Date: Aug 10, 2009

National Grid Supports Hofstra’s "Green" Summer Science Research Program for High School Students, Allowing Area Teens to Study Environmental Engineering and Alternative Fuels

(L to r) Hofstra Associate Professor of Engineering Margaret Hunter, National Grid Accounting Supervisor Peter McGoldrick, Peter Kenisgsberg, Amanda Bressingham, Michael Abbatemarco, Michelle Ynsinare, Zachary Goldsmith, National Grid Program Manager for Residential Gas Efficiency and New Construction Patricia Harper and Associate Professor of Chemistry Nanette Wachter.

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY … This year, through a generous grant from National Grid, Hofstra University is offering “green” research projects ranging from household energy demand and alternative fuels to environmental engineering as part of its annual Summer Science Research Program (HUSSRP). Since 2002 HUSSRP has offered high school students opportunities to conduct individual scientific research projects under the auspices of Hofstra faculty in the physical and natural sciences, psychology and mathematics.

According to program director, Associate Professor of Chemistry Nanette Wachter, HUSSRP draws high school juniors and seniors from all over Long Island, but she receives inquiries about it from students across the country and Canada. Students are selected for this program on the basis of their high school science experience, a personal interview and a high school teacher's recommendation.

The majority of the students engage in individual research, although some work in teams. Officially this year’s HUSSRP began on July 6 and will continue through August 14, 2009. However, meetings with faculty members to discuss interest and research opportunities took place much earlier in the spring, and some young researchers will likely continue their work well into the fall. Dr. Wachter says that typically two or three HUSSRP participants each year go onto become Intel semifinalists for the work they do at Hofstra.

Seven students are currently working on the engineering projects funded by the National Grid. The remainder of the 21 teens enrolled in the program this summer are working on research in chemistry, computer science, psychology, and biology. Depending on the subject matter and the laboratory time needed, some of the students are spending as many as five or six days on the Hofstra campus operating specialized equipment and instrumentation not available in most high schools.

In mid-September the students will have the opportunity to participate in a poster session where they will display the work they performed during the summer. For more information on HUSSRP, call Dr. Wachter at (516) 463-5534 or e-mail Nanette.M.Wachter-Jurcsak@hofstra.edu.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.