On Tuesday, Dec. 10, Science Research Initiative (SRI) students presented a summer’s worth of research to an awed student body. The students were placed in groups of three, with each student delivering a 10-15 minute presentation to an audience of over 50 students and faculty members.

SRI is an elective that students take in the fall of sophomore year. A key requirement of this course is that students spend six to seven weeks in a lab during the summer between their sophomore and junior year, though some participate between their junior and senior year. During this time, students work under the guidance of qualified professionals in a specific field, assisting them with various laboratory experiments and research. This year’s group researched a wide range of topics, from neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s to mechanical engineering applications like lab robot procedures. 

SRI organizer and biology teacher Naomi Bergman worked tirelessly to match each student in the elective with a professor and a lab. From Peru to Mount Sinai, professors and their assistants trained Heschel students in various scientific methods and procedures. 

Students and teachers alike gained a wealth of knowledge from the presenters, who spent months preparing. In an email to all SRI presenters, Bergman wrote, “You were all so poised and spoke so clearly and passionately about your summer research, and it was apparent to your audience.”

Junior Simon Arenson, one of the participants, reflected on his lab experience saying, “It was extremely educational. Presenting in front of other people helped me learn how to communicate my research in the future.”