Bringing with him a genuine passion for science, Nate Jaffe has joined the faculty of Trinity-Pawling as a teacher of science and more specifically, to build momentum in our Science Research in High School (SRHS) program. “Once you fully understand a field of study—then you learn to ask questions.” Jaffe hopes to encourage his students to pursue their science studies with inquisitive minds.
Jaffe is from Sharon, CT and attended the nearby Hotchkiss School. At Princeton University, he studied molecular biology and completed a computational senior thesis on the Last Universal Common Ancestor. “It’s magical to think that you might be able to understand everything about the world,” Jaffe says. Following graduation from Princeton, Jaffe spent four years in graduate biology at Columbia University, working on single molecule studies of the bacterial ribosome.
The Science Research in High School (SRHS) program at Trinity-Pawling gives Jaffe the opportunity to pass on his own experience as a researcher. “I’m passionate about science, and I hope to get my students to that point.”
SRHS is a collaborative effort with the State University of New York at Albany. The three-year program gives Trinity-Pawling students the opportunity to participate in the community of scientific research and scholarship as part of their high school experience.
Through a three-year self-guided process, students will identify a research topic to pursue, read many research articles in their field—with the intention of developing their own project. “This step helps students understand what active research is going on in their area of choice,” says Jaffe. Students will present some of the articles in class throughout the year, but their main focus is on developing and completing their own research project—with hands-on lab work or technology development. “This is NOT a grade-school style “research project,” Jaffe points out.
Mentorship is also an important aspect of the program. Students are encouraged to contact the authors of the scientific journal articles for suggestions on future research that they themselves may undertake, or seek mentorship.
As soon as students are ready, they begin their own personal research under the guidance of their mentor and Jaffe. Using technology and computer software, students will conduct statistical analyses and present their findings to their class, school, and to regional and statewide symposia. The students earn college credit from SUNY Albany.
Jaffe places emphasis, not only on the scientific work the students pursue, but also on their ability to develop autonomy, and fine-tune their presentation skills. “This is an opportunity for the students to see what real science looks like,” he adds.
This year’s SRHS students include four sophomores, six juniors, and one senior. The diverse array of research topics include: allergy management apps, brain computer interfaces, bacterial production of biodegradable plastics, AI directed robotics, bodyweight and the leptin hormone, the connection between metabolism and lifespan, GMO vegetables, VR technology, neuropsychology of video gaming, lithium-air batteries, and high-frequency stock trading.
Though most student work is independent, Jaffe meets with students individually at least once a week to help guide them through the process. “Victor Zhu ’19 has already spent a year reading up on brain-computer interfaces (previous research) and will soon acquire an EEG headset to begin his own research project producing original data and hopefully discovering new information,” Jaffe concludes.
If you would like to learn more about Science Research in High School (SRHS) at Trinity-Pawling or offer professional support to the program, please contact Nate Jaffe – njaffe@trinitypawling.org