Honors Science Research Program

Program Overview

The award-winning Honors Science Research Program is intended for high school students who are highly self-motivated, curious, and scientifically minded. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to engage in science as a process, become innovators, develop communication skills, work with scientific mentors, and participate in competitions.

As a part of the program, students will develop skills necessary to be successful in scientific research, be able to identify good experimental design from poor ones, and become aware of the need for scientific advancement for the good of mankind.

The program launched in 2010 and has sent over 40 students to the State Science Fair and 11 to the International Science and Engineering Fair.

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Jacob Dumas '25

Project Title: "Does the Location of a Cocos nucifera Affect the Nutrients Found in its Coconut Water?"

Jacob analyzed how distance from a body of water affected the sugar, fat, pH and vitamin C content found in coconuts.
Annalise Garrido ‘23

An avid soccer player and violinist, Annie also uses her talents to serve at her local church.

Project Title: The Effects of Differing Concentrations of Berberine on Parkinson's Induced Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila melanogaster expressing the Alpha synuclein mutation were exposed to varying concentrations of berberine, a natural supplement derived from berry extracts. Results of mobility assays in both larval and adult flies revealed that Increasing concentrations of berberine increased mobility, suggesting that the extract decreased the symptomology of the mutation. These results suggest that berberine, may be able to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s in those who suffer from this debilitating disease.

Awards and recognition: South Florida Science and Engineering Fair Regional Competition - Superior; Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award; State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida - Finalist.

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Dawson Medina '24

Project Title: "The Impact of Trehalase on Tardigrade Thermotolerance"

Dawson determined whether the concentration of trehalase impacted the mortality rate and thermotolerance of tardigrades.
Peter Frometa '22

Peter is as passionate about the game of baseball as he is about math and science. He hopes to use his success in applied analytics to one day lead a sports organization and maximize its potential.

Project Title: The Effect of Multiple Variables on the Likelihood of High School Seniors being drafted in the MLB

This project utilized a classification algorithm to predict the likelihood of a high school senior being drafted by a Major League Baseball team. Using a combination of statistics including fastball velocity, infield velocity, outfield velocity, exit speed, and running speed, this model was able to achieve an accuracy of 91% when compared against historical data.

Awards and recognitions: South Florida Science and Engineering Fair Regional Competition -Superior, State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida – Finalist