By Hector Flores
Barbi Frank, a Kennedy science teacher and research mentor, said that being named in the Siemens Westinghouse contest is an enormous accomplishment for the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District's Advanced Science Research program. "This is the first time that the district has had an individual research entry named among the finalists," she said. "[Adam] is one of 30 individual projects that have made it into this level of the competition, and we are very proud of him."
Each year, thousands of students enter projects in the Siemens Westinghouse contest. Solomon, who takes part in Kennedy's research program, entered a research paper on brown dwarf stars. "Brown dwarfs are small, cold and faint stars," he said. "I studied the type of light they give off and found a certain pattern, which is linked with youth. This information provides a good way of determining the age and mass of a brown dwarf, which are two of its fundamental properties. The age of a star is difficult to measure. But with my research, I've found a way to restrict their age better, which estimates their mass better."
Solomon plans to also enter his research project in the Intel Science Talent Search competition later this year. (Last year Kennedy boasted five Intel semifinalists, a record for the district.)
Beyond the accolades, Solomon has garnered the respect of his teachers and become a role model for his fellow students through his research. Barbara Franklin, his science teacher, said, "When Adam first came to the program, he told me that he wanted to work in astronomy. We never had a student who worked on that field before, and it was through him that I learned about the field."
Frank added, "He is truly passionate about astronomy, and has become a role model to the other students. He is truly an astrophysicist, and his level of project is just truly special and at another level."
To prepare for his research, Solomon endured a grueling study regimen, taking Advanced Placement physics and calculus. "He was the only junior in the A.P. physics," Frank said. "This year he's taking A.P. physics C, which is an independent-study course."
Robert Soel, chairman of Kennedy's science department, is proud of Solomon's contributions to the science community at such a young age. "He is an inspiration to the other research students, and builds a lot of positive momentum for the group," Soel said. "I'm just so proud of him for his work. This accomplishment means so much for the district. The teachers here are very supportive, and the raw talent that is in the district is nurtured and guided through the Advanced Science Research classes. When I see Adam, I think of his talent and the great teachers who have guided him through the process."
Solomon will compete in the individual regional finals Nov. 17 to 20 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. If he were to win the regional, he would compete in the national competition at NYU in December. The competition's winner receives a $100,000 scholarship.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
