Alumni (2023-2025)

The Knowledge of Nicotine and Perception of Tobacco products, E-cigarettes, and NRT across Parents, Nicotine Product Users, and those Familiarized with Nicotine Product Users in the United States  

Class of 2024 - Princeton University - CHS Salutatorian

As smoking is responsible for more than seven million deaths worldwide per year, studies such as this one with aims to assess the current gaps of knowledge in perception and awareness of nicotine and nicotine-product literature are beyond necessary. 121 adults living in the United States participated in a self-administered questionnaire via social media.  

Demographics, parental status, nicotine-product user (NPU) status, and familiarity with NPUs were each compared to the dependent variables of knowledge of nicotine and perception of nicotine products and their components. Ninty (74.38%) participants ranged from 41 to 65 years of age. Approximately 60% of participants in each group (i.e. parents, non-parents, NPUs, non-NPUs, people familiar with NPUs, and people not familiar with NPUs) held poor knowledge of nicotine, believing that nicotine can cause lung and other cancers. Additionally, participants demonstrated uncertainty by the topic of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Health risk perceptions of cigarettes versus e-cigarettes remained consistent among most participants and nicotine was seen as less risky than other cigarette components; however, non-parents and NPUs saw nicotine as even less risky and NPUs were more likely to identify higher nicotine inhalation in e-cigarettes, both cases demonstrating better knowledge due to differing life. Lastly, those not familiar with NPUs reported a significantly greater likeliness to have better knowledge of nicotine. In essence, this study stresses the importance of the spread of awareness of the true risk and effects nicotine as compared to the other deadly chemicals in nicotine-products.  

Special focus should be aimed at educating non-NPUs, those familiar with NPUs, and even medical professionals that seem to continue believing the circulating misconceptions. Additionally, anti-smoking organizations can use this study's findings to target areas that lack awareness, including education on NRT to help the world better combat addiction.  

Aside from science research, Jennie Belle is taking on other rigorous courses in her senior year such as AP Physics I, AP Calculus BC, and AP Psychology, and AP Government and Politics. She enjoys spending time in extracurriculars such as the Varsity soccer team, French Club, Varsity bowling, and Stage Crew. In the fall, Jennie Belle will be attending Princeton University. Aside from academics, Jennie Belle loves to listen to music, make others laugh, and finds herself enjoying the little things in life.  

Mean Volcanic eruptions from 1985-2015 

Class of 2024

This study discusses the global increase in volcanic eruptions, focusing on the emissions of sulfur dioxide and its environmental impacts. Utilizing the CEDA archive, she analyzed sulfur dioxide emissions from 1985-2015, aiming to understand the relationship between volcanic activity and climate change. Volcanic eruptions play a significant role in contributing to atmospheric pollution.  

Utilizing the CEDA archive, sulfur dioxide emissions data from 243 eruptions worldwide was collected and analyzed. Mean and standard deviation calculations were conducted to assess the variability in emissions, followed by ANOVA tests to compare differences between eruption years. The analysis showed statistically significant differences in sulfur dioxide emissions from 1985-2015, showing varying levels of volcanic activity during these periods.  

Outside of the Science Research program, Ria is a part of the Carmel Varsity Tennis tea,. French Club, the mentoring program, and SAS.  

Correlation Between Teaching Styles and Prior Experience of Teachers  

Class of 2024 - American University

Student educators acquire personal beliefs and knowledge about teaching as a result of their past experience. Experiences such as childhood events, demographic background and prior work experience, have been shown to have a significant impact on people's decisions later in life. As a result, a teacher's past expertise in their field of study may influence how their course is arranged and how they teach. This might be linked to their enthusiasm for their work and subject. Knowledge on this topic is beneficial for the reason that the way teachers prepare, organize, and teach their classes has a significant impact on students' capacity to comprehend the content.  

Aubrey’s goal for this research project was to identify if teachers' previous life experiences influence the structure of their lesson plan as well as the atmosphere of the classroom. This can correspond to the student's ability to learn from the educator. To conduct the research, Aubrey carried out the study by recruiting teachers to complete a survey. The survey included specific questions about teacher’s prior education experience, background information, family/relatives, and teaching methods. Aubrey’s survey received over 180 responses from teachers across the United States.   

Outside of science research Aubrey participates in school sports. She is on the Carmel Field Hockey team and Girls Flag Football team. Along with sports Aubrey is also a part of Girl Scouts and multiple afterschool clubs such as Bella Voce, French Club, National Honor Society, Mentors, and Students Organization. She is also the student body president and secretary for Bella Voce. After high school Aubrey will be studying political science at American University.  

The Connection of Natality and Anesthetic Usage in United States’ Regions   

Class of 2024 - Binghamton University

Beginning with the removal of pain during surgery, time has cleared the path for the solutions to today's medical mysteries. The use of anesthetics is essential to contemporary medical practices. Determining the risk variables connected to every mother is crucial. It could represent the cause of a nation's population expansion and advancements in the healthcare system. One of the key factors influencing population growth in a nation is its birth rate, which can influence economic, educational, and health policy choices. This study seeks to explore the potential association between the utilization of anesthetics during pregnancy and the use of fertility enhancing drugs among individuals affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The question arises of whether risk factors in pregnancy connect to birth and whether individuals are users of an anesthetics during the time of pregnancy.  

The purpose of the study was to determine whether risk factors in pregnancy connect to birth and whether individuals are users of anesthetics during the time of pregnancy taken place in the United States. It is important to understand the risks and implications of epidural/spinal anesthetic usage to understand what precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of the mother and child, and in turn, the population. Pia will collect data from a public database and use that information to conclude her research. This data will be collected through 2023-2024 school year.  

Not only is Pia a part of the science research program, but she is also a member and officer of the National Honor Society, member of Spanish Honor society, and Cancer Awareness Club. Outside of the academic environment, Pia runs Cross Country and Track and loves to be outside and spend time with her family.  

The Effect of Human-Made Noise Pollution on Songbirds in New York State  

Class of 2024 - Stony Brook University

Humans have made noise for years, it started to increase the most during the industrial revolution and has continued to increase. Some common sources of noise pollution in your everyday environment are ships, airplanes, cars and heavy machinery or construction. Noise pollution has varying effects on people and animals in the environment. Some species of birds have been severely affected by noise pollution. Birds have demonstrated changes in their mating, communication, behavior, and nesting due to noise pollution.  

The research questions the researcher developed for this study were: Is there a correlation between the amount of noise pollution (dB) and the number of bird calls in New York state?, Is there a correlation between the amount of noise pollution (dB) and number of birds calls for each specified species (the Spinus tristis, American Goldfinch; Dumetella carolinensis, Gray Catbird; Corvus brachyrhynchos, American Crow; Quiscalus quiscula, Common Grackle; and Catharus guttatus, Hermit Thrush species)?   

To evaluate these questions, she went to three different locations within Putnam County and determined a high, medium, and low-level site of noise pollution within each location. At each level of noise pollution, she placed her camera down for 15 minutes and repeated this for each level at every location. As this was running a decibel meter, the Merlin App was recording. She identified what birds were calling in the field and jotted them down. She would later take that recording home, choose a random 30 second interval, run the recording through the Merlin App to identify the top species in that section, and count the number of songbird calls she heard within a random 30 second interval. Once all the recordings were collected, she was able to identify the top five species of birds that were called over all the recordings. The data collected after the analysis allowed for the conclusion that there was an indirect relationship between the amount of noise pollution and the frequency of total songbird calls and certain species (American Goldfinch, Grey Catbird, Common Grackle, and Hermit Thrush) was observed. In addition, for the American Crow she found a direct correlation between the two variables.   

Grace loves to play sports and spend time outside, especially at the beach. She participates in a tournament, the school softball team, and the CHS cross-country and track and field teams. In addition, she is an active member in 4-H and strongly values the importance of giving back to the community through this organization. When she has free time, she also enjoys drawing and painting.  

An analysis of patient satisfaction within Hospital Outpatient Departments & Ambulatory Surgery Centers  

Class of 2024 - Pace University

The healthcare landscape is advancing at rapid speeds, competition is greater than it was ever before; institutions are finding new ways to see more patients daily to generate more revenue, seek the best scientists and researchers to grasp at ground-breaking scientific and medical innovation, and recruit top of the line faculty as part of their organization. Clinical enterprise transformation is paramount.  

As healthcare systems begin expanding their network and easing capacity restraints, outpatient departments and sites are being established, and independent ambulatory surgery centers are opening. In this study, data was collected through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey for hospital outpatient departments – facility. Descriptive statistics were completed, outliers were removed, variable pairings were created, and correlational relationships were identified. Within the five research questions, the alternative hypotheses were accepted, and the null hypotheses were rejected.   

Outside of Science Research, Jack is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and Cancer Awareness Club, and a member of the Foreign Language Honor Society. He is also the President of Carmel’s National Honor Society chapter. Jack enjoys the volunteer work he has put in over the past two years at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where he met his mentor, and has accrued over 600 hours of service.  

Is there a statistically significant correlation between personality and participation in athletics of high school juniors and seniors?  

Class of 2024 - George Mason University

What separates the good from the great? Is it the countless of practicing your craft or is it your personality and mindset that will eventually determine success? Personality plays an important role in someone's success, and there have been many studies performed analyzing how several personality traits have affected the success of athletes, however, there has been limited research do determine which of those traits are most associated with the participation of athletics in high school juniors and seniors. Throughout her high school career, Nikita focused on researching and answering that question.   

For Nikita’s study, she used Goldberg’s 1992 (Goldberg, L.R. “The Development of Markers for the Big Five Factor Structure). version of the Big-Five questionnaire to analyze the five biggest personalities (Openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism). She sent out a form containing the questionnaire to any junior and senior in the Northeastern area. She then analyzed the responses and found that there is a moderate, positive correlation between athletics and extraversion, suggesting a trend towards greater sociability among athletes. Furthermore, there is a weak, positive correlation was found for agreeableness and conscientiousness, indicating that students who participate in athletics may be less likely to have these traits. Lastly, a weak, negative correlation was found between intellect or imagination and athletic participation, meaning that student athletes may not have more intelligence or imagination than their peers. The benefits of this study include not only allowing for a greater understanding about which personality traits are associated with athletics.  

Outside of science research, Nikita is an honors and AP student in Carmel High School. She enjoys running and is on the Carmel Track Team. Additionally, she enjoys cooking and reading in her free time. In her future, Nikita hopes to major in international security and is planning on attending George Mason University in the fall.  

Level of Bone Deterioration and Strength as the Human Body Ages  

Class of 2023 - Middlebury College

As humans age, they often begin to experience pains in their skeletal system. These pains can be attributed to small cracks though the bone which are known as microdamage. Microdamage can be categorized into different damage morphologies such as liner microcracks (form under compressive stress), and diffuse damage (form under tensile stress). These different damage morphologies can occur in any human being. Robert hypothesizes that, as people age, they will be more prone to different kinds of microdamage than that of their younger counterparts. In this study, Robert hopes to gain a better understanding about what causes the pains as humans age as well as how age affects the human skeletal system regarding fragility and being damage prone.   

Throughout this project the aim was to determine a correlation between the way the skeletal system reacts to aging bodies. All data was collected using a meta-analysis procedure, which is an analysis of data from various published sources as it relates to a novel research question. Each article must have been considered relevant to the research question before being utilized in the study. This included categories such as which database source, a collection of key terms, year published, and published language. From the data collected thus far, it seems that as the human body ages, not only do humans experience different amounts of damage to their skeletal system, but also varying kinds of damage. For example, a younger person is more likely to experience diffuse damage, while their older counterparts are more likely to experience linear microcracks. Using this information, it can be concluded that as the human body ages it is more prone to different kinds of damage, thus it should be advised to be careful to steer away from the kinds of stressors that will cause you the most damage. 

Robert Altavilla is a member of Carmel Varsity Track and Field Team, Carmel Troop 1 Boy Scouts, and National Honors Society. Robert has also engaged in several community service and internship opportunities. Over the past summer Robert traveled to Ecuador, where he interned at a hospital for two weeks. He shadowed many doctors across several different fields ranging from general pediatrics to orthopedic surgery. This is where Robert decided to go into medicine. Robert will be continuing his interest in medicine at Middlebury College VT while majoring in Biology under a Pre-Medical track. 

The Impact of Shared Time with Family Members on Adolescent Personality 

Class of 2023 - University of Pennsylvania - CHS Salutatorian

Both personality and family relationships have been shown time and time again to be vital aspects of one’s childhood, adolescent, and adult life. Personality is an effective predictor of job performance and drug use, family relationships are effective predictors of behavior, and both personality and family relationships are effective predictors of well-being. Because both family relationships and personality are both predictors of well-being, it is likely that there is a relationship between the two variables. Moreover, limited research has been conducted relating to personality traits of adolescents, and it is as crucial to study personality in this period as any other stage of development. 

Kyle sought to find a correlation between the amount of time spent with a family member and one’s personality in adolescence. He used a survey measuring the frequency of a participant’s shared time with family members and compared those results to the participants’ Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2) personality test results. Although he would have liked to study adolescents’ level of communication with their parents as well as their siblings, this study was only able to focus on sibling communication. After collecting data, it was determined that three personality traits (Extraversion, Assertiveness, and Organization) had statistically significant relationships with sibling communication frequency, meaning that as sibling communication frequency increases, the individual’s level of these traits is likely to increase. 

Outside of Science Research, Kyle is a passionate musician. He loves playing the bass and saxophone and singing in the CHS Concert Choir. Additionally, Kyle has been doing musical theatre since he was in 1st grade, and he started a monthly cabaret program with Pied Piper Youth Theatre with his twin sister Katie to give everyone the opportunity to perform. Further, Kyle is the S.O. Student Body Treasurer, Tri-M Music Honor Society President, and National Honor Society Communications Officer.  

The Learning Styles of Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Class of 2023 - Wellesley College

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the worldwide transmission of COVID-19 as a pandemic, a disease that has caused over six million deaths as well as lasting health problems in some who have survived the illness (WHO 2023). Measures have been globally imposed to limit the spread of the pandemic, including quarantining at home and school closures. The restriction of primary and secondary school closures specifically has created the largest disruption of education systems in human history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 200 countries (Pokhrel, 2021). Without any alternatives available, neither students nor educators were prepared for the sudden transition from traditional, face-to-face learning to the new system of online learning, and were compelled to adapt to a completely different system of education.  

The purpose of this study is to observe how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced productivity habits of adolescents and the relationship between the comfortability of virtual learning and productivity habits onset to the present-day school structure. Participants included adolescent students aged fourteen to eighteen who were asked to describe their academic performance before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as techniques they utilized to better their productivity habits during the tumultuous time. Grounded theory analysis was used to determine the correlation between the pandemic’s relationship with adolescent learning and the comfortability with virtual learning. Overall, while there was a negative correlation found between the comfortability of the virtual learning and productivity habits onset to the present-day school structure of the pandemic, many students were also encouraged by such circumstances to discover new techniques that helped them remain productive. 

Outside of science research, Maesha is part of student-led organizations and activities. She serves as the founder and executive director of The Brown Beauty Initiative, a project that sheds lights on the unique experiences of the South Asian Diaspora worldwide, and as the Putnam County Teen Youth Leader for the Cornell Cooperative Extension. She is an avid volunteer for her community, as she regularly assists at her local library and mosque. Maesha also enjoys participating in coding camps, writing poetry for her blog, and learning new languages. 

Should an individual with heart disease exercise the same as a healthy person does, and how does this impact their quality of life: A Meta Analysis  

Class of 2023 - Colby College

Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, among men and woman of all ethnic and racial groups. In the 2020, 697,000 people in the United States died from heart disease (Center for Disease Control, 2021). But it is not just death which makes this disease so detrimental, it also diminishes quality of life and inhibits many people’s day to day lives. Exercise has been proven to be important to keeping good cardio/mental health and this correlation in particular to people with heart disease has further data to provide for this topic. 

In her research she first chose articles based on key words: Congenital heart disease, Exercise, Heart Disease, Aerobic Exercise, Anaerobic Exercise, Cardiovascular Disease, etc. then articles were found in reputable scientific websites, read thoroughly, and annotated. The articles were then taken down to short summaries and key information and sorted together in an excel document. The information from each article was broken down into parts: Title, author, year, number of participants, purpose, and conclusion and a brief summary. The purpose, methodology, data collected and conclusion from each article was then compared with one another to see if data aligned with the hypothesis. The results of the study can help healthcare professionals expand their knowledge to attempt to treat patients who suffer from cardiovascular disease through a holistic approach and as a result to improve patients' quality of life, in which exercise has shown itself to be important. 

When Isabel is not working on her research, she stays busy. In the winter as part of two alpine ski teams she is usually found at Thunder Ridge. She has ski raced for seven years and is a active member of the Thunder Ridge community. Alongside that Isabel loves to read and go on hikes on the trails found near Carmel. She will be attending Colby College in the fall with a computational biology major on a pre-med track to become a doctor. 

Art as Provocative Action in Neo-Conceptualism 

Class of 2023 - Simmons University

Art has consistently conveyed political ideas throughout the span of all contemporary movements. This is known to have continued to be true during Neo-Conceptualism, the final movement of contemporary art before art diverged from movement formation. However, due to the newness of Neo-Conceptualism, there is a gap of knowledge on if, and if so, what political ideologies and agendas correlated with the movement. If this can be established – through analysis of the formal qualities of prominent works of the time – artists, historians, and political scientists can gain a greater understanding of how politics and visual art interact. This knowledge can then be applied to current art to understand political ideology through art, and vice versa. 

The goal of Maya’s project was to assess the formal and functional qualities of Neo-Conceptual art in relation to the political atmosphere of America at the time, in order to draw conclusions about the effects of politics on art in a modern context. Twenty pieces of art from the Guggenheim’s public collection were analyzed, and data was collected based on the pieces’ appearances, as well as their artist statements. The data was then reviewed in relation to concerns over the AIDS epidemic, LGBTQ+, women’s, and Black rights, and anti-capitalist ideas were correlated to formal artistic expression. 

Outside of Carmel Science Research, Maya enjoys trying new art forms and playing instruments. She is a part of Tri-M, the National Art Honor Society, the CHS mentor program, and Rock Club. They also are a fellow at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and a server at a local restaurant. Next year they will be attending Simmons University, in hopes of one day becoming a museum art curator. 

The Correlation between a Dancer’s Role Model and the Perceived Body Image of a Dancer 

Class of 2023 - Binghamton University 

Dance has been a form of art for many centuries, being prevalent in many cultures and religions. As dance has evolved over the years, so have the expectations associated with it. As the rigor and seriousness of dance increased, so did the percentage of dancers who experience mental illness. Along with the epidemic of mental illness within the dance community, body image quickly became a sensitive topic. 

The goal of Abigail’s research project was to address the gap of knowledge between exposure of role models and perception of body image of dancers. To address this gap of knowledge she developed a survey and distributed it to dancers 18 years and older. From the data collection she was able to quantitatively analyze the participant demographics and formulate finding statements using two-layer coding systems. The finding statements were that anyone with experience within the dance community has the potential to be a role model and the perception of body image of dancer’s is based off each dancer’s personal opinions and experiences. 

Outside of Science Research, Abigail is a very active member of the community. She has been dancing ever since she was 5 years old and is currently dancing at Taps-N-Toes studio. In addition, Abigail is the Vice President of the Putnam County Youth Board where she volunteers throughout the school year. Abigail volunteers at Putnam Hospital by assisting the Transportation Team with daily activities. Within the school, she is a member of many clubs including Italian American Club, National Honor Society, and is the Vice President of the Italian Honor Society. 

Correlation between Type of Diet and Rate of Injuries   

Class of 2023 - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Nutrition is one of the most important things for athletes. It enhances performance, provides energy, and helps prevent injuries. However not all athletes can or choose to eat a typical omnivore diet. Many consume diets such as Paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, Atkins, and Keto. With new diets arising, the potential for nutrient deficiencies is increasing and encouraging research to determine the relationship between differences of the diets and rate of injuries in athletes. 

Max through his research will help inform athletes of injury risks that comes with eating certain diets and provide knowledge to athletes, so they are able to choose the best diet for themselves. The purpose of his experiment is to determine if there is a correlation between the type of diet and the rate of injury. Max compiled a list of popular diets; Mediterranean, Vegan, Vegetarian, Omnivore, Atkins, and Keto. Then he immensely researched each diet to fully understand them and know their nutritional differences between them. Lastly, he created a survey to collect data regarding athletic injuries and types of diet.  

 Max is a hard-working dedicated student. He has faced many adversities but always comes out strong. His favorite quote is “Asking for help isn’t giving up, it’s refusing to give up” by Charlie Mackesy. Outside of school, Max is an EMT for the Carmel Volunteer Ambulance. He plays on two soccer teams and participated in the bowling team for the last two years. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Mentors. On his free periods he enjoys doing art class with the P.A.C.E kids. He is a huge advocate for mental health and recently started volunteering with GLSEN. Max this fall is heading up to Boston to attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He will be majoring in pre-med on a physician assistant route. His goal is to go into Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and research in transgender youth health care.  

The Relationship Between Exercise and the Physical and Mental Well-Being in Patients with Leukemia 

Class of 2023 - Sacred Heart University

With rising rates in mental illness globally it is up to researchers to develop deep insight into the reality of this crisis (Kramer et al.,1980). Improving strategies to realistically manage symptoms of mental illness will help not only Cancer patients, but also those who struggle with mental illness. In the United States alone, it is estimated that almost half of US adults will experience some form of mental illness in their lives (Naughton et al., 2014). Exercise stimulates the production of helpful hormones like dopamine and serotonin. The study evaluated how exercise influences the severity of mental and physical symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue. This new knowledge will further prompt future research to keep bettering the symptom burden experienced by Leukemia patients. 

The current study had six research questions which were designed to find the correlation between exercise and physical and mental health in patients with Leukemia. Mental health was measured by the variables of depression and anxiety, whereas physical health was measured by fatigue. The study was performed by conducting multiple t-tests and correlation tests. It was found that exercise has no significant effect on symptoms of anxiety but has significant effects on depression and fatigue. Sex and age both had significant effects on mental and physical health symptoms. Symptoms of depression had a weak, negative correlation with age and a weak, positive correlation with sex. This study found that in general, exercise impacts the physical and mental well-being of patients with leukemia. 

Outside of science research, Olivia enjoys running track and cross country, skiing, and sailing. Out of all her current courses, her favorites would be science classes, specifically Science Research and SUPA Chemistry. Once Olivia graduates high school, she will be attending Sacred Heart University, where she will be in their dual degree physician assistant’s program and where she will be on their D1 cross country and track team.  

Can Software be used to Predict Color Palettes in Upcoming Fashion Shows?  

Class of 2023 - San Diego State University

Have you ever wanted to get ahead of trends? Millions of people rush around every year to stock up on trendy clothes as soon as possible. Mixing the fashion and technology worlds is a new concept with growing popularity. This can be seen through textile engineering, data analytics, authentication, and the up-and-coming metaverse. Many people find it hard to wrap their head around the practicality and reason for why this mixture is effective. 

Emily’s research will show that technology can be used in the fashion industry to maximize profit for businesses and give them time to plan for upcoming trends. Emily gathered runway looks from two different high-end fashion brands from the past 3 years. She extracted prominent colors in the pictures by using Google’s Color Vision API in Python. She then made a color palette for each runway show that she instigated and repeated the process for the 2023 show. She then compared the past three years of color palettes to the 2023 one to observe if there is a correlation. The results are still unknown.  

Outside of Science Research, Emily is involved in the National Honor Society and the Mentor Program at CHS. She challenges herself with many AP classes, AP Physics being her favorite. She is attending the honors college at San Diego State University in the fall to study computer engineering and minor in marketing.  

Debunking the Stigma Behind Chemistry 

Class of 2023 - University of Florida

Chemistry education is arguably the most important aspect of chemistry in today’s world, yet the most overlooked. Students perceived value and outlook on chemistry can influence their performance on tests and pursuit of chemistry-related careers. This motivational study intends to show trends in personal identity relating to identity in chemistry. This research aims to attain answers relating to stereotypes and representation in chemistry and apply these answers, using grounded theory coding and statistical analysis to create a more inclusive chemistry field and a much-improved method of teaching. The benefits would be improving equity and representation, which would get rid of negative connotations in the field of chemistry and other related areas and allow for a more diverse academic community. 

As a student researcher, she used qualitative and quantitative analysis to her survey results, in which participants were active college students to find out and learn from the future of the workforce’s opinion. After obtaining these de-identified responses she was able to begin open and axial coding and narrow each question and answer set into three over-arching categories. Continuing onto quantitative coding she found the average, standard deviation, standard error mean (SEM) and 2 standard error of mean (2SEM). The three overarching categories found in each answer set pr averages were then used to support her hypotheses. The three-step process of grounded theory coding validated her conclusions from her qualitative research and finding the 2SEM of my quantitative responses validated those with a confidence interval of 95%. Her results overwhelmingly supported each hypothesis: The comparison group (green) will have less stereotypical views of general chemistry than the experimental group(s). Experiences in the chemistry field will be skewed by differing demographics. Representation in chemistry will determine motivation in the field. By supporting these hypotheses with real-time information, she can now make moves supported by data to improve equity and representation not only in the chemistry field but all STEM-related areas. 

Out of the science research classroom, Riley is extremely busy. She has run on the Varsity Cross Country and Track and Field team since the seventh grade and volunteers her time at St. James the Apostle Church as a Catechist and serves on the Putnam County Youth Board. She will be attending the University of Florida this fall on a pre-med track to becoming a doctor. 

An Analysis of the Population Fluctuation of District 7 in Carmel, NY from 1856-1866 

Class of 2023 - University of Denver

Population size is bound to change over time, whether it shrink or grow, rise or fall. Because of this change over time, it is important to analyze and observe the fluctuations of groups of people within both small and large sample groups. Population growth is usually an indicator of substantial community, resources, and work opportunities, whereas population decrease is usually an indicator of more negatively connotated events such as drought or lack of resources. Population fluctuation without proper understanding can be difficult to justify, which is why context is crucial in determining the behavior behind population trends. 

When analyzing District 7 of Carmel, NY from 1856-1866, it is important to keep in mind that the nation was in the middle of the civil war: a significant historical event that had multiple socioeconomic effects on people all over the country. While consistency should be expected via the small sample size (1856- 1866), a more complex behavioral and anthropological analysis may be required to determine the probable cause of any possible outliers. Teagan collected the number of individuals ages 5-21 of District 7 in the years 1856-1866 using the provided Board of Trustees Reports and then analyzed what events may have occurred to cause this fluctuation. Teagan has determined that there was significant fluctuation in the year 1865, but further analyzation of county documents is required to justify that the civil war provided probable cause of significant human migration.  

Teagan was the PILOT Intern for the Putnam County Historian’s Office during the summer of 2022 which allowed her to make the connections needed to perform this project. Teagan combined her passion for history and scientific research to produce a behavioral and anthropological analysis project. Teagan was fortunate enough to present this project at the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in January 2023. Here, Teagan placed 3rd in Behavioral Science and was given feedback on her research topic and results.  

A Deep Decision Tree Regression Analysis of PFAS Biodegradation Half Lives and Toxicity 

Class of 2023 - Princeton University

PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) are common hazardous chemicals that have been found in water systems throughout the United States, known as “forever chemicals” they are created in the manufacturing of products. Since PFAS do not break down and can bioaccumulate in animals, these chemicals are known carcinogens. There are many different varieties of PFAS and there is limited knowledge related to how long the different varieties of chemicals stay in the environment and specific effects on humans are unknown.  

There is a gap of knowledge in the lack of accurate half-lives, bioaccumulation data and toxicity for many of the 1,000s of PFAS molecules out there. Utilizing a machine learning AI and using PFAS data from the US EPA CompTox Chemical Dashboard Mateo produced accurate Biodegradation half-life and Bioconcentration factor values for PFAS molecules. Two different machine learning models, random forest and XGBoost were used. The metric used to assure significance for the models was R^2, MSE and RMSE. The most accurate model for predicting biodegradation half-life was random forest while the most accurate model to predict bioconcentration factor was XGBoost.    

Outside of Science Research, Mateo is an honors and AP student at Carmel High School. He enjoys running and is a member of the Carmel Cross Country and Track Teams. Mateo is an Eagle Scout and enjoys working on community service, hiking and swimming. In college, he hopes to major in engineering. He will be attending Princeton University in the fall. 

Parallels In Motif Use and Structure in Selected Compositions by Maurice Ravel and ‘On the Pulse of Morning,’ by Maya Angelou, Using Inductive Selective Coding in Grounded Theory 

Class of 2023 - Harvard University - CHS Valedictorian

Have you ever noticed the similarities between classical music and poetry? The motifs that are woven throughout a piece, or how both artforms utilize dramatic arcs to tell stories? It turns out, research shows that composers and poets are both conscious of a rhythmic pulse/cadence to drive the underlying current of a piece and using beautiful lyrical lines. However, current research does not answer the similarities in motif use and dramatic arc construction. So now, Christian had the question: what are the similarities between how composers and writers think about creating their motifs and dramatic arcs in their pieces? 

Through a qualitative analysis using a three-tier coding method in grounded theory, this project aims to answer that question. Christian gathered three classical compositions by Maurice Ravel and a poem by Maya Angelou for the coding process. The first step was combing through each piece of music note for note, or word for word, analyzing each motif used and labeling them under a name, otherwise known as a code. This process was the open coding process. Once the initial codes are identified, the next step was to group the initial codes with similar features and label them under a broader code, otherwise known as axial coding. The final coding step was to take the axial codes, group them together now between poetry and music, and label them under a broader selective code, and create a finding statement that summarizes the selective code.  

Outside of school, Christian is a composer and pianist, having his works performed by the Orlando Philharmonic at Steinmetz Hall, the New Deco Ensemble at New World Center, an orchestration to be performed by the grammy-winning bassist Ranaan Meyer, and was named a 2023 YoungArts Finalist. He was also the only national winner of MTNA 2023, a National Young Composers Challenge ensemble winner, and his piano performances have been recognized by Enkor International Music Competition and American Protégé – awarding him a performance at Carnegie Hall. At Carmel, Christian is treasurer for both Tri-M Music Honor Society and Bella Voce, and enjoys singing in Jazz Singers and Bella voce.