A MultiSTEMmed Discussion About Careers in Scientific Research

Plainview, NY — Despite COVID-19 making this year different from previous years, Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District (POBCSD) Science Research students adapted, engaging with alumni to learn through virtual mentorship and resources. Alumni Lesya Horan ‘11, Robert Adelson ‘13, Dan Solnick ‘16, and Evan Lander ‘16 discussed the STEM field, offering advice and assistance to students through virtual methods. Students were able to gain a deeper understanding of scientific research in the professional world.

“We are so grateful to our incredible alumni who came back to visit via our virtual classrooms to be a great resource for our aspiring young professionals,” said Dr. Mary O’Meara, Superintendent of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District. “Hearing from such successful graduates inspires our students, encouraging them to achieve at their highest potential. Our alumni exemplify the District’s profile of graduate attributes, accomplishing great success during their time here and beyond.”

The alumni focused on the professional fields in STEM through virtual interactive sessions, explaining what students should expect when they enter this field. Students heard their stories and were able to ask their own questions regarding the different areas of STEM. Each alumnus was able to bring a unique perspective to the discussion as they each study specific areas within the STEM field.

Lesya Horan ‘11, a PhD student in experimental particle physics on the ATLAS Experiment at the University of Chicago, mentored current junior, Jennifer Zhu, on a physics/astrophysics project. Together the team explored the properties of the Higgs boson particles to increase the significance of this type of data in the field of particle physics and to determine a quicker pathway to rediscover the Higgs particle.

Robert Adelson ‘13, a Research Data Analyst at the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease/Institute of Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, worked with senior Ben Yacht, on a computational microbiology project. The goal of their project is to identify genetic variants in the negative regulation B cell activation pathway that are related to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dan Solnick and Evan Lander, finishing up at the University of Chicago and Columbia University respectively, tag teamed to mentor senior Ronald Cheng on a computational epidemiology project. Together they explored various topics in mathematics from statistics to probability and are working on a project that aims to combat problems with COVID-19 related data quality in the United States.

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District, please visit the District’s website at www.pobschools.org. Exciting activities happening throughout the District, and programs celebrating student achievement can also be found on the District’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pobschools/