Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
SID Students Elevate Innovation and Receive Awards at Science Fair
The spark of scientific minds rings for students in Hamden Hall’s signature program, Science, Innovation, & Design, as select representatives in both Upper and Middle School presented their independent research projects at the 76th Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair.
Twenty-two students submitted projects for consideration with seven earning finalist status including senior Joy Zhuo; juniors Helena Chaine and Lucy Chen, sophomores, Linda Chen, Neev Makin, Sophia Vash, and seventh-grader Kinan Herb. Sophomores Andrei Balas and Kaleb Fiore both earned special awards.
“It's gratifying to watch the growing cohort of student scientists and faculty mentors as they develop a community based around their shared interest in research,” said Upper School science teacher and mentor Dr. Patrick Fitzgerald. “Student leadership has been very active recently, and I am delighted with the number of students who have chosen to participate for multiple consecutive years. Integration between the Upper and Middle School SID programs has generated renewed interest, and I hope to see more students participating for all four years of their time in the Upper School!”
Lucy earned four medallions for her project in Connecticut Science Fair Association Physical Science Awards, the Pfizer Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Awards, the Infosys Foundation Computer Science Awards, and the Alexion Biotechnology Awards. She also was awarded Lunch with a Patent Attorney. Joy, Helena, and Linda as a team earned a medallion in the EnergizeCT Future Sustainability Awards and were awarded the Biophysics Award and $100 from the Biophysical Society.
Neev earned a medallion in the Pfizer Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Awards. Sophia earned a medallion in the Life Science Awards with support from Boehringer Ingelheim and $200 For Excellence in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering in the Freeman Family Excellence in Chemistry Awards. Kinan earned a medallion in the Life Science Awards with support from Boehringer Ingelheim. Andrei earned a certificate from the American Psychological Association and a $25 gift card given by the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair and Kaleb earned the Alumni High School Botany Award, $100 Cash from Alumni Botany Awards.
The students have been advised and mentored by the following faculty members: SID Program Director, Dr. Frank Gasparro, Upper School science teachers Dr. Patrick Fitzgerald, Dr. Gina D'Angelo, Sarrah Gavin, and Jacob Marchesi along with Upper School math teachers Daniel Cuneo, Michael Gustin, and Robert Link.
Under the advisement of Middle School SID Program Director and science teacher Paulomi Aldo, students prepared for the fair working thoroughly on their projects over the course of the school year.
“The students have worked tirelessly on developing their ideas into a research-based project, and I could not be more proud of their dedication and efforts,” said Mrs. Aldo. “The research topics the students chose is highly reflective of their personal interests in the scientific space. Over the next few years, I hope more students will continue to join the program and we can further build on fostering a love for science.”
Established during the 2011-2012 school year, the Science, Innovation, & Design Program is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to pursue independent research on scientific topics of their interest. Since the fall of 2022, the program has extended to now include Middle School students. One of the goals of the SID program is to encourage students to submit entries to state-wide science fairs and similar offerings. According to Dr. Gasparro, “These projects prepare students for further independent work and serve as distinguishing features above routine coursework for college applications.”
The Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair is a yearly, statewide science and engineering fair open to students in Grades 7-12. The students virtually presented their projects to a panel of judges for the preliminary round before finalists were selected.
Hamden Hall Student Finalist Project Titles:
Helena Chaine, Linda Chen, Joy Zhuo: “Quantum-Assisted Machine Learning on Maize Yield Prediction Report.”
Lucy Chen: “Deep Learning-Based Drug Response Prediction Algorithm about Synergistic and Antagonistic Responses of Cell Lines and Drug Combos.”
Andrei Balas: “Edhelper: The Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Aid of Learning for Neurodivergent Children.”
Neev Makin: “Using an AI algorithm to Minimize the Number of Punctures Attempted during Blood Draw or IV Insertion.”
Sophia Vash: “Hydroxyapatite Encapsulation of Avobenzone: Reductions in Transdermal Diffusion and in Photosensitized Degradation of Octyl Methoxycinnamate.”MS Student Finalist Project Titles:
Kinan Harb: “What Temperature Do Legumes Fixate Nitrogen the Most Efficiently In?”
Hamden Hall Country Day School
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
About Us
Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
