Copiague Student Named Regeneron Scholar

COPIAGUE, NY — A Copiague student is one of 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.

Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School student Kemmora Simmons, 17, studied soy's effects on hormones and stress in fruit flies. Simmons' project title: The Effect of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Soy on the Psychological Stress Levels of Neonatal Drosophila melanogaster.

The scholars were announced Wednesday by the Society for Science. 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.

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.

“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.”

SEE ALSO: 50 Long Island Students Named Regeneron Scholars