Kennedy researchers earn Intel badges

Each year, the Society for Science & the Public awards Research Report and Initiative badges to recognize excellence in students’ submissions to the Intel Science Talent Search, considered among the country’s most competitive and prestigious science contests. In addition, Intel semi-finalists and finalists receive special badges as well.

Eleven of the 14 student researchers at Kennedy High School in Bellmore who submitted Intel entries in the 2015 competition received badges, according to their advisers, Barbi Frank and Barbara Franklin. Kennedy takes in students from south Bellmore and south Merrick.

According to the SSP, “The Intel STS Research Report Badge is awarded to an entrant who has submitted a well-written, college-level, journal-style research report based upon his or her own independent science research.”

The Intel STS Student Initiative Badge, meanwhile, “is awarded to an entrant who has exhibited extraordinary effort and dedication in her or her pursuit of scientific research and has made great accomplishments relative to the resources available to him or her.”

Among the Kennedy students receiving Research Badge Reports were Rachel Chernet, Jasyon Chojar, Logan Eisner, Samuel Epstein, Sara Harris, Jamie Kanner, Emily Mannis and David Mark.

Among those receiving the Initiative Badge were Beatrice Brown, Chernet, Erika Fuchs, Mannis and Mark.

Earning the Semi-Finalist Badge were Brown, Epstein and Justin Shapiro. Epstein received the Finalist Badge, which is awarded to only 40 researchers from around the country.

The following offers a little bit about each of the researchers:

Beatrice Brown
Age: 18
Hometown: Merrick
Badges: Initiative and Semi-finalist
Intended college majors: Science and music
Will attend: Accepted to Yale University; still deciding
Research report title: “Forecasting Hurricane Hazards for the Long Island Area”

Rachel Chernet
Age: 17
Hometown: Merrick
Badges: Research Report and Initiative
Intended college major: Biology and pre-medicine
Will attend: Vassar College, where she will play soccer
Research report title: “The Sequence Dependence of the Self-Assembly of an Asymmetric Two-Turn DNA Tensegrity Triangle”