06/08/2026
On June 2, 2026, the seven students in Mr. O'Brien's three-year Science Research course gathered to share their own research during GCS's 18th Annual Science Research Symposium. The evening event was kicked off by keynote speaker Dr. Kyle McElhoney, who discussed his graduate research on the development of electrochemical sensors for the analysis of remote terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.
The Science Research course challenges students to develop and conduct independent scientific research under the guidance of a mentor working in their field of study. During this three year course, student research topics of interest, design a novel experiment in their field of choice, conduct their experiment, and present their findings at regional science research competitions.
Sophomores presented journal articles that will guide their junior and senior year experiments and answered questions about their findings. Georgia is studying viruses and invertebrates in the deep sea. Josie is studying how high school phone bans affect teenagers. Julianna is studying the effects of swelling in the blood brain barrier. Gabby is studying the effect of videogames on adolescent grades and behavior. Erin is studying the effects of media literacy on identifying AI generated media.
Juniors presented their progress during the first year of their two year research project and answered questions about their headway. Lillian is studying the readability of surgical discharge papers in order to improve at home care. Noam is studying the range and hatching conditions of fairy shrimp in vernal pools and hopes to publish his work in a scientific journal next year.
Students can learn more about the Science Research course by contacting HS Science Teacher Michael O'Brien mobrien [at] germantowncsd [dot] org. To find out about Science Programming in general, contact MS/HS Guidance Counselor Devin Jackowski [ at] germantowncsd [dot] org.