Herricks HIgh School seniors Meenakshi Krishna and Benjamin Pleat were among 300 high students in the country recognized for science research projects as semifinalists in the annual Intel Science Talent Search competition last month.
Krishna also had been recognized as a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math Science & Technology in November.
Krishna’s research focused on ways to reverse impaired blood vessel function associated with several conditions, including diabetes and stroke. She narrowed her work to examine a single protein that prevents blood vessels from growing and discovered four pairs of genes that could potentially inhibit the protein. Krishna said she worked 12-hour days, six days a week, in the bio-medical lab at Yale University.
She said she often asked her instructor, Dr. Themis Kyriadkides, if she could stay longer, but he told her to go home and relax.
Asked if she thought she had a good chance in the Intel competition, based on the result she got from the Siemens competition, she said she had no expectations in entering her research paper for Intel.
“It’s so subjective, you just try your best at everything,” Krishna said.
Pleat had worked on identifying possible sources of geothermal energy that could be tapped beneath the earth’s surface in Nevada, southern Oregon and Utah. He put in seven-hour days, six days a week over the summer doing his research at Stonybrook University under the direction of Dr. William Holt.
He focused on points of stress in the tectonic plates in the far west that can produce earthquakes. He initially continued research similar to work Holt had undertaken 10 years ago to research tremors that might be indicators for predicting earthquakes before his work shifted into the area of geothermal energy research.
“It’s one of the cleanest energy options. It’s an infinite source in many ways,” Pleat said. “There are not too many [geothermal] plants in the west. The energy there is largely untapped.”
He said it was “cool to see how research in the lab could potentially affect the energy market in the U.S. and the world.”
Krishna and Pleat were among 16 Herricks science research students who submitted research papers in the Intel competition. They also will be making presentations of their work in the Long Island Science and Energy Fair competition this month, a regional competition for entry in the World Intel competition later this year.
“It’s really a great accomplishment for these two science research students, to see their efforts and their diligence” Hericks science research teacher Renee Barcia said.
Krishna said she wants to study bio-medical engineering in college – possibly continuing her research at Yale University – and then become a research doctor, perhaps eventually mentoring students like herself.
“It shows other people appreciate what you’ve done,” she said of the two competitions.
Next fall Pleat will be attending Princeton University, where he said he plans to continue research that could potentially have an impact on development of alternative energy sources in this country. He said he will likely be a mathematics and science major.
“You take your own path, forage your own ground. It requires original thought,” Pleat said. “It’s been a great experience.”
Beyond science research, he described himself as a “huge” tennis player, who is focusing on leading the Herricks boys tennis team as one of its co-captains this spring.
Pleat is also co-editor of the Herricks High School newspaper, which Krishna also works on as features editor.
Krishna enjoys writing poetry and has participated in the annual “Poetry Out Loud” competition. She also performs in the Dance Theatre Club, which puts on an annual recital at the end of the school year.
