January 30, 2012

Seniors Sarah Dean and Corey McKenna will represent Scotia-Glenville at the 27th Annual Upstate New York Junior Science and Humanities Symposium on March 19 and 20 at the University at Albany. Both took first place honors in the Eastern Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) on Saturday, January 28.

The two students presented their science research projects and answered difficult questions about their research. JSHS is a national program that promotes original research in the sciences, engineering and math at the high school level. It is sponsored locally by the University at Albany.

Sarah won highest honors in biology for her research project, “Dragonfly Neural Response to Approaching Objects.”

Corey also won highest honors in physical science for his research project, “The Effects of Nanoparticle Size and Loading on the Efficiency of Organic Photovoltaics.”

Academic Head for Science Randy Jenkins said the two did a fantastic job at the competition, which included schools in the eastern part of the state as far south as Poughkeepsie. "Corey and Sarah did an outstanding job presenting their work, and both endured a tough questioning session," he said.

Both students have been in the three-year college-level Science Research class through the University at Albany's Science Research in the High School program. It is taught at Scotia-Glenville by Chris Judd.

Students in the program develop and research topics and work with mentors in the fields they are studying. Mentors are drawn from a wide array of professional research institutions both domestic and worldwide.

The students must have regular attendance; participate in the school's annual symposium; commit to 240 or more hours per school year (September to June) for their research work (this includes class time, assessment meetings, and all out of class time spent on the research); commit to 90 hours of summer research; maintain a laboratory notebook of all research work; maintain a comprehensive portfolio of all research work; present research at all stages of the work, at all available venues and competitions; and maintain regular, demonstrable contact with a mentor once one is obtained.

The University at Albany has sponsored the Science Research in the High School program since 1994. The schools in the program model their science research classes after the course developed by the late Robert Pavlica, Ph.D. at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York.

There are more than 110 schools in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut that use this program to involve students as legitimate members of the research community.

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