5 Regeneron Semifinalists At Horace Greeley, Byram Hills

CHAPPAQUA/ARMONK, NY — 25 students from across Westchester County, including a total of five from Horace Greeley High School and Byram Hills High School, were named semifinalists, or scholars, in the prestigious 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

The top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, were announced Wednesday by the Society for Science — and 25 of them are from Westchester County.

The 300 scholars will be awarded $2,000 each and their schools will be awarded $2,000 for each enrolled scholar.

"Congratulations to the top 300 scholars in this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. "We received a record-breaking number of applications this year; interest in this prestigious competition is at an all-time high. I am truly impressed by the quality of the projects and the ingenuity that each student brings to the competition. Their diligence, passion, and perseverance should be celebrated."

The Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars were selected from 2,162 entrants from 712 high schools across 46 states, Puerto Rico and 10 other countries – the highest number of entrants since 1969 and an increase of over 200 from 2023.

On Jan. 24, 40 of them will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists. The finalists will then compete for more than $1.8 million in awards during a week-long competition in Washington, D.C. March 6-13.

Scholars were chosen based on their outstanding research, leadership skills, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions and demonstration of exceptional promise as leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through original, independent research projects, essays, and recommendations.

The 300 scholars hail from 196 American and international high schools in 36 states and China.

"Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024 scholars, whose exceptional projects demonstrate their ability to use science to improve the world," said Christina Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Regeneron, the global biotech giant based in the Hudson Valley. "In partnership with the Society, we are proud to provide this prestigious national platform that recognizes, celebrates, and rewards students for their curiosity and innovation and encourages them to push the boundaries of science to tackle society’s most pressing issues."

The Horace Greeley Scholar and her project:

• Anwen Cao, 17, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY. Project Title: An Exploration of mTOR in Epstein-Barr Virus: Evaluating the Effect of EBV Deubiquitinating Enzyme BPLF1 on mTOR Complex 1 and 2

The Byram Hills Scholars and their projects:

• Lily Anchin, 17, Byram Hills High School, Armonk NY. Project Title: Investigating the Immunophenotypic Differences Among T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients of Distinct Subtype, Sex and Race in Efforts To Improve Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy
• Benjamin Max Levy, Age: 17, Byram Hills High School, NY. Project Title: Using Machine Learning To Uncover Hidden Linguistic Differences Within Online Mental Health Disclosures Between Men and Women
• Jonathan M. Manowitz, Age: 17, Byram Hills High School, NY. Project Title: The Use of What Remains: Repurposing Harvest Waste From Romaine Lettuce Cultivation for Cell-Based Meat Production
• Daniel Ndocaj, Age: 17, Byram Hills High School, NY. Project Title: Investigating the Potential of Optically Tunable Metasurfaces for Enhanced Detection of Fluorescent Molecules

See a photo of the Byram Hills High School winners here.

The full list of scholars can be viewed here.