On Thursday, April 28th, Molloy hosted its first in-person Science Symposium in two years. Participants included members of Ms. Mary Mallia’s Science Research Program, Stanners that have been conducting research for three of their four years at Molloy. Beginning their sophomore year, Stanners commit to executing a three-year long project, and by their senior year, Stanners have years of research experience to draw from in college and beyond. Due to Covid-19 precautions, the last two symposiums were held virtually, and so sophomores, juniors, and seniors all presented their research in front of an audience for the very first time! Students, family members, faculty, and administrators all attended the symposium to support the participating Stanners and enjoy their enthusiastic presentations.
Before presentations began, Ms. Mallia, Principal Dr. Darius Penikas, and Chair of the Science Department Mr. Michael Nadeau addressed the students and their guests, commending them on their commitment and rigorous research. Then, throughout the afternoon, guests were invited to interact with the student researchers and learn about their experiments. In the Ralph DeChiaro Theater, sophomore students presented their scientific literature reviews on a topic they found most compelling. Juniors presented a project plan outside of the theater, depicting a research plan that they will conduct throughout their final year in the program. In the library, seniors presented the real-world research they’ve worked on throughout the past year. While a few projects focused on the impact of COVID-19 on everyday life, others dealt with personality traits and twins, relationship between video game animation and age, and food intolerance in different countries.
In addition to great research work at the symposium, senior Paul Lanza ‘22 won the NYU Tandon School of Engineering STEM Impact Award! $1000 was awarded to a project of societal importance; his project was to design a scalpel blade using aluminum oxide. Junior Stutee Oke ‘23 was awarded the Honors Award (3rd Place) in the Finals. She researched the impact of supply chains on small companies.
When asked about the outcome of the event, Mr. Nadeau exclaimed, “This year’s Science Research Symposium was a tremendous display of our students’ passion for science and Ms. Mallia’s dedication to the program. I think visitors came away from the event recognizing that our program participants are tangibly involved in the advancement of science-- these students are genuine contributors, how exciting is that!” Ms. Mallia reciprocated this sentiment, stating, “I wish to thank the administration, especially Dr. Penikas and Mr. Cameron; Mr. Nadeau, who supplies ongoing support and a listening ear; communications for all the publishing help; IT and facilities for setting everything up perfectly; and the parents, for having such amazing students. It was very exciting to have a ‘live’ in-person event after two years. Although we put a virtual symposium online, it does not replace being able to have a dialogue with the students about their work. It was also very impressive to see all the students’ research set up in the theater and library. We truly have very talented students who will make a difference in the world.”