3 Syosset Seniors Named 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars

SYOSSET, NY — Three Syosset students were named 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars.

The Regeneron STS a pre-college science competition, and these students were selected from more than 2,600 U.S. and international high school students.

The Syosset High School seniors are Elaine Liu, Grace C. Liu, and Nikhil Shah. They submitted original research in a scientific field and were among 300 students named Regeneron STS Scholars.

40 finalists will be named later this month on Jan. 21 and will compete to win $1.8 million in awards provided by Regeneron.

Syosset High School Lead Research Facilitator Heather Miller said her entire research team was thrilled to see three of their students recognized as scholars.

"Their work in the social sciences highlights a deep commitment to understanding the world around them, and their thoughtfulness, curiosity, and originality exemplify the very best of our students," Miller said.

Elaine Liu's project is titled, "The Effects of Apology Strategies on the Spread and Intensity of Cancel Culture Incidents," and was completed under the direction of Dr. Brett Klopp. Her study surrounded the topic of social media apology strategies and how they influence public backlash in cancel culture inclidents. She analyzed linguistic patterns and online engagement metrics.

Grace C. Liu's project titled "Evaluating Gender Differences in the Effects of Ambiguity and Misperception on Entrepreneurship in Three Business Development Stages: A Panel Data Analysis," was completed under the direction of Dr. Willem Spanjers and Ms. Erin O'Rourke. Her study used econometric methods and found that uncertainty aversion can discourage women from becoming entrepreneurs, and provided actionable policies to prevent further gender disparities.

Shah's project, "Examining the Impact of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines on Racial Disparities in Federal Sentencing," was completed under the mentorship of Dr. Brett Klopp. Shah's research provided quantitative evidence that sentencing guidelines are ineffective at mitigating racial inequalities in sentencing, after analyzing 26,435 federal court cases.