Suffolk County Legislators Tom Donnelly (D-Huntington Station) and Susan Berland (D-Dix Hills) shared the joy, pride and excitement of the entire community in recognizing Half Hollow Hills (HHH) School District Juniors Arooba Ahmed, Jiachen Lee and Jillian Parker for winning top honors, and a $100,000 scholarship that they will share, in the prestigious Siemens Competition, the nation’s premier research competition in math, science and technology for high school students.
Held at the Fran Greenspan Administration Building in Dix Hills on Monday, Jan. 8, the students were recognized by a myriad of educators, dignitaries and community leaders and received County Proclamations from Legislators Donnelly and Berland. Also honored were Michael Lake, their HHH advisor and Dr. Ken-Ichi Takemaru, who oversaw their research at Stony Brook University.
“Winning the Siemens competition is the high school equivalent of receiving a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize and puts these outstanding young scientists in an infinitesimally elite group of dedicated, driven and intellectually gifted students,” said Legislator Donnelly. “Wherever their futures take them – and I have no doubt that it will be very far – they will forever be distinguished as National Siemens winners. It was a privilege to join the community in celebrating them, their advisor and their mentor.”
“It was my honor to recognize Arooba Ahmed, Jiachen Lee and Jillian Parker, winners of the National Siemens competition in Math, Science and Technology. These outstanding young women completed a research project into CCDC11, a protein involved in cell division, with the potential to stop the spread of cancer, viruses such as HIV and neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s, autism and ALS,” stated Legislator Berland. “This extraordinary work was accomplished under the direction of their academic advisor, Michael Lake and their mentor at Stony Brook University, Dr. Ken-Ichi Takemaru. Congratulations to these fine young women, their mentors, District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Harrigan and the Half Hollow Hills School District on this remarkable accomplishment.”
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