HHS senior, Eric Brooks, earns Intel honors

Hewlett High School senior Eric Brooks traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Intel Science Talent Search competition March 11-16 not expecting to place in the top 10, but he left the nation's capital having taken fifth place in the prestigious competition.

"When I went to D.C. I did not expect to place in the top 10," said Brooks, who earned a $30,000 award from Intel. "I was very elated."

Brooks was one of nine Intel finalists from Long Island, but the only one to make the top 10. In late January he became Hewlett High's first Intel finalist ever with his project "Racial Disparity in Prostate Cancer Characterized through Evolutionary Modeling of the Genome." His research, conducted at New York University Medical Center, focused on how genetic factors affect prostate cancer.

Brooks and 39 other finalists spent a week in Washington displaying their research at the National Academy of Sciences and being judged by leading scientists. Brooks had studied patients with aggressive and less aggressive forms of prostate cancer, mentored by NYU professor Dr. Alex Pearlman and facilitated by Dr. Patricia Nardi, a Hewlett High social science teacher.

"There were many stages of interviews throughout the week," Brooks recounted. "I had a fun time talking with the judges."

"He gave a wonderful presentation to the judges," said Nardi. "He was very diligent about his work and very enthusiastic."

Lawrence High School senior Paul Masih Das was another of the 40 finalists, and he received a $7,500 award. Masih Das was Lawrence's first Intel finalist since 2003, with a project titled "A Novel Chemical Synthesis for >Mums2 Graphene Sheets."

Brooks said he enjoyed meeting the other finalists, scientists and members of Congress. He even had an opportunity to discuss his project with New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand. "I had an absolutely great time," Brooks said of his experience in Washington, which also included a tour of the city.

While he may have been surprised to finish in the top 10 against stiff competition, Nardi was not, given Brooks's dedication to his research on such an important subject. "He was very diligent about his work and very enthusiastic," she said. "It was not surprising to me that his enthusiasm spread to the judges."

In addition to Brooks's passion for science, he is also a member of Hewlett High's orchestra and the Fed Challenge Team. He plans to focus on a science-related field in college but is not sure yet where that will be.

Hewlett High Principal Thomas Russo also attended the prestigious event with Brooks and Nardi. "Every time I think about it, I'm smiling," Nardi said of Brooks's top-five finish. "He was a winner just going, but this was the icing on the cake."

Comments about this story? Nassaueditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.