Three Kennedy HS students are Regeneron science scholars

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District this year boasts three Regeneron Science scholars.

The students were announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the country's most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Alumni of STS have made extraordinary contributions to science and hold more than 100 of the world’s most distinguished science and math honors, including the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of Science. Each year, 300 Regeneron STS scholars and their schools are recognized.

From that select pool of scholars, 40 student finalists are invited to Washington, D.C. in March to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, meet with notable scientists and compete for awards, including the top award of $250,000.

At John F. Kennedy High School, Jake Levine, John Mashal and Whitney Sussman were named Regeneron scholars.

Levine researched Fasciclin 2 Expression is Positively Correlated with Gut Function Under Nutrient-Poor Conditions in Drosophila melanogaster.

Mashal's project involved Bay Scallop and Eastern Oyster Survival Within Crepidula fornicata Shell Beds in the Peconic Bays of New York.

And Sussman studied the Role of Clock Genes and Hormones in Small Intestinal Glucose Uptake.

Look for profiles of Kennedy's three science scholars in upcoming issues of the Bellmore and Merrick Heralds.