Science Research Program

Students in grades 8 & 9 are introduced to the program requirements and work with science teachers and advisors to register for appropriate classes.

Students should consider joining a science themed club/competition and/or attend local events, lectures and programs.

The Program Director will discuss the application process with sophomores at the time of course selection in the spring.

Rising juniors interested in the Science Research Program consult with their current science teacher for candidacy and register for:

• Microbiology and Molecular Biology OR Computer Programming & Robotics
• and one of either Astronomy, Earth Structure & Phenomena, or Scientific Perspectives & the Environment

Rising juniors complete an interview with science and math department faculty.

Students will be notified by the end of their sophomore year as to whether they have been selected for the program. If selected, the Program Director will place the student in a local lab and provide internship placement notification by spring of junior year.

• Up to twelve (12) sophomores each year are chosen for the Science Research Program.
• All internships take place between graduation and preseason, though the exact dates are at the discretion of the labs themselves

Rising seniors, after completion of the summer Science Research Internship, submit the STEM Scholars Application listing their achievements and eligibility.

Members of the Science Department review all paperwork for the STEM Scholar designation.

Requirements:

• Completion of an eight (8) week internship in a laboratory setting under the guidance of a mentor through Holton’s Science Research Program
• High achievement in science and math courses throughout all four years of Upper School
• Be in good academic and community standing
  
• Completion of Microbiology (1 credit) and Molecular Biology (1 Credit)
  OR
• Computer Programming and Robotics (1 credit) and either:
  • Astronomy (1 credit)
  • Earth Structure & Phenomena (1 credit)
  • Scientific Perspectives & the Environment (1 credit)
    
    
• Presentation & Poster about the internship research to Holton Community
• Completion of TWO senior level advanced course credits (one must be a math and one must be a science)
• Completion of at least one of the following: (A, B, C, D or a combination) per school year for a total of FOUR by graduation. At least one, but not all must come from group A.

A. Participation in Holton Upper School STEM Activities

• Chemathon Team
• Chemistry Olympiad
• Robotics Team
• Mathematics Team
• Coding Club

B. Attend an academic lecture or event hosted by one of our community partners or another qualified institution such as:

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Holiday Lecture Series on Science
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposia (JSHS) Program at Georgetown University
• National Academy of Sciences
• National Geographic Society
• Smithsonian Institution
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• USA Science & Engineering Festival
• National Youth Leadership Forum
• GWU Fall Undergraduate Showcase
• USUHS Summer Poster Symposium
• Carnegie Institution for Science- Capital Science Evenings
• Koshland Museum lecture series

C. Entry/Submission into external competitions and science fairs such as:

• Submission to the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the Intel Science Talent Search, or another scientific competition
• The University of Maryland High School Mathematics Competition
• The GEMS program at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

D. Additional coursework beyond the required curriculum: (full year courses)

• Engineering
• Online School: One School House* courses: AP Statistics, Computer Programming, AP Computer Science

*Students seeking to earn Holton credit for an One School House online class must seek permission in advance from the Upper School Director, who will review such requests with her Class Dean, advisor, and, where applicable, the Learning Specialist. Additional fees may apply.

Roshini Balan
"Investigating the Synergistic Effects of Calcitriol on Progesterone"
(Inova Fairfax Hospital's Women's Health Integrated Research Center)

Morgan Bedingfield
"Using Ultrasound to Vaporize Droplets Embedded in a Gelma Scaffold"
(George Washington University Engineering Department)

Olivia Boykin
"Biofilm Formation by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa"
(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)

Laura Canseco
"Firefighting Drone Project"
(University of Maryland Institute for Systems Research)

Francesca Cetta
"Studying the Effects of SB27"
(George Washington University Milken School of Public Health)

Lauren Cooke
"Dark Matter in Low-Mass Dwarf Galaxies"
(University of Maryland Astronomy Department)

Samantha Curley
"The Role of Metalloestrogens in Hormone-Independent Activation of ER⍺"
(Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center)

Pascale Schmidt
"Maximizing Knowledge Gained from Senate Bill 27"
(George Washington University)

Emily Shapland
"FMRP Expression in the Visual System"
(Center for Neuroscience Research at Children's Hospital)

Raeyan Syed
"Creating an Atlas of a Baboon's Brain for PET Imaging"
(Howard University Hospital)

Skye Worster
"Urban Mobility eVTOL"
(University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering)

Lilly Zheng
"The Effect of Mild Blast-Induced TBI on Fear Conditioning in Mice"
(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)