Students Recognized for Their Award-Winning Science Research

“These students are truly amazing,” said Dr. Kristina Gremski, Science Research Program director and upper school science teacher. “I’m humbled whenever I think about everything they have achieved.”

Michael Stoica ’25 was drawn to his research topic, “A Novel Approach to Diagnosing Tree Diseases and Infestations,” when he saw infested ash trees being cut down in his neighborhood. “I knew I wanted to take action, especially when I realized there were no established tree disease detection devices that are affordable or usable on a widespread scale,” explained Stoica, whose work earned him honors in Environmental Science at WESEF and NYSSEF. “I spent my last two summers in the woods of Westchester searching for trees, taking measurements, and refining my testing system.” 

Stoica and Jeremy Li ’25 advanced to the international GENIUS Olympiad, where they will present alongside students from 40 other countries in June at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Only 10 students out of the 714 at WESEF were named GENIUS Olympiad finalists. 

“I was proud to represent The Masters School on the awards podium and be part of such a supportive team where everyone lifts each other up,” Stoica said. “I will continue expanding my research as well as mentoring the younger science research students to inspire that scientific motivation.”

After placing in the Physics and Astronomy category at WESEF and NYSSEF, Alyssa Wang ’25 spoke about the passion she had for her research on “Visualizing Compact Euclidean Topology.”

“I was very interested in the idea of higher dimensions, and the topology of a three-dimensional space always makes me think about the connection of our 3D space to these abstract ideas,” she said. “The fact that scientists have found a way to visualize them is fascinating and I want to dig deeper into how it’s done and create my own.”

Wang enjoys building connections with students from other schools at the science fairs and feels “more excited and encouraged about going into a career in science.”

The Science Research Program allows students to conduct an independent research project in a scientific field of their choice with the help of an expert mentor. They are then given the opportunity to present their work at the regional, state and possibly even international level, though Gremski maintains that “The main reason we participate in the fairs is not for the awards, but rather to give the students experience of what it is like to present their research in front of outside experts.”