LI's young scientists make their mark in Regeneron contest

There’s a long history of Long Island students discovering the wonders of science, math and technology in high school and making it part of their own future success.

Take Dr. Mandy Cohen, who last year became the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She’s made it clear in interviews that her interest in medicine began at Baldwin High School in the 1990s as a top-performing student then known as Mandy Krauthamer.

Three decades later, that same spirit of high academic achievement and commitment to exploring the sciences can be found among the 50 local high school seniors recently named 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars. Long Island’s 50 semifinalists, in the nation’s most prestigious competition of its kind, is a remarkable total that exceeds any other region in the nation.

In interviews with Newsday, Long Island's students made clear how much hard work and dedication goes into a winning selection. “To get this award, people spent their summer working in labs, and that includes reading a lot of literature each day and really critically thinking about what they are reading and how they can improve on what they read,” explained Great Neck South senior Alexander Xu, 17, whose project involved a new way to search radiology reports.

The topics chosen by these students are both original and extraordinarily complex, more like the fare of graduate school than grade 12. For instance, Kemmora Simmons of Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School explored “The Effect of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Soy on the Psychological Stress Levels of Neonatal Drosophila melanogaster.” In layman's terms, that's the impact of stress on fruit flies. Other challenging topics included the use of artificial intelligence to track wildfire origins, as well as the use of broccoli sprouts in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

This kind of recognition speaks volumes about each student’s drive, intellect and talent. It also reflects the love and support these students receive in their homes, as well as superb educational guidance from teachers and others within their school community. 

This year’s 50 semifinalists come from 22 high schools, all but two of them public. Some are traditional science powerhouses while others are less familiar names. They all deserve congratulations. But let's remember that such success should not eclipse the reality that there is work to be done to help students in all districts perform at these levels.

For decades, Long Islanders have supported STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) with their property taxes, tuition and charitable contributions. Long Island’s continued commitment to excellence in most of its public schools is second to none in America. It is not only a source of pride but a source of strength in helping make the claim that Long Island is the right place for students to grow, learn and perhaps stay forever.