Signature Projects 2019-2020

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SIGNATURE PROJECTS 2019-2020


Bone Quality in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Tarifa A. ‘21 RPI Important Question: How does Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus affect bone quality? Main Goal: Using rodent models to assess diabetic changes in bone quality through a hierarchical analysis of biochemical and biomechanical properties.

(Adapted from Sanguineti et al. [33])


S H A T T E R I N G

The Glass Ceiling By Caroline A. ‘21

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

What qualities make a successful leader and how have local women risen up the ranks of their respective careers to become powerful and influential figures?

GOALS:

To research, interview, and potentially shadow 4 local women who have achieved heights in traditionally male-dominated fields (business, politics, etc.)

To define the qualities of women who have built careers and “shattered the glass ceiling”

To present my findings to the EWS community and beyond


Stay away from the edge - DELETE THIS

Get Schooled Nicole A. '21

What are the benefits of an education behind bars?

Nicole Alexandre ‘21

Stay away from the edge - DELETE THIS

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Stay away from the edge - DELETE THIS

Stay away from the edge - DELETE THIS

Interviews and research demonstrating the effectiveness and importance of education inside US prisons, and sharing findings with the Emma Willard Community


Exploring the Impact of Property Taxes on the Quality of Public Schools Emily A. '20 Are property taxes the cause of inequitable public school funding and how can this problem be solved?

Goals ❖ Conduct research and interviews to determine the cause of inequitable funding and the connection between funding and student achievement. ❖ Find possible solutions to this issue. ❖ Gather my findings and raise awareness by making them accessible to my school community.


D-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y The Importance of Representation In Spelling Bees (And Other Academic Competitions)

Oluchukwu (Oluchi) A. '21 Why does representation in academic competitions matter?

Complete research into diversity in academic competitions, including exploring concepts such as achievement gap and analyzing historical patterns

Write a report presenting research that will be available to Emma students. Work with a small group of children from underserved backgrounds and help them enhance competitive skills.


Building Proteins By Sophia A. '21

Essential Question: How do you grow and purify a specific type of protein in a culture of cells which produces countless?

Goals: By the end of my project I will know how to produce a certain type of protein from a given cell culture. As well, I will understand how different proteins interact in a cell, and how they affect the function of specific types of cells.

To See My Portfolio Scan This QR Code


儿童文学 Chinese Children’s Literature:

The Creation of a Youth-Oriented Story in a Foreign Language

How do I write an impactful story that is accessible to a young audience while addressing topics of gender? How does language affect the story and my ability to create it?

I will work to create a book aimed at Mandarin speaking youth as well as people learning the language

I hope to present the finished book to the Chinese classes on campus

The artwork in the book will be done by the incredible Alex S. '20

Lane A. '20


Materials Science Research at RPI Bella B. ‘21 Goal:

At RPI, I am studying a material called methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) which is used as a material in perovskite solar cells. The material normally has a cubic form and is currently very efficient and has low production costs; however, in the lab, my supervisor and I are trying to grow the hexagonal form because there are predictions that the hexagonal form is more stable and durable. Methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) is produced through the reaction of methylammonium iodide (MAI) and lead iodide (PbI2). Our goal is to form hexagonal crystals of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3). Our experiments are conducted using a 79300 Tube Furnace. A glass tube is inserted inside the heating chamber with the reactants methylammonium iodide (MAI) and lead iodide (PbI2) and cleaved mica substrates. The mica substrates capture the product, ethylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3).

Set-Up Inside the Furnace: To form the MAPbI3, MAI, PbI2, and cleaved mica substrate are placed into a long glass tube. Each of the three materials is placed in the center area of the tube, but have their respective positions for the reaction to properly occur. PbI2 is placed in the center of the tube because it has a higher vaporization temperature or a lower vapor pressure. MAI is placed upstream because it has the lowest vaporization temperature. Two pieces of cleaved mica substrate are placed on the downstream to capture the product, MAPbI3.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Image 1: This image displays the different crystal structures of MAPbI3.

Procedure:

Cleave two pieces of mica substrate. Place methylammonium iodide (MAI), lead iodide (PbI2), and cleaved mica substrate into glass tube. Place glass tube with reactants and mica substrate into the heating chamber of the furnace. Pump out air in the heating chamber. Pump in argon gas at a specific rate. Set furnace to desired temperature and allow reaction to occur for desired time. Allow product to cool and observe cleaved mica substrate under light microscope. ●

Image 2: This image displays the different crystal structures of MAPbI3, but in 3D.

References: 1. Structures, Phase Transitions and Tricritical Behavior of the Hybrid Perovskite Methyl Ammonium Lead Iodide - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-crystal-structures-adopted-by-MAPbI3-a-The-PbI6-octahedra-are-blue-and-the-iodi ne_fig3_309364359 [accessed 20 Dec, 2019] 2. Lattice dynamics and vibrational spectra of the orthorhombic, tetragonal and cubic phases of methylammonium lead iodide Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-crystal-structures-of-the-a-orthorhombic-b-tetragonal-and-c-cubic-phases-of_fig5_2 75670141 [accessed 20 Dec, 2019]


Humans of Emma Willard School Humans in Action

Sophia B. '20

How can social media be a tool for creating stronger connections in the Emma community?

Key Products Instagram page and a book portraying thoughts and feelings of members of the Emma community while engaged in something they are passionate about Instagram @HumansofEWS


JUNTOS Fostering Affinity Groups and Spaces on Campus

Reflect & React ➬ ➬

Why do schools need affinity spaces and groups? What sets an affinity space apart from any regular meeting space?

Aim High ➫

➫ ➫

Fully designed and actively used affinity group (temporary) Research the importance of affinity groups and spaces Designs for future, permanent spaces on campus

Sofia C.-M. ‘20


ARTS ( Artists’ Road To Success ) Interviewing Artists

This project aims to connect artists who have forged their own path with young aspirational art students ● What should a young artist do after going to college? ● Should the need to sustain themselves financially outweigh the desire to follow their artistic dream?

Create an art installation in the gallery and map artists’ paths

Man Yuk ( Mellody ) C. ‘20


Is There Dark Matter? Aerosol Studies

Is there Dark Matter? At Siena College, I am trying to find an affordable way to figure out whether there are any radioactive elements in the air that explain the radio waves that were captured by the results of the DAMA-LIBRA experiment on detecting radio waves from space. The image on the right shows the PIXE (2 MeV accelerator) use to analyze the collected air samples. This is a chart that compares the aluminium (blue) with aluminum with KCl (orange). The peak points of each element and demonstrates the presence of a certain element. Throughout the year, I will be looking at more samples and analyzing them.

In this project, I will be working on the process of collecting, analyzing, and organizing air samples. I will be taking part in the project and understanding the approach that is taken by this project. The image on the right is a temperature and humidity sensor that helps us to keep track of the conditions the air sample were collected from.

Maureen C. ‘21


PERMACULTURE GARDENS SUJIN C. '21 What is the importance and impact of permaculture gardening in our society? How can people incorporate the ideal of permaculture in their lives?

KEY PRODUCT By the end of my project, I want to be able to inform others about a gardening method, which can create long-term beneďŹ ts among community members and help improve the earth.


PROACTIVE PREPAREDNESS: TAKING MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS Aileen C. '20 Are we doing the best that we can to prepare for all campus emergencies? We live in n a time where school shootings are prominent in the US news I want to collaborate with campus safety and the student body to further develop an effective plan on how to properly create and maintain a safe and prepared atmosphere

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Creating a community hydroponic farm Alice D.’21

How to create a hydroponic farm in a limited space while involving the community?

Expand the hydroponic system we built last year and offer opportunity for others in the community to join in the process


STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF MICROPLASTICS ON THE LAKE GEORGE ECOSYSTEM JESSICA F. '20 RPI Activities ● Dissecting Asian Clams and keeping track of how many microplastics they ingested ● Write a research paper about how Asian Clams can serve as bioindicators of microplastic presences and pollution in Freshwater Environments ● Film a short documentary about how DFWI is helping to combat major environmental issues Goals ● Determine how often Asian Clams ingest microplastics ● Learn more about current environmental issues Asian Clams

Sample data

Lake George


Spreading Success Jenn G. ‘20

What is the best way to get women involved in each others’ success at a young age?

Women@Work establishes a network of professional women in the Capital Region by publicizing women’s success in their magazine and at their events I hope to bring that network to my peers at Emma Willard by working on a new marketing strategy specifically geared towards getting young women involved in their programming


A Crisis in the Making: The Current State of the European Union Kayra G. '20 How can the EU evolve in order to prevent itself from falling apart? Why does the EU not function efďŹ ciently? I will be writing a research paper to answer these questions

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Coding a Plane Spotting App How can I make an easy platform for people trying to learn more about spotting planes, and aviation?

I decided to code my own mobile quiz app for plane spotting to allow easier and better access to learning about how to differentiate and learn about planes

Cat H. '20


The “Green Light� Within Us The Legal Regulation of the use of GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein), and other biomolecules, and how they affects us

Xiaodan H. '21 Essential Question Is GFP and others present in medicine and patented by companies, and how will this affect us?

Products Inform the community through social media and posters on these topics A report on the use of GFP to students and faculty


Nourish Earth, Nourish

Emma

How can we create less waste by replacing pre-made food with raw ingredients, and educate students on where their food is coming from, and where it goes?

Sally H. & Amelia S. Class of 2020

KEY PRODUCT: Addition of more raw ingredients and a more intentional composting system, leading to less food waste in the dining hall.

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Unravelling the Mystery of Game Production Yi-Chen (Annie) H. '20 Essential Qu

e

stion How to make an educational game fun and engaging? Key Product

A self-designed an

d self-programmed simple game

Annie at 1st Playable Production

Annie’s Portfolio


Nika H. '21

How can we understand the influence of unwanted physical contact, and female sexual minority in China?

Raising the awareness of physical and mental protection of women and students in China and the U.S. by creating a website, a WeChat subscription, and speeches in China and Emma

Visibility of Gender Issues


The Rare Diseases of Children: An Illustrated Collection of Short Stories Mengyuan J. ’21

How do I share stories about rare diseases with young adults? I aim to make a book about the real life stories of these patients with my illustrations.


Analyzing the Logic of Axonal Targeting and Organization Anna J. '21

Essential Question: How do vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) expressing identical vomeronasal receptors (VR) choose their targets inside of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB)?

Key Products: I will be using VR-mutants to track axons to their glomeruli, immunostaining for different cell surface molecules, and measuring the highlighted glomeruli to see if different expression level combinations are present.


ROWING TOGETHER: FUNDRAISING TO ASSIST AN ADAPTIVE ROWING PROGRAM Grace K. '20 How can I effectively fundraise and spread awareness about adaptive rowing in order to help ďŹ nancially support an adaptive rowing program? I am expanding my Signature project from last year to fundraise for equipment for the Saratoga Springs, NY adaptive rowing program


Guidelines: ● Make a copy of this document and keep it in the same Google Folder, and share the document with jon.calos@gmail.com. ● Keep this document in portrait mode. ● Posters will be published and used for public relations. Spelling, grammar and formatting need to be top-notch. Change the formatting as much as you like, while keeping it to 8.5 x 11” to make your poster informative and ● attractive, keeping the indicated elements in some form. BE CREATIVE WITH EVERYTHING! ● Seek final approval of your document from Mr. Calos DELETE THIS


Upcycling for the Environment & Repurposing for the Community making and selling jewelry from single-use plastics and donating profits to a local nonprofit Can a profit be made from upcycled, non-traditional jewelry?

Goals: Create enough upcycled pieces to make a profit, then researching a nonprofit in the Troy area for donation

Cecelia L. '20


Stem Cell Conversations: Interviewing Stem Cell Scientists Studying Neurodegenerative Diseases Catherine L. '20

ESSENTIAL QUESTION How are stem cells changing the way scientists approach and create new methods, cures, and medicines for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases?

KEY PRODUCT

Through interviews and literary research I will compose a report detailing the science and scientists behind the breakthrough applications of stem cells in treating neurodegenerative diseases



BACTEROIDES Felicity L. '20

Nicole Butler, Dr. Blanca Barquera (RPI)

GOAL Research the metabolic mechanisms of Bacteroide in human colon IMPORTANCE Understanding the way Bacteroides convert nutrients into energy is paramount to the understanding of gut health

Electron transport chain in Bacteroides fragilis

FOCUS

Determine the role of a specific enzyme in the electron transport chain

METHOD

Measure enzymatic activities in different mutants grown anaerobically


α

PROJECT ALPHA Ami M.‘21

How to create a peaceful space with visual appeal to improve the wellness of the children at Astor Home?

OBJECTIVES: Identify modifications to the gazebo area that would create a nice, clean space for the children

Communicate with the children to see what they would value most in their home

Observe and record the impact that the space has on the Astor community

Maintain the space’s visual and emotional appeal


A self-help book empowering Vietnamese students to make the most of their education

What actions can Vietnamese students take to become knowledgeable and skillful citizens independent of their educational environment?

-

High unemployment Increased education costs Outdated educational system -> Loss of brainpower -> Social, economic problems


How can a community be brought together through food?

Behind The Counter Vol. 2

Ema N. '20 A magazine of interviews of restaurant owners in Downtown Troy


WE CAN DREAM TOO Year 2 Dohyun P. ’20

Essential Question: What kind of approach in governmental and non-governmental terms can be taken to better the education gap for children? Key Product: A research paper that encompasses education status for underprivileged children in different nations (Korea, US, Vietnam) with potential solutions based on case studies


e of the most n o is g in ll te ry o st e v Narrati an audience ce n e u fl in to s y a w effective kes emotion o v e d n a le b ta la re is because it

Acto r Auth s! o Journ rs! alists !

Moth Storytellers!

Structure of Influence A Documentary about Storytelling

Lia R. '21 How do storytell ers, in today’s w orld, craft their story to effectively sha re the message the y want?

Musicians! Dancers!


The Transplant Process Olivia R. '20 ESSENTIAL QUESTION What are the different processes that patients and surgeons undergo for transplant surgeries?

KEY PRODUCTS 1. Observe transplant surgery 2. Interview transplant patients 3. Create a pamphlet to educate the EWS community about transplant surgeries


TITLE What is a memorable title for you project, that you might have for your final presentation?

NAME Your Name and graduation year

ESSENTIAL QUESTION What is the important question(s) that you are trying to answer in your project?

KEY PRODUCT What important object(s) or idea(s) will you produce by the end of your project?

PICTURES Include images that illustrate your project. Remember to cite all sources. Include a picture of yourself.

Guidelines: ● Make a copy of this document and keep it in the same Google Folder, and share the document with Mr. Calos. ● Keep this document in portrait mode. ● Posters will be published and used for public relations. Spelling, grammar and formatting need to be top-notch. Change the formatting as much as you like, while keeping it to 8.5 x 11” to make your poster informative and ● attractive, keeping the indicated elements in some form. BE CREATIVE WITH EVERYTHING! ● Seek final approval of your document from Mr. Calos DELETE THIS QR CODE Use this link to make a QR code for your portfolio


NOURISH EARTH, NOURISH EMMA Amelia S. '20 ESSENTIAL QUESTION How can we eliminate food waste in the dining hall and educate students on the beneďŹ ts of compost and eating raw ingredients? KEY PRODUCT A more interactive compost system and less food waste in the dining hall.

QR CODE Use this link to make a QR code for your portfolio


Stateless in Shanghai Jewish Immigrants and Refugees in Shanghai, late-19th to mid-20th Hanyan (Helen) S. '21 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why is it important to learn about the history of Jewish refugees in Shanghai during WWII? How did Jewish historical heritage contribute to the development of Shanghai?

Goals: An exhibition displaying historical photographs arranged in chronological order & a map of Shanghai labeled with Jewish architecture


AMORPHOUS: An Illustrated Short Story About Love and Fear Hao Cindy S. ‘21 How can the fiction inspired by my own experience of gaining courage and growing inspire other people?

To publish and illustrate a book for my short story

“You turn my tears into blossoms, and once again I bloom for the moment of decease.”


Architectural Heritage at Emma Willard School: A Book Alex S. '20 How can the school know more about our campus’ history and architectural signiďŹ cance? Produce a short book detailing the architectural heritage of the Emma Willard Campus, and publish it along with developing a guided tour adaptation

QR CODE Use this link to make a QR code for your portfolio


Carol W. '21

How can high school students further their interest in Computer Science?

Into the World of

Computer Science Create a website for high school students to learn more about different computer science ďŹ elds like ArtiďŹ cial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and study what they might bring in the future


Behind Cos(mo) ✓ Determine Successful Industry Marketing ✓ Explore Behind the Scene of the Record Businesses ✓ Determine Steps to Put Out An EP

Bianca Y . ‘20


www.emmawillard.org/signature/blog


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