Huntington’s Everett Coraor Named Intel Semi-finalist
In one fell swoop Huntington High School senior Everett Coraor put the district’s science program in the national spotlight on Wednesday when he was named a semi-finalist in the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search competition.
Mr. Coraor began research on his project, “Experimental Insights into Evolved Lavas on Olympus Mons, Mars,” at Stony Brook University during the 2008/09 school year and continued to work independently through last summer and into his senior year. His mentor at Stony Brook has been Dr. Donald Lindsley and his mentor at Huntington is science research program teacher Lori Pyzocha.
“Everett worked tirelessly on this project and his dedication and commitment to it have yielded great results for himself and the Huntington community,” said David Casamento, district director of science and instructional technology. Mr. Coraor is Huntington High School’s first Intel semi-finalist in seven years.
“I am so very proud of Everett and wish to congratulate both he and his family,” Ms. Pyzocha said. “This accomplishment stems from his unique environment where both family and community support his efforts. It is not every day that I cross the path of an individual who has as much ambition as this young man. He has worked tirelessly to develop his research and the harder the challenge became the more interested he was. He beamed with a constant smile no matter how much work the research project entailed. His work attitude has inspired other students in the program to look to heighten their own standards.”
“The science research program has been transformed several times at Huntington High School and today we can see the fruits of our labor,” Mr. Casamento said. “Everett is an exceptional student with exceptional dedication, commitment, and talent. I am personally very proud of him and his accomplishments. In addition, I am very proud of Ms. Pyzocha and the science research program she has created at Huntington High School. She has created a course where students are empowered to come up with a problem, develop a research methodology, and investigate, in-depth, their chosen problem.”
Mr. Coraor’s research carries with it implications concerning the formation of Mars, its surface and the creation of anomalies that developed as the planet was formed. The Huntington senior is also a secondary author on a published research paper.
One of just 300 national semi-finalists in the prestigious competition, Mr. Coraor’s award carries with it a $1,000 stipend. “This is a huge accomplishment,” Mr. Casamento said.
The countdown to January 27, and the naming of 40 Intel finalists, has already begun. The group will present their projects at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. on March 16. The award stipends for finalists range from $7,500 to $100,000.
“I am certain Everett’s family is proud of him as well, and I would like to extend my gratitude for their endless support and encouragement,” Mr. Casamento said. In addition to Mr. Coraor’s semi-finalist stipend, Huntington High School will receive a $1,000 award to be used for “excellence in science, math or engineering education.”
Mr. Casamento offered his thanks to Huntington School Board members, central office administrators and high school Principal Carmela Leonardi “for their continued support, appreciation, dedication and forethought to realize the huge potential and value of this program. This is a great accomplishment for our entire community. I have continually mentioned that Huntington is a science community and this is yet another example of this.”
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