlandt Manor.

 

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Armonk, Byram Hills High School, exploration, Inside Press, planet, science research, space, theinsidepress.com

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