Briarcliff Students Stand Out at Science Fair

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The Westchester Science and Engineering Fair held at this month gave students the chance to show just how science savvy they are.

WESEF finalist Jenny Yang placed in biochemistry as one of the top four teams of the competition. She earned an all-expenses-paid trip to take part in the prestigious Intel Science and Engineering Fair competition in Pittsburgh this spring. Jenny will compete with more than 1,500 students from more than 65 different countries.

Jenny won recognition for her findings on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. She worked with her mentor, Dr. Yuk Ching Tse-Dinh, from New York Medical College.

BHS student Steven Kalayam was one of three students selected for the opportunity to compete in the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment (ISWEEEP) science fair, which will take place in Houston in May. This international science fair awards $400,000 in scholarships, prizes, tuition grants and internships. Steven, who earned praise for his work in environmental science, worked with Dr. Rebecca Schneider from Cornell as his mentor.

Both Jenny and Steven are excited about the chance to compete on a larger scale.

“It will be awesome to see other people’s projects and meet other students who are so interested in science,” said Jenny.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting people from other countries,” Steven said.

Other award recipients at WESEF from BHS include William Simons, Nicholas Poulton, Aaron Rosen, Wendy Willner, Mark Moretto, Nathanial Martorano, Jacob Chatzky, Chetan Khanna, Nick Feuer, and Brandon Fuhr.