St Dominic STEM.indd - St. Dominic High School

Teresa Kuehhas M.A.
Saint Dominic H.S.: Research Specialist/Mentor
Dr. Bruce Nash Ph.D
Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center
Here at Saint Dominic we are offering a way to give our students
hands on science experiences; The STEM Scholar Program
supports the development of independent student research.
The STEM Scholar Program will begin an innovative mentoring
system for student projects in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM).
Saint Dominic High School eagerly welcomes students to apply
for this innovative program beginning in the fall of 2014. After
students enroll they will then have the opportunity to apply to
The STEM Scholar Program. They will have the opportunity to
complete all the traditional High School graduation requirements
while simultaneously completing a challenging and enriching
research-based sequence of STEM courses and experiences. Under
our program, the experience of enhancing students’ long-term
research is captured.
A 21st Century Education
The STEM Scholar Program is a rigorous academic program with
a focus on research at Cold Spring Harbor, Brookhaven labs and
the Waterfront Center during the freshman, sophomore, junior
and senior years. This program seeks to prepare students to
produce publishable research, succeed in the prestigious Intel
and Siemens science and math competitions, and pursue college
degrees in STEM fields.
STEM education has become such a vital part of secondary
education. STEM education is a critical component to prepare
students for today’s most in-demand jobs. Saint Dominic is
committed to providing a 21st Century education to our students
and offering STEM to all of our students.
St. Dominic High School 3D Science
As part of its continuing efforts to improve science education and
maximize the resources of its new Science and Communications
Center, St. Dominic High School will begin to utilize 3D content in
each of its science labs to enhance instruction by November 2013.
3D content offers students the opportunity to visualize and interact
with scientific concepts in a more comprehensive and concrete
way by providing enhanced depth and scale, making it easier
to understand complicated structures and processes. 3D videos,
simulations and interactive diagrams bring lessons to life in a way
that 2D content cannot. The increased use of media in the classroom
also furthers the school’s goal of differentiating instruction
to address a variety of learning styles. In addition, research from
the International Research Agency shows a 46% increase in student
engagement and a 34% increase in test scores with the use of
3D media which clearly demonstrates the value of implementing
this new type of instructional material.
In order to provide a wide variety of content across the sciences,
we utilize the Design mate content library which offers
350 videos and over 200 simulations. The unique combination of
3D videos, simulations, experiments, learning activities, quizzes,
texts, images and learning objects provides teachers with an
additional tool to enhance classroom instruction. Each science lab
is equipped with a 3D ready interactive projector and computer
with upgraded video card. A class set of 3D glasses is available so
that all science teachers and students can take advantage of this
valuable new teaching tool.

OUR FUTURE LEADERS
Kevin Podell ’13 NJIT Brian Slivonik ’13 Florida Southern Giovanni McCreath ‘14
RNAi: Cancer in C. elegans
Our project was focused around the process of RNAi which
scientists believe may one day help them find cures to some
of the world’s deadliest genetic disorders including cancer,
Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In our project we
found genes associated with cell division and tumor development
in humans (processes that when done improperly can lead to
cancer development). We tested the effects of running RNAi on
C. elegans using four genes (TERT-1, ATG-1, AGE-1 and RAD-
51) both individually and in combinations and then observed
the resulting phenotypes. We wanted to see whether silencing
multiple genes had any amplified or new phenotypes. We learned
through our observations that silencing multiple genes has major,
mostly lethal results on the C. elegans.
Zachary Cangemi ‘13 Colby Mark Flynn ‘14 Columbia Phillip Catapano ’13 Villanova
Testing the Effects of a Medium on Plant Growth
Our project demonstrated the differences in plant growth between
those grown in a hydroponic setup and those grown in soil. We
used jalapeno peppers and basil and placed half of each in soil
and half in a hydroponic setup. We used a tank filled with nine
gallons of water and a piece of Styrofoam to hold the plants in
place. Nutrient solution was then added to the tank on a weekly
basis to make up for the loss of resources in the new medium. In a
period of three weeks, we noticed significant differences between
the plants. Those grown in soil had much shorter stems, smaller
leaf size, and less root growth compared to the hydroponic plants.
The Effect of Electromagnetic Radiation on Plant Growth
We conducted an experiment in which the growth of green lentil
seeds was subjected to electromagnetic radiation sources nearby.
The control group not placed near the radiation had the tallest and
healthiest looking stems. The group exposed to radiation waves
at strength of 11 from a wireless router had shorter stems than the
Mackenzie Walsh ’14 Caitlyn Sullivan ’14
control and took longer to grow to maximum height. The group
exposed to the strongest electromagnetic wavelength of 30 radio
waves, had the shortest stem height. This research shows that
radiation given off by today’s technology has a negative effect on
plants nearby.
Toniann Pasqueralle ’13 Fordham
Milgram’s Experiment Reinvented
Stanley Milgram, an American Psychologist, conducted various
studies and published articles on obedience to authority. Milgram
was influenced by the events of the Holocaust, and wondered
why the Nazis had killed so many people, even if they knew
that killing was wrong. Milgram proposed an experiment to test
whether or not a person’s morality affected their obedience.
Out experiment tested students’ decisions to administer “high
voltage shocks” to classmates who answered a set of questions
wrong. The students did not know that these shocks were
Kellie Higgins ’13 Hofstra
simulated. We found mixed reactions to the experiment. Six
out of seven girls tested carried out the entire experiment. The
7th girl dropped out halfway through. All seven boys carried
out the entire experiment. Three students didn’t hesitate to flip
the next switch because they wanted the person to feel the pain
quickly and get it with. We concluded that gender did not affect
the results in the slightest, but some of the subjects said that the
physical appearance of the subject might have influences their
decision to continue with the experiment.

OUR FUTURE LEADERS
Jordyn Coyne ’13 Notre Dame Marissa Licata ’13 Stonehill Amanda DeFeo ’13 NYU
The Effects of OR2J3 on One’s Senses, Ability to Smell
cis-3-hexan-1-ol, and Preference of Tomatoes
Our research determines how genetics may be involved in a person’s preference towards food. We believe that a certain odor receptor,
OR2J3, influences a person’s preference towards tomatoes. To test our theory we conducted different “smell trials” with our subjects
using the chemical cis-3-hexen-1-ol. The odor receptor OR2J3 is vital to smell the grassy, green aroma of cis-3-hexen-1-ol. Cis-3-
henxen-1-ol is naturally found in tomatoes, leading us to theory that individuals that contain the odor receptor, OR2J3, would have a
preference towards tomatoes. Extracting and sequencing DNA was done to analyze individual’s genes and search for polymorphisms
that potentially could restrict one’s ability to smell the aroma. Those that had difficulty in smelling cis-3-hexen-1-ol in different
concentrations would most likely not contain the odor receptor, OR2J3. Our results had shown the majority of our test group did
contain OR2J3, while the others had a polymorphism that obstructed their ability to smell. There was a small correlation between the
odor receptor and preference towards tomatoes. However, results may have been varied due to personal choice.