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Mostly Cloudy DRS senior named regional finalist
Five Towns has four Siemens semifinalists
David Herman, a senior at the Davis Renov Stahler (DRS) Yeshiva High School in Woodmere, was named a regional finalist in the prestigious Siemens (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Competition for 2015 on Monday. The first one in DRS’s history.
The 16-year-old Lawrence resident researched hydrogen fuel cells. He is the only yeshiva student to be named a regional finalist in this year’s competition.
Herman conducted his research over the summer at Stony Brook University’s Garcia Research Center with Kevin Qian of Plymouth, Minnesota. The two researched viable alternatives to burning fossil fuels by improving hydrogen fuel cells. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device and converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, eventually producing energy in the form of electricity.
“Being able to research something that will help the earth become a greener place is something I’m really passionate about and this project was really perfect for me,” said Herman, who took the College Board’s rigorous Advanced Placement Chemistry course last school year.
Herman and Qian wrote an 18-page paper on their findings, which included meticulous research, experimentation and data. Nearly 1,800 other students entered the competition and 466 exceptional projects were selected from the pool and declared regional semifinalists on Oct. 19. The top 97 entries were designated as regional finalists. Herman thanked Hongfei Li, his graduate research assistant; Stony Brook’s Dr. Miriam Rafailovich, his research mentor; as well as the administration and faculty of DRS for their guidance and support.
Herman is also serves as a captain of DRS’s Debate and Science Olympiad teams, and a school newspaper editor. He founded Everyone Gets a Shot, a volunteer initiative which provides special-needs teenagers the opportunity to participate in high school sports games. He also volunteers with seniors who live at Nautilus Hotel in Atlantic Beach.
“We are so proud of David’s accomplishment, which is a result of his acumen, hard work and perseverance,” said DRS Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky. “When you speak to David about his project, you get a sense of his command of his project, and his natural curiosity about chemistry. His project was a great fit for him, and he benefited from great mentors during the project and in presenting his project. He is truly a credit to DRS.”
Four semifinalists
Hewlett High School seniors Chenab Khaki, Remy Golden and junior Alec Fischthal, were named Siemens semifinalists on Oct. 19. The trio was selected for their research project: “Elucidating the Role of Early Light Inducted Proteins Through a Cryptogram Perspective.” They studied how plants adapt to stress conditions such as drought, high salt and high-volume light conditions.
Genes called early light inducted proteins were studied. It is thought they play a protective role in plants’ response to stress conditions. Understanding how the genes work could provide insight into the adaptations of plants to chagrining environmental conditions.
Dr. Terrence Bissoondial, head of research for the Hewlett-Woodmere district, guided the students in their work. “I am extremely proud of the achievements of my students. A distinction in science competition does not reflect time and devotion students spent reading esoteric science journals, performing and repeating experiments, analyzing data and creating comprehensive research reports,” he said.
Cedarhurst resident Tziporra Chwat, a student at Yeshiva University High School for Girls, was also a semifinalist.
