Thursday, October 1, 2026
For the first time in 14 years, students from Long Beach High School have earned entrance into the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, with sophomores Sydney Olivo and Karina Rios attending the competition May 9-15 in Phoenix, Ariz.
The two students, under the guidance of science research teacher Kristen Conklin-Kearney, advanced to ISEF after taking first place at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, which took place from Feb. 2 to March 12.
“Making it to ISEF, you have to be 1 percent of the population on planet Earth,” Conklin-Kearney said. “It’s one of the most prestigious science competitions in the world. A lot of students see it as their golden ticket to apply to colleges. When a college sees this student got an ISEF ticket, that sets them apart.”
The Long Island Science and Engineering Fair — a competition comprising students from grades eight through 12 who present their research across nine categories — began with nearly 70 schools from across the Island presenting more than 400 projects in round one.
Nearly 150 projects from less than 50 schools advanced to the second round of competition. Of them, Long Beach garnered three second-place awards, one for third place, and two honorable mentions. Olivo and Rios captured two of the three total ISEF tickets that were available to first-place winners.
Olivo’s research, titled “Detection of Trifluoroacetic Acid in Commercial Water Filters and its Toxicological Impacts on Keystone Aquatic Species,” investigated the ability of common water filters to remove trifluoroacetic acid — a “forever chemical” — and its effect on daphnia magna, a crustacean than plays a small but notable role in the environment.
“I enjoy researching gaps in literature because I know these things can have real-world implications on people,” Olivo explained of her interests. “I like the problem-solving aspect of science and how it can be challenging, but it’s very rewarding when you’re able to put together an experiment like this and you see significant results.”
Rios’ work, titled “Evaluating Behavioral Outcomes and Gut Microbiome Diversity in Drosophila melanogaster Following Exposure to Natural Versus Prescription ADHD Interventions,” examined the effects of certain ADHD medications and over-the-counter nutrients on the digestive and cognitive function of fruit flies.
“I’m most interested in neurology,” Rios said. “Last year, I also did a study on neurology. There’s so little known about how everything works, and that’s mostly what I’m interested in and why I want to keep researching neurological topics.”
This year, ISEF will distribute awards up to $6,000 for winners of 22 different categories, as well as up to $100,000 for nine separate awards to those who meet specific criteria as determined by the judging panel.
The competition is open to high school students from around the world, with up to 70 different countries expected to be represented.
Conklin-Kearney pointed out that entering science fairs isn’t about winning or earning prize money, but it’s about being self-motivated, gaining experience with in-depth research and presenting it confidently.
“We have a lot of kids who, maybe they’re not sure what they want to do,” she said. “But once they start to get comfortable presenting and they’re talking about something they’re really passionate about, it becomes real to them. They’re able to say, ‘I absolutely want to work in a lab when I get older. I absolutely want to do this for the rest of my life.’”
