Testimonials
ISRP pushed me to dive deeper into an area I am passionate about, and it encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone in order to explore that area. Without ISRP, my interest in food allergies would not have gone beyond reading some news articles and talking to my allergist. However, in the program, I learned how to read incredibly awesome science articles, reach out to a mentor, secure a research internship, and analyze data. I would not have had the skills or confidence to do any of that without ISRP.
- Lily Napach ‘21
ISRP provided me with incredible opportunities and valuable skills for the future. Being able to research such advanced physics was a dream come true and having the skills to do proper scientific research is a big help going into future research at university.
- Josh Saha ‘20
I loved the ability to explore learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. High school is full of classes where you have to finish assignments on the teacher's schedule and you often are not interested in the subject. IRP gave me a chance to explore learning where I was the motivation and I could focus on what most interested me. The aspect of self-driven learning is so critical in college because no one is checking up on you like they are in high school so learning this skill starting from 10th grade has been integral in my college experience.
- William Crainer ‘19
- Lily Napach ‘21
ISRP provided me with incredible opportunities and valuable skills for the future. Being able to research such advanced physics was a dream come true and having the skills to do proper scientific research is a big help going into future research at university.
- Josh Saha ‘20
I loved the ability to explore learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. High school is full of classes where you have to finish assignments on the teacher's schedule and you often are not interested in the subject. IRP gave me a chance to explore learning where I was the motivation and I could focus on what most interested me. The aspect of self-driven learning is so critical in college because no one is checking up on you like they are in high school so learning this skill starting from 10th grade has been integral in my college experience.
- William Crainer ‘19
Upper School
Independent Science Research Program
Established in 2015, the Independent Science Research Program at Hackley provides students with a passion for science the opportunity to participate in authentic scientific research in a genuine setting.
This three-year program is designed to give students first-hand experience in conducting research, thus bridging the gap between a traditional high school science curriculum and the process behind real-world scientific discoveries.
Students accepted in the program will spend each summer after their sophomore and junior years working closely with research scientists to conduct self-designed experiments, either in an academic, medical or industrial lab. The program culminates with the students submitting their results to regional, national and/or international science and engineering fairs.
Students prepare for the challenges of conducting research during the school year by learning foundational skills such as performing proper literature reviews, reading and analyzing data, and presenting results. The program also aids students in identifying and contacting potential mentors at universities and research facilities. Once a student has paired with a mentor, they work together to design an experiment to be carried out over the summer. Ideally, the mentor and student find the experience mutually rewarding, so they can continue working together throughout the academic year in preparation for future experiments during subsequent summers.
Students accepted in the program will spend each summer after their sophomore and junior years working closely with research scientists to conduct self-designed experiments, either in an academic, medical or industrial lab. The program culminates with the students submitting their results to regional, national and/or international science and engineering fairs.
Students prepare for the challenges of conducting research during the school year by learning foundational skills such as performing proper literature reviews, reading and analyzing data, and presenting results. The program also aids students in identifying and contacting potential mentors at universities and research facilities. Once a student has paired with a mentor, they work together to design an experiment to be carried out over the summer. Ideally, the mentor and student find the experience mutually rewarding, so they can continue working together throughout the academic year in preparation for future experiments during subsequent summers.
News
List of 6 news stories.
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ISRP Alum Vinay Bijoor ’18 Shares Research Experiences With Current ISRP Students
Read MoreThe Independent Science Research Program had the pleasure of welcoming back its first ISRP graduate, Vinay Bijoor ’18, on Thursday, Nov. 21. During his visit, Vinay described the various research projects he has been a part of since leaving the Hilltop, including analyzing soil samples from the ocean floor to understand climate change, simulating RNA folding, and utilizing medical imaging to predict patient outcomes. -
Science Research Students Advance in International Research Olympiad
In March, science research students Katherine Chen ’24, Alicia Zhu ’25, Jimmy Mulosmani ’25 and Elan Suttiratana ’26 participated in the first-ever International Research Olympiad (IRO), dedicated to honing analytical and critical thinking skills for student researchers — essential in scientific exploration.Read More -
ISRP Sophomores Participate in Somers Science Fair
Nine sophomore Independent Science Research Program students participated in the Somers Science Research Fair on Saturday, June 1.Read More
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ISRP Students Present as Finalists in Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair
Two Independent Science Research Program students, Vivek Malik ’25 and Aniketh Arvind ’24, recently participated as finalists in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, joining 1,700 students from 70 countries at the largest pre-college science fair in the world.Read More -
Dr. Trish Raciti DeCenzo ’02 Shares Research in Machine Learning in Computer Vision with ISRP Students
Read MoreOn May 3, the Independent Science Research Program had the honor of hosting Dr. Trish Raciti DeCenzo ’02, who spoke with students via Zoom about one of her research projects that is utilizing Machine Learning in Computer Vision to identify cancerous cells quickly and accurately to aid a pathologist. -
ISRP Senior Wins 2nd Place at National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
Senior Katherine Chen joined approximately 250 students from around the country to present her investigation on evading natural immunity to better deliver therapeutics for genetic diseases at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Her poster won 2nd place in the category of Biomedical Sciences.Read More
ISRP Student Profiles
2023-24
List of 7 news stories.
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Aniketh Arvind ‘24
Designed and engineered a system comprising a comprehensive machine learning model and a novel wearable device to allow the visually impaired to detect small, vital objects in their surrounding environments.Read More -
Katherine Chen ‘23
Katherine studied how to improve the safety and efficiency of gene-editing therapies to cure genetic diseases.Read More -
Allison Chin ‘24
I created a workflow that allowed for more accurate analysis of imaging of Alzheimer’s brain tissues.Read More -
Remi Myers ‘24
Remi is studying how the drug Thapsigargin affects the endoplasmic reticulum, an organelle in your cells, as well as how it affects the sleep cycles within flies.Read More -
Sam Nadol ‘24
I am studying how to create a low-cost device to measure wind speed using the speed of sound.Read More -
Eliza Podvalny ‘24
Eliza’s research explores the often underappreciated vascular pathology in Alzheimer's Disease. By comparing AD’s progression with CADASIL, a vascular disease, her work supports the crucial role of targeting damaged small blood vessels, potentially giving rise to a novel therapeutic strategy for both conditions.Read More -
NJ Roc-Sennett ‘24
NJ’s research took a genomic approach to understanding why certain lung cancer patients are resistant to immunotherapy. She identified specific genes that are strong candidates for future cancer research in combating this resistance.Read More
2024-25
List of 7 news stories.
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Alicia Zhu '25
I’m studying how our ability to learn new things from instructions is impacted by age.Read More -
Arjun Virk '25
I am performing an economic and environmental analysis to assess the feasibility of implementing and scaling oxyfuel carbon capture in the cement industry.Read More -
Francesca Jones '25
Francesca has been working on an outreach project to inform different racial groups of their risk of skin cancer. To create this project she first completed a review of previously published studies, and then compiled what she learned into an educational brochure.Read More -
Matthew Gluckman '25
I’m studying how artificial intelligence, specifically natural language processing and machine learning, can be applied to predict the outcomes of clinical trials, aiming to accelerate and economize the drug development process by identifying trials with a higher likelihood of success, thereby saving resources and improving patient outcomes.Read More -
Rafael Castro '25
Rafael developed an artificial intelligence model that can detect schizophrenia from handwriting samples.Read More -
Trashgim Mulosmani '25
I’m studying how to locate individual cells in patient tissue images, and also working on a project of finding small molecule drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis.Read More -
Vivek Malik '25
Vivek is researching new methods of targeting and treating aggressive blood cancers called peripheral T-cell lymphomas.Read More
2025-26
List of 9 news stories.
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Annie Sheikh '26
I plan on studying the connection between mitochondria and the development of bipolar disorder and other neuronal degenerative diseases.Read More -
Elan Suttiratana '26
I am studying the inequalities in the ways machine learning processes different languages. More specifically, how non-Latin languages are often mistranscribed or misunderstood by speech-to-text models.Read More -
Jake Nadol '26
Right now, I’m interested in in Sports Medicine (i.e. supplementation and training programs), as well as body composition (body fat, muscle, and how to gain/lose them)Read More -
Macey McLane '26
Macey is working on developing an accessible sensing system that can help to identify or detect the severity of diseases like liver fibrosis or cancer. The system will produce a series of ‘fingerprints’ that can be identified by a machine to help doctors diagnose and treat disease more efficiently.Read More -
Nima Jones '26
I’m studying how fast people progress from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s disease and if there are any genetics that we can link to the fast vs slow progression. Alongside that research, I am also investigating how regeneration of genes in the peripheral nervous system can be used to regenerate genes in the central nervous system.Read More -
Obinna Nnamdi '26
I am studying how machine learning tools can be applied for the drug repurposing process of neurological disorders, specifically for Alzheimer’s Disease.Read More -
Phillip Ianchulev '26
Read MoreI am studying the prevention of microbial contaminants on eye droppers, using UV-C radiation. Ultraviolet light has the capability to kill all bacteria on different surfaces, and I hope to commercialize a product which radiates UV-C on eye dropper bottles, preventing contamination and ensuring patient safety. -
Shikhar Misra '26
I am studying particle physics, and I hope to research on improving detection methods and refine our understanding of the Standard Model so we can better comprehend how the world functions.Read More -
Sophie Huang '26
I am studying enzyme inhibitors, a type of targeted therapy that deactivates important enzymes in cancer cells.Read More
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