2025 Science Symposium
No other private school in the world has the natural resources that Millbrook School offers its young scientists. Students interested in biology and environmental science benefit from the school’s 800 acres of hills, forests, and wetlands; a farm with a movable greenhouse; and the crown jewel of the science department—the Trevor Zoo with its 180 animals, including exotic and endangered species.
Each year, students in Millbrook’s Independent Science Research (ISR) class complete in-depth research projects, many taking advantage of the zoo and natural environment while others look at broader topics like diet and social experience. Guided by Dr. Kerry Dore and receiving data analysis help from Dr. Timothy Kernan’s AP Statistics class, these budding scientists complete college-level work in the field, lab, and classroom, reading existing studies and scholarly papers on the research subject they chose. Once their research is complete, they write their own papers and make posters, presenting them to the school in the annual Science Symposium.
This year’s ISR projects covered a wide range of complex and impactful subjects, including animal behavior, plant fertilization, artificial sweeteners, human stress and belonging, and environmental impact studies. Here’s the complete list of the incredible ISR projects students presented at the 2025 Science Symposium, followed by a link to all the photos from the event:
View this post on Instagram
This year’s ISR projects covered a wide range of complex and impactful subjects, including animal behavior, plant fertilization, artificial sweeteners, human stress and belonging, and environmental impact studies. Here’s the complete list of the incredible ISR projects students presented at the 2025 Science Symposium, followed by a link to all the photos from the event:
- Jennifer Chi — Assessment of Microplastics Abundance in Animal Fecal Samples from the Trevor Zoo
- Chau Nguyen — Tunes for Two: The Impact of Music on Pregnant Mice's Stress Levels and Their Offspring's Reflexive Motor Skills
- Evan Sun — Effect of Long-term Consumption of Aspartame on Appetite of Caenorhabditis elegans
- Haley Malmgren — Microbial Abundance in Relation to Human Disturbance in Millbrook School’s Marsh
- Harper King — The Relationship Between Heart Rate Variability Measurements and Corticosterone in Adolescents at Millbrook School
- Helen Li — The Impact of Conspecific Introduction on Kinkajou Stress Levels
- Howard Tu — Phosphorus in Zoo Animal Feces: Implications for Plant Growth
- Jamie Katis — The Effect of Breeding Season Separation on Captive Canis Rufus Stress Levels
- Licette Jaya — The Experience of Students of Color in a Predominantly White Institution: Sense of Belonging at Millbrook School
- Lily Grant — Beavers’ Effect on Fecal Coliform in Waters Surrounding Millbrook School
VIEW ALL 2025 SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM PHOTOS
No comments have been posted
