Pawling Central School District

Have you ever thought about the possibility that there may be habitable planets outside our solar system? Maybe you’ve wondered about new ways to use 3D-printed objects, or wish that you knew more about factors that could lead to dementia.

On Wednesday, May 17 the Pawling school community had the opportunity to gain some insight on these topics – and learn even more – at Pawling High School’s ninth annual Science Research Symposium.

Hosted by Pawling High School’s SUNY Albany-accredited science research program, the symposium acted as a platform for participating students to present their most recent work. The program is a rigorous three-year elective course that students enter as sophomores with a commitment to continue through senior year.

Students learn about the research process, connect with expert mentors, and choose a topic to investigate. They progressively expand the scope of their research efforts throughout the program while gaining opportunities to share their work at all stages via competitions and events like the symposium.

The event kicked off with a poster session in the high school cafeteria. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors displayed posters and engaged attendees in discussions about their latest research efforts. Following the presentations, the program’s four graduating seniors took to the auditorium stage to formally share their work via PowerPoint presentations.

Sophomore Marlene Ruiz's display centering on astronomy, exoplanets, and artificial intelligence seemed to both baffle and fascinate her visitors. Their faces revealed dawning comprehension, however, as she confidently walked them through the subject by answering questions and referring to visual aids on her poster.

Though she is fascinated by astronomy, Ruiz explained that her topic was a departure from her original topic: art therapy.

“Once I started researching it I realized that there isn’t much more to be done in that area,” she said. “I’ve always been into astronomy and there was much more to investigate, so it was a good switch.”

Senior Samuel Mejorado, whose research centered on the topic of biofuel, agreed that the program opened his eyes to new areas: he came into the program with a desire to investigate coral reef restoration. He credited Science Research Director Gillian Rinaldo – who runs the program and works closely with her students to help them reach their goals – with gently guiding him to a subject he hadn’t considered before.

“She’s very perceptive about noticing what we might be interested in, even if we start out with something different in mind,” said Mejorado. “She paid attention to what I was doing and helped lead me in a direction that I hadn’t really considered.”

Mejorado will be attending the University of Buffalo this fall and is currently writing a proposal to expand on his work in the college laboratories.

Though Mejorado and many other students in the program plan on an academic career in the sciences, some use the experience as a unique way to explore personal passions and come away with skills that will serve them in the future. Junior Chelsea Hodge plans to study business in college and is confident that her coursework will serve her in the future.

“I’m going to be able to take the social and professional aspects of this work and bring them to new areas when I study business,” she said. “Working with a mentor, doing professional research, becoming more confident and independent – I’m getting a lot out of it.”

Gillian Rinaldo said that she looks forward to the symposium every year as a way for her students to both practice their presentation skills and show the community what they know. This year she was particularly impressed with the professionalism of their posters.

“They all really took the time to make them teaching tools and not just standalone pieces,” said Rinaldo. “I think people noticed and appreciated that.”

Among the attendees were mentors, teachers, administrators, parents, friends, and even younger Pawling students. Parent Jean Milord brought along his elementary- and middle school-aged sons in hopes that the symposium might spark an interest in science.

“I want to show them what the sciences can look like and expose them to the resources at Pawling,” said Milord. “This event was the perfect chance to broaden their perspective and opportunity if they enjoy what they see.”

We look forward to many more years of welcoming students into Pawling’s Science Research Program.