As a result of a comprehensive application process, Ward Melville High School juniors Luran He, Harrison Li and Alan Wei have been selected as recipients of fellowships through the Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University. These students, each of whom is part of Ward Melville’s student research program InSTAR, will be working on novel research at Stony Brook labs throughout the summer, culminating in a symposium presentation, and will each receive a $1,000 stipend. Only about 14 percent of all applicants are accepted into the Simons Program, a program that only allows for three applications to be made per school.    

According to Stony Brook University’s website, the Simons Program gives academically talented, motivated high school students between their junior and senior years the opportunity to engage in hands-on research in science, math or engineering at Stony Brook University. Simons Fellows work with distinguished faculty mentors, learn laboratory techniques and tools, become part of active research teams and experience life at a research university. Established in 1984, the Simons Summer Research Fellowship Program is supported by the Simons Foundation and individual faculty grants.