Three Ossining Students Are Semifinalists in Science Competition

Three Ossining High School students are semifinalists in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search, Regeneron and the Society for Science & the Public announced today.

Seniors Emma Montgomery, Elliot Ocheltree and John Sukumar are among 300 students nationwide who were selected as scholars in the Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Each of the 300 scholars and their schools will receive $2,000.

Regeneron and the Society for Science & the Public chose the scholars based on their exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, and innovative thinking and promise as students. Nearly 2,000 students submitted applications.

Numerous OHS students have been semifinalists and finalists in the Science Talent Search over the years. “To place in STS is always a thrill and an honor,” said Angelo Piccirillo, who co-teaches the Science Research Program with Valerie Holmes. “The work of our amazing seniors makes our entire Ossining community proud.”

Emma worked on a bioengineering project to advance existing gene editing tools. Her research significantly improved the efficiency of gene editing. This is an important area of research because errors in gene editing are the main obstacles that restrict our ability to move this technology into the clinical realm and directly help patients with devastating point mutation disorders. Some examples of point mutation disorders are cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia.

Elliot conducted an engineering study using computational fluid modeling software to advance design approaches for aerodynamics in the transportation industry that mimic the natural process of erosion. He used computational fluid dynamics, pressure difference minimization and erosive techniques in his research.

John Sukumar was selected for his research on adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who have the ability to hyperfocus on a topic or activity without getting distracted. It is more common for people with ADHD to have trouble focusing for extended periods of time. His research sought to shed light on the poorly understood and often underrepresented characteristic of ADHD.

“These amazing young people have demonstrated an exceptional degree of hard work and passion for discovery,” Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public, said in a statement. “We are inspired by their brilliant thinking and look forward to continue supporting them in their scientific endeavors.”

On Jan. 23, Regeneron will announce the 40 finalists in the competition. Finalists will present their work in Washington, D.C., in March and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards and scholarships. Winners will be announced on March 12.

(Photo, left to right: Elliot Ocheltree, Emma Montgomery and John Sukumar.)