Sayville R.I.S.E. Tech Student Advances to New York State Science Congress

May 10, 2023

Congratulations to Sayville High School junior Kylie Person on receiving the High Honors Award for her research titled Can an Algal Bioplastic Serve as an Alternative to Single Use Can Packaging? at the Long Island Science Congress. Kylie has now been nominated to attend the N.Y. State Science Congress, Senior Division to be held on Sunday, June 11, at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology (M.O.S.T.) in Syracuse, N.Y. Of the 569 projects entered, Kylie's project was one of eighteen from the Long Island Region selected to advance and compete at the state level. Her work on the project ranged from collecting Bladder wrack seaweed from Port Jefferson harbor during the summer months, development of 3D printed designs of six pack rings/molds and thorough experimentation of various bioplastic combinations. 

“Kylie’s research has been a passion project since she started in the R.I.S.E. Tech program in 2021,” said R.I.S.E. Tech Research Teacher Rick Caskey. “It is her great concern for the future of our oceans and marine life that has been the driving factor in the development of her prototypes. Investing hours of time in the lab both in the summer and during the school year, Kylie's hard work and dedication will now bring her to compete at the state level. It is a proud honor to have Kylie’s research project representing Sayville High School.”

According to their website, the New York State Science Congress is a “culminating event for students who have been given high honor recognition by a NYS regional science fair.”

In addition to her accomplishments with the New York State Science Congress, Kylie also placed third in the recent S.A.A.W.A. (South Asian American Women’s Alliance) Science Fair in the Earth and Environmental Science Category.