Stuyvesant Students are Delegates Representing NYC Internationally

Stuyvesant students once again demonstrated the strength of the school’s research program with an impressive performance at the Terra New York City STEM Fair, hosted at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. This regional competition is an International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) affiliated local fair that selects finalists who earn top distinctions across different categories. Of those finalists, 15 delegates were chosen to represent New York City at the Regeneron ISEF.

Before students could present their projects at the Terra Fair, they had to pass a strict review process to ensure that each project met the competition’s official standards. “First of all, their project has to be reviewed by the scientific review board to make sure that it follows all the safety requirements by the ISEF. And so lots of paperwork,” research coordinator and Regeneron teacher Dr. Meng Ping Tu said.

After passing the review, students presented their projects at the Terra Prelims, a preliminary judging round that was held at Stuyvesant High School on March 1, 2026. These students presented their posters and were questioned by three judges from their respective fields. “Fewer than 20 percent of the applicants advanced to the final round [at NYU],” Dr. Tu said. 

Of the research projects created by students across New York City, two of Stuyvesant’s students stood out for the quality and uniqueness of their work: Omer Karelic, who competed in Biochemistry, and Ellis Thompson, who competed in Behavioral and Social Science.

Junior and Terra Finalist Omer Karelic researched structural chemistry through his study of DNA crystallography. He tested a new arrangement of DNA building blocks, which are the molecules that come together to form DNA. This resulted in a novel assembly of crystal-like structures. He was able to accomplish this at a laboratory at NYU, with tools provided for the investigation. “I coded novel DNA motifs […] which formed robust crystal lattices with new relative symmetries,” Karelic said. His research is impressive for both its novelty and its potential applications in the medical field, including but not limited to targeted drug delivery.

For senior and Terra Finalist Ellis Thompson, creating his project was not only about competing but also about cultivating a passion for research and learning how to communicate complex ideas. Thompson, who researched political biases in large language models such as ChatGPT, said that his research journey started through Stuyvesant’s Social Science Research class. “I chose to take the class because it seemed like an interesting elective that could help me further my interest in problem-solving on a broad level and scale,” Thompson said. 

During the course, which he began taking in the fall of his junior year, Thompson created a project that analyzed how artificial intelligence systems may display political bias in their generated responses. Thompson gives credit to both his teachers, Ms. Ellen Schweitzer and Dr. Tu, for helping him finalize his project and prepare for the presentation. Their support was essential to Thompson’s success. “Ms. Schweitzer was instrumental in helping me to develop a clear project idea, and class assignments helped me to stay on task and on schedule,” Thompson said. “After advancing to Terra Fair NYC Finals, Dr. Tu helped me to make sure all of my project materials (posters, presentations, and more) were formatted correctly and got my ideas across as clearly as possible. I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this process without their support.”

A significant challenge that Thompson faced during this process was making frequent progress with his research while also balancing academics and college admissions. However, his true interest in the topic provided him with the motivation to finish his project despite being busy with school. “Working on this project felt less like a chore than it did an opportunity to explore my interests,” he said.

Thompson acknowledges individual growth as a part of the research process. He learned how to present complicated ideas clearly and confidently in front of an audience, whether they be his peers or judges. After this experience, Thompson looks to continue research in college and encourages others to explore the numerous opportunities in scientific research. “It’s a way to learn more about the world around us, and to study things that you find fascinating at a high level,” Thompson said. 

Beyond the competition and academics, research helps students develop skills that will serve them long after the competition. “Students gain the skills that are necessary to succeed in their future career and life,” Dr. Tu said. “They learn how to engage with adults. They learn how to be independent. They learn critical thinking skills, and they learn innovation skills.”

The results from Terra Finals mark an exciting accomplishment for Stuyvesant. The students’ performance at this year’s competition stands as a testament to the hard work and potential of Stuyvesant students. “Our students did really well. The competition is very competitive because we have more schools, especially private schools like Horace Mann, Trinity, and Packer that have started their own research programs,” Dr. Tu said. “We are against well-resourced research programs, so our students did really well [...] they only had one summer of researching experience.”