Science Research Students Earn Major Recognition

4/8/2026

It’s been a standout season for students in Masters’ Science Research program. Under the guidance of Dr. Kristina Gremski, students have received top honors at the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF) and the New York State Science & Engineering Fair (NYSSEF).

View a Photo Gallery of Science Research Students at Spring Fairs

At WESEF, Nico Khoury-Levy ’26 won 1st place in Cellular & Molecular Biology, the Future of Medicine Award and an invitation to present his research at the annual meeting of the Westchester Academy of Medicine. He continued his success at NYSSEF, where he again placed 1st place in Cellular & Molecular Biology and received the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award.

Siena Versaci ’27 captured 1st place in the Behavioral & Social Sciences category at WESEF. She and Khoury-Levy were also named as Top 20 finalists in the prestigious Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be held in Phoenix in May.

Versaci shared that she was “honored and excited” to be selected as an ISEF finalist. “I was happy that my project had an impact and that it has the potential to make necessary improvements within the mental health system,” she said.

Khoury-Levy said, “I have wanted to participate in this event (ISEF) for a while, and I just feel lucky to have this opportunity to compete against so many capable young researchers. I look forward to meeting the judges, scientists and other students from all over the world.”

Emily Kasoff ’27 was selected as a finalist for the International GENIUS Olympiad competition in Rochester, New York, in June. She also received Honorable Mention in Cellular & Molecular Biology at NYSSEF.

Gremski said she was proud of all her students who competed, regardless of the outcome. “Seeing so many of our students ‘place’ was a huge win, but I also want to emphasize that every one of our student researchers did a fantastic job,” she said.

This spring, the work continues. Seniors are preparing to mentor sophomores for the School’s Science Research Symposium in May and the Somers Science Fair in June; juniors are developing new research projects they will be starting this summer.

“I love seeing the students mature as scientists from tenth through twelfth grade,” Gremski shared. “When they first start, they have to learn how to navigate professional scientific papers and technical vocabulary, but by the time they are seniors, they have a level of expertise that is truly impressive.”

Congratulations to our WESEF winners:
Wei Hu ’27: 2nd place in Medicine & Health
Rose Yuan ’28: 2nd place in Medicine & Health
Adrian Ciubotaru ’27: 2nd place in Computational Biology
Ella Shapiro ’26: 3rd place in Biochemistry
Julia Panos ’27: 3rd place in Behavioral & Social Sciences
Arlo Goldberg ’27: Office of Naval Research Award in Medicine & Health
Ella Liu ’27: Society for In Vitro Biology Award in Medicine & Health

Kudos to our NYSSEF winners:
Sam Huang ’27: 2nd place in Biochemistry
Rose Yuan ’28: 3rd place in Biomedical & Health Sciences
Wei Hu ’27: 3rd place in Biomedical & Health Sciences
Julia Panos ’27: 3rd place in Behavioral & Social Sciences
Emily Kasoff ’27: Honorable Mention in Cell & Molecular Biology
Arlo Goldberg ’27: Honorable Mention in Translational Medicine
Ella Liu ’27: Honorable Mention in Biomedical & Health Science