Ossining Students Win Awards at International Science Fair

Two Ossining High School students received third-place awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh last week.

Senior Juliet Ivanov placed third in the biochemistry category. Junior Michael Earle received a third-place award in the physics and astronomy category. They each won $1,000.

Michael’s research is on single-atom-thick crystals that can be used to make smaller, faster and more efficient flexible electronics. In studying the fundamental light-matter interactions between two of these single-atom-thick crystals – graphene and molybdenum disulfide – he discovered that when they are layered on top of each other, they act as a three-atom-thick solar panel.

Juliet researched a novel method to reduce intestinal damage associated with cancer treatment. She has focused on the promise of interleukin-22, a protein, in helping reduce side effects that bone marrow transplant patients experience. Juliet recently won first place in the medicine and health category at the 53rd National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

Three other Ossining students also participated in the weeklong science fair, the largest in the world: Stephanie Becker, who competed in the biomedical sciences category, and the team of Brinda Ramesh and Nicole Ruiz for a behavioral sciences project.

About 1,700 young scientists from more than 75 countries, regions and territories participated in the weeklong science fair, which is a program of the nonprofit Society for Science & the Public. Sixteen students comprised the delegation from Westchester and Putnam counties. The largest contingent was from Ossining. They competed against more than 450 students at the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair in March.

This was the 14th consecutive year that OHS students have earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.