MKA Senior Wins First Prize at NJ Junior Science Symposium

MKA senior Nikita Israni took first place at the highly prestigious Northern New Jersey Junior Science and Humanities (NNJJSH) Symposium at Rutgers University for an explanatory poster on her independent science research project "Investigation of the effectiveness of baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in decreasing inorganic fertilizer requirements for the plum purple radish Raphanus sativus."She will now go on to compete in the 53rd National JSHS on April 29-May 2, in Hunt Valley, MD.

Israni and fellow MKA seniors Meghan Massey and Nicole Romola were selected from a pool of over 100 submissions from around the state to present research on March 30 and 31. The symposium promotes original research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering and mathematics at the high school level and publicly recognizes students for outstanding achievement.

The seniors are enrolled in MKA's advanced Science Research Honors (SRH) course, a two-year, research-based program mentored by faculty member Dr. Carrie Fyler that is designed to foster independent work on a long-term research project that the student chooses, designs and executes. Based upon Departmental recommendation and an interview, the course currently enrolls these three students and three juniors, The selection of all three seniors to present at NNJJSH affords significant validation for the rigor of the SRH program.

The Symposium afforded the students their first experience presenting research in an outside competitive research forum.They presented their work in private sessions before a panel of judges, and described their work to peers during open poster sessions over the two-day symposium.

"The symposium showcased the best and brightest New Jersey science research students." Noted Fyler. "The depth and caliber of the research at the symposium was extremely impressive. It was an honor to be in the company of such passionate and talented research students and we are so proud of our seniors."