Dr. Ying Spearheads Research and Summer Programs
Credit: Georgia Panitz
Independent Research program students (from left to right) Samhitha Josyula, Vinay Bijoor, Sean Malcolm, and Connor Larsen
May 1, 2016
Hackley’s Science Department has tailored its course options to offer a large number of classes so that each student can pursue a path in the sciences which is best for them and also piques their interest. One of the newest options for Hackley students is the Independent Research Program, taught by science teacher Dr. Andrew Ying, and now in its first year.
The program offers students who are extremely interested in science, and even a specific field, the opportunity to pursue science research at a very high level. “I thought this would be a great way to get them (students) involved in currently what is happening in a field they are interested in, and hopefully be able to participate,” said Dr. Ying about the program.
The program is a major class which meets six out of the seven days of the cycle, and runs from sophomore to senior year. The class currently has four sophomore students enrolled: Vinay Bijoor, Sean Malcolm, Samhitha Josyula, and Connor Larson.
The main focus of the first year of the program for the students, is learning about their topic by reading published papers which have been peer reviewed by scientists. By reading these papers, the students learn vital information about their field, but also decide what they want to focus on as they continue their research. For example, Vinay, who is studying multiple sclerosis, and Samhitha, studying brain tumors, have decided to focus their research on the drugs and therapies in their fields. Sean Malcolm, who is studying fusion and plasma physics, said, “My favorite part of this program is that it is very relaxed and you can decide what path you want to choose, but it also brings about the challenge that it is very hard to make a decision that you must stick with for 3 years.” — Sean Malcolm
Dr. Ying has also spearheaded efforts to introduce all Hackley students to summer science course opportunities at universities across the country, such as MIT, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins. These summer courses offer a large variety of options, but the format for the programs vary between a more intensive and a less intensive option. The more intensive courses are research heavy, where students get to work in a lab for at least 6 weeks conducting experiments, collecting data, and then presenting their findings. The shorter courses are about one to two weeks, and are more curriculum driven and classwork based, but also include lab experiments.
With the Independent Research Program and summer course options, Dr. Ying is hoping to provide greater opportunities for Hackley students who are really interested in science and wish to gain more knowledge, in addition to what they learn in school. “It starts with how enthusiastic they are about science. If they are really gung-ho about being in a lab and working and getting that experience, then this three-year program is a great option. If you generally like science and you want to learn about a lot of different things, then advanced course work (which Hackley offers) is a good option and one of the one or two-week summer programs is really good too,” said Dr. Ying.
As the research and findings in the scientific world are becoming more vast and advanced, Dr. Ying has done an exceptional job of helping develop the available science opportunities for current and future students at Hackley, so they can pursue their scientific interests and make contributions to the scientific field.
