The Home of Midwood Science Research

2022 Midwood Science Fair Awards

Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023 by for Awards, Science Fair.

1st Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Ahlam Judeh
The Impact of Light on Daphnia Heart Rate
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Dana Flores-Zeledon & Weiyee Mock
The effect of calcium citrate, potassium citrate and zinc citrate on the heart rate of Daphnia magna

2nd Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Wan Wu
Feedback Style on Memory Retention
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Joey Chen
Effect of electricity on the pH of various aqueous solutions
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Sara Grezda & Shaymaa Elrashidi
Effect of Cleaning Method on Bacterial Growth of Grapes

3rd Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Ravital Reingold
Print vs. Pixels
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Daisy Meza Veliz & Jenny Chen
The Impact of pH on the Enzymatic Browning Process of Apples
 

Honorable Mention

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Raine Kong
Thawing Techniques on Bacteria Colony Count in Chicken Breast
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Leah Josephson
Career Time vs. School Time
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Cholco Chan & Whaley Lin
Bot or Not: Unveiling AI's Mirror to Human Traits
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Yahya Hussain
Night Glow Clarity
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Afzal Akhtar & Christian Gabelman
From Pollution to Purification: Investigating Excess Phosphorus Remediation Strategies
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Kaiyue Yuan
Memories Over Time
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Tomiriz Abdulkhamidova & Jene Chen
Kool-er Way to Dye Fabric
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Sylvia Zheng
Aging Yogurt
 

Bonus photo

Group photo of all the winners holding their trophies
Congrats to all the winners!

Kukic and Sklyar Graduate as Top Two Seniors

Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 by for Awards, Media, Miscellaneous.

Two students standing in the hallway
Valedictorian Altin Kukic (right) and salutatorian Aleena Sklyar (left) appear poised for great things. Photo: Caroline Pychynski

High School – full of tests, quizzes, friendships, and stress – is coming to an end for the class of 2023. Amongst the students who have left their mark on Midwood are valedictorian Altin Kukic and salutatorian Aleena Sklyar.

After surviving the hardships of high school, Kukic finished with a GPA of 103.49, while Sklyar finished with a GPA of 102.7.

Kukic was accepted to Harvard University on a full scholarship as well as to the Macaulay Honors College to obtain an undergraduate degree in chemistry education. He plans to eventually get a master's degree at Columbia Teachers College and return to Midwood to become a chemistry teacher.

"I fell in love with chemistry on the first day of ninth grade because of Mr. [Vincent] Adams," he said. "The class upheld my motto of applying knowledge to various questions rather than memorizing concepts." Kukic went on to take AP Chemistry as a sophomore.

Although the work was really hard, his family was always by his side. "My mother and sister, who I think of as 'comfort,' would always buy me a Red Bull before each exam," he said.

Kukic has been a chemistry tutor at Midwood since his freshman year and joined the science research team in tenth grade, working on cervical cancer research with professors at CUNY and St. Francis. A busy guy, he's also the office secretary at a doctor's office on the Upper East Side, an election chairperson at the Board of Elections, and the superintendent of his building. Still, he somehow has time for hobbies.

"I enjoy planespotting and walking by the Caesar's Bay waterfront with my sister, usually sipping on Starbucks," Kukic said. "I'm also a creator of an AP Calculus prep book, and I played badminton for twelve years."

Kukic has an interesting test prep strategy that other Hornets might want to give a try. "My favorite memory at Midwood was going to the library before I had exams and giving lectures to myself, especially about AP U.S. History, while everyone, including the librarians, would listen," he said.

Ms. Cecelia Manno, Kukic's AP U.S. History teacher, will remember him as a very eager and hardworking student.

"Altin is the most diligent student, avid reader, and real critical thinker I have ever met," said Ms. Manno. "He is always looking to learn, and I felt that a lot of the time, I was talking to an adult. He has a lot of potential, and he's a kind-hearted person with an old soul."

"I hope that when I come back in six years, I'll see that same Midwood buzz, and most importantly, still see Ms. Manno in room 2S," said Kukic.

Sklyar, the school's salutatrian, took 10 AP's during her academic journey. "It was nice to know after all the AP classes I took, something came out of it," she said.

The accomplishments took dedication and sacrifice.

"To get a high average, you have to take a lot of classes," said Sklyar. "During my junior year, I took four AP classes, including AP Chemistry, which definitely hit me. But even though all those AP tests were hard, I studied a lot for each of the exams and it paid off."

One of Sklyar's most rewarding classes was science research, she said, where she worked with her partner to study neuroscience.

She is continuing her education at Tufts University, where she will be majoring in biochemistry.

"I really like chemistry, which is why I took AP Chem," said Sklyar. "In the future I want to major in pharmacology, which is the study of drugs and medicine, and biochemistry is the first step in understanding how substances react with the body. So I would major in biochemistry first, then go to graduate school for pharmacology."

The support she got from her teachers had a big impact, she said. "All my teachers helped me a lot," said Sklyar. "They were always willing to work with me."

Sklyar, who also enjoys dancing and reading, was described by her friends as "honest" and "optimistic."

"Aleena is one of the most hardworking and motivated people I know," said senior Zita Zhong. "Even during times when she's not feeling well, she still manages to get her work done without any hesitation. I would say that, as a student, she's super diligent, disciplined, and responsible. And as a friend, she's always willing to help out others when they are in need and will give 100% of her support to them."

So keep your eyes open as these two seem poised for great things, in science and perhaps even back in Midwood's halls.

Written by Caroline Pychynski and Charlotte Lee (Class of 2024)
This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of Argus.

Senior Researchers Grab JSHS and Terra NYC Honors

Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2023 by for Awards, JSHS, Media, Terra NYC.


Lucas Paschke and Mykhaelia Clarke pose with Mr. Elert and Ms. Goldstein at the Terra NYC STEM Fair. Photo: Midwood Science

Three Midwood seniors — Lucas Paschke, Mykhaelia Clarke, and Kaitlynn Mau — presented their research projects in the semifinal round of the NYC Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) at York College on February 12, the first in-person event since the pandemic. Paschke and Clarke also received third-place awards for their work in the Terra NYC STEM Fair on March 26.

The NYC Metro JSHS is a regional science research competition funded by the Department of Defense. Of the 300 applicants, 100 are selected as semi-finalists. The Terra NYC STEM Fair is hosted by the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, a non-profit organization in Syracuse, New York.

"[The competitions] taught me a lot," said Paschke, "like how to actually research in the field with another expert, coming into a situation where you don't know the most, and making your own conclusions instead of reading it from someone else. It was very fulfilling."

Paschke researched "multivariable analysis on stock price and trade volume trends in the post-Covid-19 stock market shutdown era." His project was a remote study to find trends between the pandemic's aftermath and its impacts on U.S. stock prices.

He created a code to collect data and organize multiple conclusions. Paschke worked with Professor Allison Bishop and said he wants to "follow in her footsteps."

Paschke concluded that the pandemic had a large impact on the stock market and that "the change in volume [how much a stock was being traded] influenced prices the most, so people were selling off their stocks at a large rate, which crashed the prices."

Clarke's project was titled "Exploring the Feasibility of a Fluorescence Imaging-Based Brain-Machine Interface (BMI)." Her project consisted of trying out different BMI, which are categorized two ways: the first are implantables (devices that touch the brain),which have a higher performance, and the others are non-invasive (not touching the brain), which don't cause tissue damage or raise concerns for biocompatibility (being compatible with living tissue).

"If you are going to choose one then you'd have to sacrifice performance or safety in the process," Clarke explained. She also tried another technique, called optical imaging, which combines the benefits of both implantable and non-invasive BMIs.

Clarke, who also worked with Professor Bishop, started her project in March 2022 and finished it in November. Throughout her research, she has concluded that functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging has proven feasible.

Due to a lack of funds, Clarke used LEDs instead of a full-time microscope, limiting her imaging to only the top layer of the brain. If she could use multiphoton microscopy, she could penetrate to the neocortex, the part of the brain that is responsible for sensation, language, and movement.

"The brain has so many unanswered questions," she said. "Our consciousness doesn't play as much of a role that we thought it does." In the future, Clarke said she would like to participate in neurosurgery and neuroscience research for clinical trials.

Mau was a semifinalist in the JSHS. Having growth up with a family garden, she decided to research the "impact of Lactobacillus casei on corn, pea, and radish plants in sterilized and non-sterilized soil." Her project involved testing the credibility of claims surrounding this type of bacteria, which was said to enhance plant growth.

"There was just some random guy on the internet saying that his thing is going to help your plants grow," she said. "I was skeptical of it."

Mau experimented with four soil treatments and concluded that adding the bacteria made almost no difference. Mau worked on her experiment for almost the whole month of May, starting during AP season, coming in nearly every day to measure her plants' growth.

"I felt so nervous [about the competition]," Mau said. "There were only like three Midwood students that got in. I got into my room and we presented in front of the judges, and there were ten people from Bronx Science and I was the only Midwood person."

Becoming a semifinalist was a pleasant surprise. "I felt like, wow, I feel so accomplished! I did this," she said.

Her work has played a major role in her career plans."I found an interest in lab research and hands-on experiences," Mau said. "In the future, I know I want to be in the lab. That helped me decide my college and which program at a specific college is going to help me."

The research track is provided to rising tenth-grade students. It's a three-year-long course in which research is incorporated into a student's class schedule. The research class has helped these three Hornets embrace their interests without having to find an internship or wait until college to start exploring.

Mr. Glenn Elert, the science research coordinator, said, "If you want to do something where you get a hands-on, minds-on kind of activity that's going to take some time, you should join research."

"You get to do something you're passionate about," said Ms. Stacy Goldstein, a research and chemistry teacher. "Not what someone tells you to do, but something that you're interested in. You get to spend time on something that is directed by your own creativity."

Written by Emely Rivas and Vienna Chen (Class of 2024)
This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of Argus.

NYIT Grant Recipients to Study Illusions and Brain Activity

Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 by for Awards, Media, Miscellaneous.


Juniors Hailey Lau, Ashley Castillo-Mendez, and Batool Kamal analyze brainwaves using an EEG headband. Photo: Susan Louey

Midwood's young scientists brought home not one, but two New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) mini-research grants this year. The two teams of juniors were awarded $300 each to offset the costs of materials needed to pursue their experiments.

Juniors in the science research class submitted proposals to Mr. Glenn Elert to be considered for the application process. They then had to modify their proposals to fit with the guidelines of the grant.

As they worked on their proposals, Mr. Elert and Ms. Stacy Goldstein helped review their applications before they submitted them to a panel of professors from NYIT.

"The funding is meant for students who don't have access to the money to do their project," Ms. Goldstein said. "You have to be very clear on what your project is about and the materials you need."

Mr. Elert stressed the importance of intrinsic motivation. "You have to be someone who wants to sit down and do something that's going to take you a whole year to do," he said.

The grantees this year are pursuing research experiments on illusions and hyper scanning.

Juniors Diana Chen Feng and Jennifer Fan are studying the rubber hand illusion, which is focused on perceptual changes caused by thermal stimulation. In a larger context, they hope that their results will confirm previous studies on the effectiveness of constraint-induced therapy for paresis, which is partial paralysis caused by nerve damage or disease.

"Our mentor, Dr. Shimon Edelman from Cornell University, helped guide us through our project by explaining any details that we did not understand in the research paper," Fan said. "We would set up Zoom meetings once a month to catch him up on how we were doing in our experiment and ask him questions about the procedure."

Using the grant, the duo has purchased facial massager hammers and rubber hands to replicate the rubber hand illusion on a smaller scale.

"When I found out we were one of the recipients of the grant, I was ecstatic and shocked," Feng said.

Feng and Fan sought out ways to repeat the original experiment with more affordable technology.

"We were originally going to buy a TSD191 Thermode and a thermal stimulator from Biopac Systems," Feng said. "However, it was way over our budget. That's why we decided to purchase facial massagers instead."


The grantees received $300 checks from the New York Institute of Technology to go towards their research projects.

The second team of grantees received the award for their study on the effect of friendship and emotional synchrony on brain waves. Juniors Hailey Lau, Ashley Castillo-Mendez, and Batool Kamal plan to use EEG devices, which measure electrical activity, in order to evaluate how synchronized the brains of two close friends are.

The goal of their project is to explain why different people become friends and to investigate the emotional correspondence in friendship.

"The hardest part [of the application] was writing the general abstract of our research," Kamal said. "We needed to make it convincing."

Similar to the other grantees, this trio also worked with a mentor who guided them through picking out the right materials and analyzing the data. Their mentor, Dr. Richard Angle from Columbia University, also helped them manage their time and select their pool of students, Castillo-Mendez said.

With the grant, the group was able to purchase a BrainBit EEG headband that allows them to visualize the frequencies of brain waves in reaction to different stimuli such as emotionally provocative videos.

"When I first found out [about the grant], I was pretty exhilarated," Kamal said. "My group and I were stressed at the time over how to fund the EEG and the software, so winning the grant took a lot of weight off our shoulders."

Since mid-April, the team has been searching for pairs of friends to participate in their research study; the amount of students signing up has increased by the day. Students are still welcome to sign up or catch them in action in room A215 during period nine.

These future scientists will continue their experiments throughout the next few months and eventually submit data to various fairs and competitions in hopes of contributing ground-breaking research to advance the field of science worldwide.

Written by Jinyu Xu and Xue Feng Zou (Class of 2024)
This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of Argus.

Mykhaelia C. and Lucas P. win at 2023 Terra NYC STEM Fair

Posted on Friday, March 31, 2023 by for Awards, Terra NYC.

The Terra New York City STEM Fair held their finals round at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering this past Sunday, May 26, 2023. This year's fair had 436 applicants from all 5 boroughs. Of the 36 Midwood Science seniors who entered, 2 received extra special recognition.

Mykhaelia C. won Third Place in Neuroscience and received the Brilliant.org Award for her project "Exploring the Feasibility of a Fluorescence Imaging-Based Brain-Machine Interface". Mykhaelia worked worked under the supervision of Dr. Ben Scott at Boston University.

Lucas P. won Third Place in Mathematical Sciences and received the Yale Science and Engineering Association Award for his project "Multivariable analysis on stock price and trade volume trends in the post-COVID-19 stock market shutdown era". Lucas worked under the supervision of Dr. Allison Bishop at Proof Trading, Inc.

Students standing in front of the Terra Science and Education press wall Students and teachers standing in front of the Terra Science and Education press wall

Terra Science and Education is a non-profit organization headquartered in Syracuse, New York that sponsors several regional science and engineering fairs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Terra NYC logo

Junior proposals receive $600 in grants from NYIT

Posted on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 by for Awards.

The Mini-Research Grant Award (MRGA) is an initiative of the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) that rewards high school students for scientific research projects that are still in the proposal stage. This year two teams of Midwood Science juniors were selected by NYIT to receive grants totaling $600.

The duo of Diana C.F. and Jennifer F. were awarded $300 for their proposal, "The Effect of Thermal Stimulation on Body Ownership". They will be performing an updated version of the rubber hand illusion — an experiment to understand the body's sense of self.

The trio of Hailey L., Ashley C.M., and Batool K. were awarded $300 for their proposal, "Emotional Synchrony within Friendship". They plan on using EEG devices and a novel technique called hyperscanning to record the activity of multiple brains simultaneously.

Group photo holding checks
Left to Right: Mr. Glenn Elert (coordinator), Diana C.F., Jennifer F., Ashley C.M., Batool K., Hailey L., Ms. Stacy Goldstein (teacher), Dr. Robert Quinlan (principal)

NYIT logo

3 semifinalists at the NYC Metro JSHS, 2nd IRL event of 2023

Posted on Monday, February 27, 2023 by for Awards, JSHS.

On Sunday, February 12, 2023 three Midwood Science seniors presented their work at the semifinals round of the New York City Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS). Semifinalists at JSHS are recognized for being among the top 100 science research projects in the five boroughs. This regional event has been hosted at York College in Queens on the second Sunday of February since 2009. 2023 marks its post-pandemic return to an in-real-life competition.

  • Mykhaelia C.
    Category: Life and Behavioral Science
    Project: Exploring the Feasibility of a Fluorescence Imaging-Based Brain-Machine Interface
    Mentor: Dr. Ben Scott at Boston University
  • Lucas P.
    Category: Mathematics and Computer Science
    Project: Multivariable analysis on stock price and trade volume trends in the post-COVID-19 stock market shutdown era
    Mentor: Dr. Allison Bishop at Proof Trading, Inc.
  • Kaitlynn M.
    Category: Environmental Science
    Project: Impact of Lactobacillus casei on corn, pea, and radish plants in sterilized and non-sterilized soil
Student standing next to a York College welcome sign
Kaitlynn M.
Student standing next to a York College welcome sign
Mykhaelia C.
Student standing next to a York College welcome sign
Lucas P.

JSHS is a nationwide program sponsored by the US Department of Defense that encourages high school students to conduct original research in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and publicly recognizes them for outstanding achievement. By connecting talented students, their teachers, and research professionals at affiliated symposia and by rewarding research excellence, JSHS aims to widen the pool of trained talent prepared to conduct research and development vital to our nation.

York College logo JSHS logo

Midwood Science returns to St. Joseph’s University

Posted on Monday, February 6, 2023 by for Awards, St. Joseph's.

St. Joseph's College coat of arms

After a three year hiatus, Midwood Science has finally returned to in-real-life competitions. On Saturday, February 4, 2023 Saint Joseph's University hosted its 25th Annual Research Poster Session for High School Students at their 107 year old campus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Midwood sent 20 seniors with projects in animal science, medicine, public health, psychology, social science, microbiology, neuroscience, engineering, and astronomy. 3 projects received honorable mention.

Honorable mention

  • Anne B.
    Category: Medicine & Health
    Project: The Association of Dietary Whole Grains with Coronary Heart Disease
    Mentors: Drs. Shilpa N. Bhupathiraju, Danielle Haslam, and Caleigh Sawicki at Harvard University
  • Samia F. and Shefa S.
    Category: Medicine & Health
    Project: The Effect of Covid 19 PPE Masks on Acne Vulgaris and Atopic Dermatitis
    Mentors: Drs. Jared Jagdeo, Isabella Dana, and Jennifer Wang at the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
  • Edward C.
    Category: Animal Science
    Project: Patterns in Monk Parakeet Nest Construction
    Mentor: Dr. Frank W. Grasso at Brooklyn College

Student standing beside their poster Student standing beside their poster Student standing beside their poster
Group photo on stage

2022 Midwood Science Fair Awards

Posted on Monday, June 13, 2022 by for Awards, Science Fair.

1st Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Anna Bukhman
pH Impact on Algae Growth
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Adrian Perez & Fiona Zhao
How different acne medications affect the development of E. coli bacteria

2nd Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Cindy Li
The Science Behind The Perfect Cookie
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Hamood Khan
One in a melon: the effect of fertilizers on the height of watermelon plants
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Victoria Ronan & Lucy Guo
Germ-Proof!

3rd Place

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Xinwei Chen
Effects of pH on Bacterial Degradation
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Emely Rivas & Katelyn Martinez
The Biofuel in Bio-you
 

Honorable Mention

Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Rebecca Yakobovich & Eman Shabbir
Conformity Trends in High School
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Jinyu Xu
Soil Moisture Content vs. Volt Resistors (Prototype)
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Batool Kamal
Rethink What You Drink
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Eda Maqellara & Elana Chen
No Bacteria Please!
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Diana Chen Feng & Jennifer Fan
Disinfectants vs. Bacteria
Traditional photo of the award winner holding their trophy standing in front of their poster board
Hailey Lau & Ashley Castillo Mendez
Bacteria: #1 Public Enemy to Masks

Bonus photo

Group photo of all the winners holding their trophies
Congrats to all the winners!

Daelah Nicholas and Bintia Keita win Gold at 2022 NYC ACT-SO; Both headed to national competition in July

Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2022 by for ACT-SO, Awards.

Midwood Science seniors Daelah Nicholas and Bintia Keita received Gold Medals at this year's New York City Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) — Daelah in Medicine and Health and Bintia in Engineering. Both students are headed to Atlantic City in July where they will present their research projects at the NAACP National Convention.

Award winners and teacher standing in front of artwork in the annex hallway
Daelah Nicholas, Mr. Elert, Bintia Keita

Poster Poster
Daelah Nicholas. Category: Medicine and Health. Project: Infant temperament: Exploring the potential role of maternal dietary choline and folate consumption during pregnancy in a Michigan pregnancy cohort. Mentor: Dr. Jean M. Kerver, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University Bintia Keita. Category: Engineering. Project: "Emo's" potential application for children with autism. Mentors: Dr. Kathleen McDermott and Dr. Scott Fitzgerald, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University

Michelle Yang and Zitong Liu win 2 awards at 2022 Terra NYC finals

Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 by for Awards, Terra NYC.

Congratulations go out to the team of Zitong Liu and Michelle Yang. Their project, "Veganism Saves the World: Plant-Based Meat Alternatives," won Honors at the 2022 Terra NYC STEM Fair, making them one of the top high school science research projects in New York City. They also won the NOAA Award for "fine work about science, service, and stewardship in the study of climate, weather, oceans, and coasts."

Michelle Yang and Zitong Liu advance to Terra NYC finals

Posted on Friday, March 18, 2022 by for Awards, Terra NYC.

Congratulations go out to Michelle Yang and Zitong Liu as their project "Veganism saves the world: Plant-based meat alternatives" joins the city's top 100 science projects at the Terra NYC STEM Fair.

Michelle and Zitong have been working to recreate and improve on plant-based meat recipes. They prepared multiple test batches, cooked them, and had volunteers taste test them. They then took their project to the next level and applied the environmental impact assessment done by the Impossible corporation to the different recipes. They computed things such as water consumption, atmospheric carbon release, and nitrogen eutrophication potential. They did this all without the help of a professional food scientist, and were funded in part by a grant from the New York Institute of Technology.

Unfortunately the finals will be held virtually again — Saturday and Sunday, March 26 and 27. When the event was held in real life, students would present at the American Museum of Natural History. The photos below show Michelle and Zitong on a field trip for Sophomore Science Research. We couldn't go the the museum this year, so we went two years ago.

Selfie of the practice session
Michelle and Zitong (center) practicing their Terra NYC presentation with "judges" Mr. Elert (far left), Katherine Zhong (left), and Midwood Mayor Nafisa Haque (right).

6 semifinalists at 2022 Metro NYC JSHS, Bintia Keita going to National JSHS in April

Posted on Thursday, March 3, 2022 by for Awards, JSHS.

On Sunday, February 6, 2022 York College hosted the latest (virtual) installment of the NYC Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS). JSHS is a nationwide collection of 48 regional competitions sponsored by the US Department of Defense whose aims are to promote original STEM research at the high school level and to publicly recognize students for outstanding achievement.

Six projects by Midwood students made it to the semifinals round this year. Bintia Keita won First Place in Engineering and impressed the judges so much that she is one of five students representing New York City at the 60th National JSHS In Albuquerque, New Mexico in April.

National JSHS delegate

  • Bintia Keita
    Category: Engineering
    Project: "Emo's" potential application for children with autism
    Mentors: Dr. Kathleen McDermott and Dr. Scott Fitzgerald in the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University

NYC Metro JSHS semifinalists

  • Enaya Ahmad
    Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences
    Project: The presence of the other race effect in teenagers
    Mentor: Dr. Grit Herzmann in the Department of Psychology at The College of Wooster
  • Muhammad Sharjeel
    Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences
    Project: Association between extroversion and homework behavior among NYC high school students
    Mentor: Dr. Jason Young in the Department of Psychology at Hunter College
  • Samarpreet Singh
    Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences
    Project: Social media usage and the degree of optimistic bias in adolescents
    Mentor: Dr. Steven Anolik in the Department of Psychology at St Francis College
  • Benny Dong & Jason Wu & Lian Hao Zheng
    Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences
    Project: How does gratitude affect one's quality of sleep and level of depression?
    Mentor: Dr. Steven Anolik in the Department of Psychology at St Francis College
  • Michelle Yang & Zitong Liu
    Category: Environmental Sciences
    Project: Veganism saves the world: Plant-based meat alternatives

Group photo on the Midwood bridge over Bedford Avenue

Bintia Keita receives NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

Posted on Monday, February 14, 2022 by for Awards.

Midwood Science senior Bintia Keita was one of 40 winners nationwide to receive the 2022 Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT). Since there were over 3,500 applicants, Bintia is almost literally a one-in-a-hundred student (one in 87.5 for the statistically pedantic out there).

The NCWIT AiC honors 9th–12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Bintia’s project is a robot named "Emo" who can be used to teach children with autism about emotions. She built and programmed Emo herself at home using parts partially paid for by a grant from the New York Institute of Technology and parts 3D printed at Midwood.

Bintia Keita Emo
NCWIT logo AIC logo

2 Midwood projects receive grant from NYIT

Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 by for Awards.

The Mini-Research Grant Award (MRGA) is an initiative of the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) that awards monetary grants to high school students for scientific research projects still in the proposal stage. Two projects by Midwood students were selected on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 — and soon thereafter NYIT sent us $600.

  • Senior Lianhao Zheng received a grant of $300 for his proposal "How does a 9–12th grade high school students’ mindfulness affect their level of depression and sleep quality?" Lianhao’s work will be submitted to the AP Capstone program in May. This is the second time he has won this award.
  • Juniors Angel Wu, Aaron Xu, and Jiaen Chen received a grant of $300 for their proposal "The effect of external factors on the perception and taste of food". The team will submit their work to the Terra NYC STEM Fair and other competitions in their senior year.

Group photo with students holding checks

Midwood seniors receive 2 First Awards at Terra NYC Finals

Posted on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 by for Awards, Terra NYC.

The Terra NYC STEM Fair is the new name for what used to be called the New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF). New name, same great competition. 21 Midwood seniors entered this year with 3 advancing to the finals round. Finalists spent the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, March 20 and 21 in video conferences with academic and professional judges from across the globe. All 3 of our finalists received First Awards!

Selfie Fariha Ahmed received a First Award in Chemistry for his project "The effects of several carbonate-based additives on aluminum chloride/propionamide deep eutectic solvents for use in aluminum-ion batteries". Fariha worked under the supervision of Dr. Sophia Suarez and Mr. Domenec Paterno in the Department of Physics at Brooklyn College.
Promotional poster Nichole Gutierrez and Tasnia Shadat received a First Award in Behavior and Social Science: Psychology for their project "The effect of culture on adolescent mental health". Nichole and Tasnia worked under the supervision of Dr. Steven Anolik in the Department of Psychology at St. Francis College.

Tahreem Sittar and Maham Ghori take 3rd at NYC Metro JSHS

Posted on Thursday, February 11, 2021 by for Awards, JSHS.

On Sunday, February 7, 2021 York College hosted the latest (virtual) installment of the NYC Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS). JSHS is a nationwide collection of 48 regional competitions sponsored by the US Department of Defense whose aims are to promote original STEM research at the high school level and to publicly recognize students for outstanding achievement. Four projects by Midwood students were elegible this year and one brought home an award.

Maham, Tahreem, and a Long-Evans rat Tahreem Sittar and Maham Ghori were Third Place Winners in Behavioral and Social Sciences for their project "Role of uncertainty in governing attraction to food cues". Maham and Tahreem worked under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Delamater in the Department of Psychology at Brooklyn College. The photo on the left shows Maham (left) and Tahreem (right) with one of their experimental subjects, a Long-Evans laboratory rat.

Midwood juniors receive $1,200 in grant money from NYIT

Posted on Saturday, February 6, 2021 by for Awards, Miscellaneous.

The Mini-Research Grant Award (MRGA) is an initiative of the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) that to awards monetary grants to high school students for scientific research projects still in the proposal stage. Four projects by Midwood juniors were selected on Sunday, January 24, 2021— and soon thereafter NYIT sent us a nice check for $1,200.

Which one of these is real beef ☜ Can you tell which of these is real beef? Michelle Yang and Zitong Liu received a grant of $300 for their proposal "Veganism can save the world". Michelle and Zitong are science research free agents attempting to create their own vegan meat substitute. If you are a food scientist and would like to be a mentor to these students, please contact Midwood Science.
Promotional poster Lianhao Zheng, Benny Dong, and Jason Wu received a grant of $300 for their proposal "How does gratitude affect one’s quality of sleep and level of depression?" Lianhao, Jason, and Benny work under the supervision of Dr. Steven Anolik in the Department of Psychology at St. Francis College.
Selfie Bintia Keita received a grant of $300 for her proposal "’Widgets’ potential application for children with autism". Bintia works under the supervision of Ms. Kathleen McDermott and Dr. Scott Fitzgerald in the Department of Technology, Culture and Society at New York University.
Zoom screenshot Anne Mai, Tiffany Zhu, and Xiang Qing (Shannon) Wang received a grant of $300 for their proposal "Sleep deprivation and cognitive effects of memory in American adolescents". Anne, Shannon, and Tiffany work under the supervision of Dr. Denis Pelli in the Department of Psychology at New York University.

Check from NYIT to Midwood for $1,200

8 Midwood Finalists at NYCSEF 2020

Posted on Sunday, March 29, 2020 by for Awards, Terra NYC.

On Sunday, March 8, the 2020 New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSEF) was held at CitiField. 34 Midwood Science students representing 27 projects were there — 8 were declared Finalists. Not a bad showing.

In a normal year, our 8 Finalists would be preparing for the next round of the competition at the American Museum of Natural History. What happens this year remains to be seen. Watch thse blogposts for news as we get it.

The 8 students' winning projects

Scientific posterMeghan Stern
Project: Home is where the support is: A reason why monk parakeets prefer man made structures
Mentor: Dr. Frank Grasso, Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College
Scientific posterOliwia Dankiw and Blessin McFarlane
Project: Need for speed: Decomposition rates of conventional plastics versus bioplastics
Mentor: Dr. Zhongqi (Joshua) Cheng, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Brooklyn College
Scientific posterLameya Rahman
Project: Effect of iron on Neisseria gonorrhea's Type IV pili (TFp)
Mentor: Dr. Nicolas Biais, Department of Biology, Brooklyn College
Scientific posterKelly Guan and Jessica Zheng
Project: Analyzing the effects of media multitasking on academic performance for disordered and non-disordered adolescents
Mentor: Dr. Sung Hun Kim, Department of Psychology, St. Francis College
Scientific posterMaham Ghori and Tahreem Sittar
Project: Role of uncertainty in governing attraction to food cues
Mentor: Dr. Andrew Delamater, Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College

All 34 students

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The venue

Almedina Mulic is a finalist at the 2020 NYC Metro JSHS, Tanisa Rahman wins 2nd in chemistry

Posted on Thursday, February 13, 2020 by for Awards, JSHS.

JSHS logo

The NYC Metro Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) only accepted about 120 projects citywide for this year's competition. On Sunday, February 8, 2020, 6 Midwood students made it to the semifinals round. Almedina Mulic was declared first place in environmental science and a finalist overall. Tanisa Rahman received second place in chemistry. 4 additional Midwood students were declared semifinalists. Wish Almedina good luck as she prepares for the finals round in one week. Send congrats to all 6 of our winners. JSHS set a high bar that these 6 students deftly surmounted.

Finalist and first place in environmental science

  • Almedina Mulic (environmental science)
    Project: Do Geukensia demissa change how they feed in the presence of predators?
    Mentor: Dr. J. Stephen Gosnell, Department of Environmental Science, Baruch College

Semifinalist and second place in chemistry

  • Tanisa Rahman (chemistry)
    Project: Novel method of cycloaddition of cyclooctyne and trapping with a vinylketene complex and other cycloaddition reactions using benzyne precursors
    Mentor: Dr. Wayne F.K. Schnatter, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Long Island University

Semifinalist

  • Ashley Chin (behavioral science)
    Project: How does body awareness and parental bonding differ among black and non-black young adults?
    Mentor: Dr. Sara Chiara Haden, Department of Psychology, Long Island University
  • Henry Hua (environmental science)
    Project: Food consumption rates of Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (green sea urchin) in a high CO2, low pH environment
    Mentor: Dr. Kestrel Perez, Department of Biology, St. Joseph's College
  • Jasmine Huang (behavioral science)
    Project: Effects of reversed Pavlovian learning in differentiating sex
    Mentor: Dr. Andrew Delamater, Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College
  • Mariyum Jahan (behavioral science)
    Project: Male and female fiddler crabs prefer to group with members of the opposite sex
    Mentor: Dr. Frank Grasso, Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College

Finalist Almedina Mulic
Finalist Almedina Mulic

All 6 semifinalists
All 6 semifinalists plus one teacher

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