Smithtown East Student Named Finalist In Space Competition

SMITHTOWN, NY — Zachary Finger, a junior in the Smithtown High School East ThINK Discovery Science Research Program, is hoping that, next year, astronauts onboard the International Space Station will be performing an experiment that earned him recognition as 1 of 5 national finalists in the Genes in Space competition, according to a news release from the Smithtown Central School District.

The Genes in Space competition challenges students to solve sweeping problems faced by space travelers.

Once Finger heard of the competition, he was immediately interested in submitting his experiment, said Maria Zeitlin, Smithtown East ThINK Discovery science research coordinator.

"He eats, breathes, and discusses all things centered on space exploration," she said. "He was beyond excited at the announcement and I could not be happier for this amazing achievement."

This is the second time Smithtown High School East has a finalist in the competition. In 2019, Kevin Chen was a finalist and attended the International Space Station Conference where he presented.

This year, the finalists were asked to design molecular DNA experiments that address space travel concerns using the unique environment found on the ISS.

Zach is set to present his project this July at the virtual ISS Conference.