Page 17 - Laguna Blanca Magazine Summer 2018

As Laguna wrapped up the school year, the nine founding members PROJECTS
of the two-year Science Research Program (SRP) learned there is truly no AT A GLANCE
end to scientific discovery. As first-year students in the program, they immersed
themselves in the scientific community, participating in excursions, listening to over THEORETICAL PHYSICS
25 speakers, and identifying their area of research for the next two years. Thanks Caitlin Gainey ’18: Inflation
to numerous community partners, including UC Santa Barbara, the students spent Theory and Gravitational Waves
their second year of the program conducting research in their chosen subject areas. (UCSB/Cambridge University)
Over the course of two years, students learned more than science. They
discovered their strengths and weaknesses, and they laughed a lot while supporting ENGINEERING AND
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
one another. “In this crazy year of starts and stops and natural disasters, they truly Andrew Tolles ’19: The Practical
demonstrated that the whole is, indeed, greater than the sum of its parts,” explains Capability of Soft Robotics (UCSB)
Science Teacher Staci Richard. “I am honored to have had them as my partners in Bennett Coy ’19: Solar Cell
Arrangement and Efficienc
this journey.” (Vihn Tran)
In June, students presented their research projects to their peers, mentors, Sullivan Israel ’19: LASER
parents, and faculty, which focused on interests from Alzheimer’s to soft robotics Propelled Spacecraft Sail Design
(Lubin Lab UCSB)
to theoretical physics. “The range and depth of the work was incredible. I loved
listening to each student’s journey—the highs and lows—and how they worked LIFE SCIENCE AND
through issues to reach those rainbows at the end,” says Head of Upper School PSYCHOLOGY
Lolli Lucas. “I also enjoyed watching their Science Teacher Staci Richard shine, as Izzy Sabino ’19: Serum Amyloid
these young scholars clearly have a beautiful intellectual connection with her.” A Indicators for Dryland Distemper
(Dr. Phoebe Smith)
The new second-year students are continuing to build on the program using Maddie Walker ’18: Tau Protein
their own ideas and inspiration, and are raising the scientific bar by incorporating Aggregation in Alzheimer’s
areas of interest such as neurology, artificial intelligence, energy, and big data. “I (Kosik Lab UCSB)
Stella Haffner ’18: Presence in
look forward to seeing how they develop as researchers and how they embrace and the Mind of a High School Student
make this program their own,” says Richard. (META Lab UCSB)

INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE
AND HUMANITIES
Hayley Bankhead ’19:
Communicating Science through
Art —Harmful Algal Blooms
(Channel Keeper and artist
Lucy Holtsnider)
Jack Stein ’19: Philosophy and
Science: Musical Metaphysics and
Algorithmic Composition
(Dr. Tom Carlson-UCSB)
Thank you to the mentors noted in
parentheses.

SUMMER 2018

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