By: JOSEPH KELLARD
Ross's paper, "Synthesis of Kekulene on a Cyclodextrin Scaffold: Computational Analysis," earned him a spot among 83 semifinalists on Long Island, 151 statewide and 300 nationally in the scholastic competition, which attracted 1,600 entrants.
For two summers, Ross worked at SUNY-Stony Brook under the direction of Nancy Goroff, an assistant chemistry professor, where he conducted a computer study on the synthesis of kekulene, a chemical compound with industrial and medical uses. His work made it possible for scientists in Goroff's lab to create the correct structure of the compound without wasting much time and materials mixing agents to develop and synthesize it.
Renee Barcia, science research coordinator at OHS, praised Ross's creativity and long hours of hard work and research on his project. "This is pretty ground-breaking work for this type of study," Barcia said. "The project was really tailor-made for Ross because he's a very independent thinker."
The project required Ross to apply his smarts not just in chemistry, but also in computer programming. Last summer, when Ross was handed the MacroModel software at the lab, he had to teach himself the program before he could start his analysis, ultimately writing an additional program for it.
"I realized that I could do a lot more than just the program I was given," Ross said. In part, this time-consuming learning process and additional programming demanded that he live at Stony Brook throughout the summer, Ross said. But the project's most arduous work involved "the thinking that had to be done before actually writing the program," he added. "A lot of logic had to be applied, because it was very difficult to find the right algorithms to accomplish what I needed to do."
The potential applications of this future compound include speedier transmission of electricity and different ways of using insoluble drugs and medications. "This is just the beginning of the research, and it's going forward," said Ross, indicating that he may continue work in this area.
The soft-spoken senior was one of eight OHS students to enter the Intel competition this year. As a semifinalist, Ross earned both himself and his high school $1,000, and his project will be considered for one of 40 finalist spots, to be announced Jan. 26. If selected, he'll compete for a college scholarship worth $10,000 at the Science Talent Institute in Washington, D.C., May 15.
When he learned on Jan. 12 that he had been selected a semifinalist, Ross said, "I thought that all of us had a shot, but didn't think I would come through. It was a pleasant surprise."
The recognition, and the hard work that earned it, are all part of Ross's quest to become a scientist, a goal he set when he was only 3. He recalled being inspired by his father, who enjoyed tinkering with and improving home appliances. "I remember thinking that that was really cool," he said.
Now, in addition to wanting to be a finalist, Ross has his fingers crossed that come September, he'll be off to study in Boston, hoping Harvard will accept his application. Some of his mentors don't doubt he'll get there. "Ross is a great kid and the No. 1 student in class," said Ed Wilensky, chairman of the science and technology department at OHS. "He knows his stuff and will do great in college. And his placing in the semifinals signals a good start for our new science and technology program here at the high school."
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