SCHOOLS

2 HAFTR students rise in Siemens science race

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Two students at the Hebrew Academy of Five Towns and Rockaway — senior Russell Charnoff and junior Justin Lish — are regional finalists in the prestigious Siemens science competition.

“We are thrilled to celebrate these remarkable achievements with both Russell and Justin,” said HAFTR High School Principal Naomi Lippman. “The Siemens awards are a reflection of the students’ own intellectual ability and hard work, as well as the wonderful mentoring they have received from our science faculty and Mrs. Rebecca Isseroff.”  

Charnoff, who conducted his research at the Garcia Center at SUNY Stony Brook, focused on incorporating graphene, which is composed of carbon atoms bonded together in single-atom sheets, into polypropylene, a plastic that usually burns easily, in an attempt to make it more flame-resistant. His teammates were Arun Soni of Conecticut and David Choi of California.

“The most amazing part of the whole experience was that we were actually able to manufacture the plastics in the laboratory,” Charnoff said.

“I hadn’t realized beforehand how many objects used in our daily lives are made out of different types of plastic, but once my eyes were opened, I found it incredibly fascinating to witness the creation and production of new plastic blends.”

Lish conducted his project together with Lawrence High School juniors Arthur Chen and Lee Blackburn. Their research focused on improving hydrogen fuel cell efficiency by applying a film of gold and/or platinum-graphene composite to the proton exchange membrane of the cell, which improved its efficiency by more than 60 percent.

“I had a remarkable research experience which allowed me to be exposed to the highest level of original scientific research,” Lish said. “I had a wonderful opportunity to learn and conduct research in a growing field of study which is becoming increasingly important to developing alternative sources of energy.

“Both of my parents are physicians, and have participated in medical education and research, and my sister has engaged in extensive scientific research, as well. I have always wanted to study and conduct research to find solutions to modern scientific problems.”