Four Stuyvesant Students Earn 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar Distinction

The 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Scholars were recently announced, and four of Stuyvesant’s own—Mark Tsybulski, Enmei Yang, Brandon Zhang, and Ivan Zou—have been recognized by this prestigious organization. This recognition places Stuyvesant students among the top 300 STEM students named by Regeneron in the United States. By comparison, there were two scholars named from Stuyvesant in the 2024 STS. 

Each year, the Regeneron STS celebrates high school seniors who show exceptional potential in scientific research. Since thousands of applicants compete for the honorable title of Regeneron Scholar, the application process is rigorous and requires extensive research, complex essays, and meticulous data collection. Each scholar will receive a $2,000 award, and Stuyvesant will also be granted $2,000 for each scholar named. 

Stuyvesant offers a strong Regeneron Research program of separate biology and social science research classes. This process takes years. For biology, the program begins in sophomore year and continues through senior year. For social science, the program begins in junior year and concludes in the first semester of senior year. “This research program is like no other animal that’s offered in school,” science teacher Jason Econome said. “[The course] is a program for the student who is sincere and passionate about research and is thinking about it as a career after school. A passion for research is the only requirement for prospective students; the teachers guide the students through the research process and help them to cultivate their projects.” 

Of the four named scholars, Econome worked with Mark Tsybulski and Ivan Zou. Senior Mark Tsybulski’s research is described as “homegrown,” which refers to the fact that he didn’t work with an external lab. Tsybulski addressed the environmental impact of producing copper (I) chloride (CuCl)—an industrial chemical responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions—and proposed a more eco-friendly alternative. He developed a renewable-energy-based production method, which, if implemented globally, could revolutionize the industry. Moreover, Tsybulski demonstrated how innovative chemical engineering can help mitigate climate change.

Tsybulski has always been concerned with the enduring issue of climate change, but it was an AP Chemistry class lesson on electrolysis that kick-started his research. “I had an idea for how I could contribute to addressing this problem through chemical engineering research,” Tsybulski said.

Encouraged by chemistry teacher Dr. Jeffrey Kivi, he began refining his research approach, eventually developing the method that earned him an United States patent and recognition by the Regeneron STS. His patent application was granted special status by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and accepted into the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program. 

During the research process, Tsybulski encountered a roadblock in developing an industrially viable production process because he did not have the necessary laboratory equipment to easily test any of his potential methods. “Although I had ideas, I lacked the necessary equipment to test them. I brainstormed solutions using the equipment I had access to; eventually, I tested a successful approach,” Tsybulski said.  Ultimately, he was able to develop a method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent compared to the common industrial approach currently in use. His method’s uniqueness stems from its ability to operate solely on renewable energy. 

Tsybulski found the Regeneron Research elective to be useful in his application process. “I was fortunate to have taken the [biology] Regeneron Research class, where we studied various aspects of research papers and research in general. This made it much easier for me to prepare my research paper for the competition,” he said.

Senior Ivan Zou researched the effects of inhibitors and degraders on the activity of  CDK7, a protein that plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle. Zou’s research process differed from most problem-solving based approaches. “The lab I worked in was more interested in the fundamental sciences, which meant we focused strictly on exploring how these mechanisms work,” Zou said. These fundamental studies provide insight into the development of future cancer therapeutics. 

Zou took the science elective The Nature of Cancer Research and the Biology Regeneron Research elective; both courses were taught by Econome. “I got to see how everything ties together. As I started connecting the dots between the significance of cancer and the research techniques, I quickly got hooked and knew then that I wanted to contribute meaningfully to the world through cancer research,” Zou said.

The biggest challenge Zou faced during his research process was learning how to correctly execute the techniques involved in his experiments. However, Zou persisted. “Every failure I encountered prompted me to put down my own experiment and take a step back. I’d return to shadowing my senior researchers; in that time, I would obsessively take notes and ask questions as specific as the angle that they held their pipettes at or how fast they pushed the liquid out,” Zou said.

The innovative technology Zou worked with differed from existing work in the field of cancer science research. “My project builds on understanding the analog-sensitive system of targeting CDKs and novel degraders—which have previously not yet been used—based on this mechanism” he said.

Zou kept his work organized during his research, ensuring that his application process would be as smooth as possible. He took notes on questions he needed to ask his mentor to address any possible inaccuracies in his writing. “I was then able to spend most of my time on the actual paper to make sure it reflected everything I learned and to make my research as clear as possible,” Zou said.

Senior Brandon Zhang focused his social science research on the Starbucks unionization movement and the factors impacting union support. Most existing research regards top-down unionization efforts, but Zhang had a different approach. “The most unique aspect of my project is the application of quantitative methods to the recent waves of grassroots unionization,” Zhang said.

Zhang’s inspiration came from his participation in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—the federal agency responsible for enforcing labor laws—Student Ambassador Program. “I was inspired to choose Starbucks’s unionization as my capstone project after witnessing employees walking off the job in my neighborhood,” he said. 

For his research, Zhang utilized the NLRB’s website to gather data and conducted his analysis using the statistical software Stata. “Two of my most interesting findings were that the number of eligible voters and voter turnout were negatively associated with union election success,” he said. Unionization rates decreased when more individuals were eligible to vote or actually voted.

However, Zhang also faced technical challenges throughout his research process. “One of the most significant difficulties was data collection, because sometimes existing datasets did not have the variables I wanted to analyze. For example, I had to manually enter each state for my analysis regarding if a state is right-to-work,” Zhang said.

Senior Enmei Yang’s project title is “Structure of the Reflective Algebra for Various Hopf Algebras.” She declined an interview conducted by The Spectator. 

Tsybulski, Zou, and Zhang emphasized the importance of outside support from mentors  in their research journey. NLRB Ambassador program mentor Dr. John Doyle helped Zhang with his capstone project. Zhang later consulted with Rutgers University in New Jersey’s economics professor Dr. Doug Kruse. “After conducting the main analyses and completing the first draft, I sought guidance from Kruse to enhance the rigor and quality of my work in labor economics and quantitative research,” Zhang said.

Zou credited his mentor and principal investigator with giving him the knowledge and trust to challenge himself. His mentor was always there to aid Zou in his research. “Each of them are like walking encyclopedias—ready with answers, insights, and an abundance of experience,” Zou said.

 Tsybulski sought out Journal of High School Science editor Dr. Apte to gather invaluable feedback on whether he should publish his research without experimental proof that his method of synthesizing CuCl could be generalized on an industrial scale. Dr. Apte encouraged him to continue his work, and after one month, Tsybulski successfully tested a solution that made his method industrially viable. “He also advised me to use a redox titration to identify my product. [...] It allowed me to measure the exact concentration of my product and confirm that it met the highest purity standards set by the American Chemical Society,” Tsybulski said.

Zou emphasizes learning for the sake of learning, rather than focusing on the competition itself. “The mindset of always improving—whether that means for your techniques, your knowledge, or even just how you approach a problem—is what will make your work stand out. Winning is just a bonus,” Zou said.

For students aspiring to pursue competitive research opportunities like the Regeneron STS, Tsybulski offers some advice. “Never give up—passion, persistence, and creativity can turn challenges into success.”