Huntington’s Aron Coraor Reaches Intel Finals

Hundreds of hours of research in a lab on the Stony Brook University campus are paying off for Huntington High School senior Aron Coraor. The teenager was named an Intel Science Talent Search finalist, one of only 40 students in the country to reach the elite round.

Judges were impressed with Mr. Coraor’s research project: “Pressure Dependent Azeotropic Melting Relations in the Mg2SiO4-Fe2SiO4-NaAlSi3O8-CaAl2Si2O8 System: A Critical Role in Lunar Highlands Formation?” He is only the second Huntington High School student to reach the Intel finals since 1950. Mr. Coraor’s sister, Juliana, valedictorian of Huntington’s Class of 2012, advanced to the finals in 2012.

The only Intel finalist from Suffolk County, Mr. Coraor and his 39 fellow finalists will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 6-12 for a final round of project judging. They will compete for $630,000 in awards provided by the Intel Foundation, including a grand prize of $100,000 that will be presented to the first-place winner during a gala dinner ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 11.

“I am thrilled for Aron on his incredible and very exciting accomplishment,” Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. “When listening to him to speak of his project, it is easy to determine not only how much pride he has taken in his work, but also how much he has enjoyed the research and the competition process. There is no question that this has factored into his reaching this level. There is really nothing out of reach for this young man!”

Mr. Coraor has spent nearly 25 hours per week conducting research for his project in a lab on the Stony Brook University campus. He has been mentored by Stony Brook Distinguished Professor Emeritus Donald H. Lindsley, who holds degrees from Princeton and Johns Hopkins. Dr. Lindsley has been on the Stony Brook faculty since 1970 and once served as the chair of the department of geosciences.

“My Intel project aimed to help explain the formation of the Moon,” Mr. Coraor said. “The current accepted model for how the Moon formed was largely developed in the 1970s when the bulk of the Apollo samples from the Moon’s surface were analyzed. However, while this traditional model has been improved slightly over time, an increasing number of inconsistencies between this model and data on samples from the Moon are being found. My project aimed to solve some of these inconsistencies by proposing alternate mechanisms by which the crust of the Moon may have formed. I justified the conclusions of my project by creating in a lab a magma [that is] similar to what likely would have been found billions of years ago as the Moon was solidifying and by measuring the composition of the crystals that formed from this synthetic magma.”

Described as a “shining star” in the Huntington High School science research program by teacher and program leader Lori Kenny, Mr. Coraor has also been a member of the school’s Science Olympiad, Science Bowl and Quiz Bowl teams. Not only has he conducted his own research in the Huntington program, but the teenager has helped fellow students with their own projects. The senior has worked closely with Mrs. Kenny over the years and she has mentored him along the way.

“I am elated with the news that Aron is an Intel finalist,” Mrs. Kenny said. “I can’t think of someone more deserving. He is dedicated to his project and to the continued growth of knowledge surrounding this topic. It is a joy to have him as a student and see his progress throughout the years. This will be one more memorable event for the Huntington community and I am proud to be a part of it.”

“The Intel Science Talent Search encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop skills to help solve some of the world’s greatest challenges,” according to the organization. “Entrants are judged on the originality and creativity of their scientific research projects as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside the classroom. Finalists’ research spans from a mathematical model that can replicate cardiac arrhythmias to a fast-charging, low-cost energy storage super-capacitor to innovative stem cell research.”

The 40 Intel finalists come from 33 United States high schools spread across 14 states. They will now compete for a top award of $100,000; second-place award of $75,000; and third-place award of $50,000. Each finalist receives at least $7,500.

The 40 finalists’ projects cover 15 separate categories including behavioral science, biochemistry, bioengineering, bioinformatics, chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering, environmental science, materials science, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, physics and space science.