At Hathaway Brown, Hallmarks of Excellence
Imagine working on the cutting edge of scientific research... say, gene therapy delivery systems utilizing nanotechnology, astrophysical studies to shed light on the origin of the Universe, or flying an experiment on the space shuttle and t...
At Hathaway Brown, Hallmarks of Excellence
Imagine working on the cutting edge of scientific research... say, gene therapy delivery systems utilizing nanotechnology, astrophysical studies to shed light on the origin of the Universe, or flying an experiment on the space shuttle and the International Space Station to shed light on a real problem faced by the international space community, all while you are still a teenager! More than 100 of Hathaway Brown's Upper School students are having experiences like these through the innovative and nationally acclaimed Science Research & Engineering Program.
Hathaway Brown's Science Research & Engineering Program is an elective that was initiated in early 1998 by HB Director of Research Patricia K. Hunt. It now enrolls approximately one-third of the grade 9-12 student population. Students in the Program are linked with supervising professionals from institutions such as Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals of Cleveland, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, NASA Glenn Research Center, and the Cleveland Museums of Art and Natural History for the purpose of conducting a research project. Once a placement is made, the SREP Director assists as necessary, also helping students prepare for optional competitions.
While most projects are scientific in nature, a number of students prefer to develop internship or shadowing experiences in non-scientific areas such as sports & entertainment management, architecture, radio broadcast, and fashion retail & marketing.
Current research projects in the Science Research & Engineering Program represent a cross section of the cutting-edge research that is occurring in the Cleveland area, such as work on gene therapy, MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) nanotechnology, BioMEMS, and microelectrochemical sensor development, as well as research into cures for many life-threatening diseases. One project, called PEACE, addresses a real erosion problem in low earth orbit, and will fly in space twice, once as a short-term exposure experiment aboard the space shuttle, and another time as a long-term exposure experiment aboard the International Space Station. That version is in space now.
The work of HB's Science Research & Engineering Program students has garnered hundreds of awards at the regional, state, national, and international levels since 1999, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in college scholarships, cash, and other prizes such as computers and all-expense paid trips to places including London, Germany, and Israel. Four SREP students have U.S. Patents pending for their original inventions, and there are more than 70 student authorships or co-authorships on technical publications or presentations.
The research of many of our students has advanced to the final levels of prestigious national competitions such as the Intel Science Talent Search, the Siemens-Westinghouse Competition, and the Junior Science & Humanities Symposium. For two consecutive years, Hathaway Brown Science Research & Engineering Program students were selected from a national field for induction into the National Gallery for Young Inventors Hall of Fame, and for three consecutive years, our research students were named to the USA Today Academic All-Star Team.
Graduates of the Hathaway Brown Science Research & Engineering Program have used their high school experiences as a springboard for success as they go on to college careers at universities including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Duke, and Berkeley.
As part of Hathaway Brown's philosophy that being a good community member means giving back to the community whenever possible, the Science Research & Engineering Program has been expanded to include young women from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) through the Hathaway Brown Outreach Science Research & Engineering Program. In the Outreach SREP, select young women from James Ford Rhodes High School and Lincoln West High School have been fostered by HB in many different ways as they conduct their very own multi-year research projects at area research institutions. One of these Outreach students is now majoring in science at Harvard, the first CMSD student to matriculate there in several years.
The Hathaway Brown Science Research & Engineering Program has proven itself to be a highly successful vehicle through which we are preparing the future leaders of science, technology, and other professional careers. It is a dynamic application of the Hathaway Brown motto that "we learn not for school, but for life," and is one of the many ways in which Hathaway Brown School is reinventing education for young women in the 21st century.
Hallmarks of Excellence:
-- Patents: The patent application process has been initiated for the work of several students.
-- Presentations and Publications: Numerous technical presentations and publications have been delivered alongside professionals at a variety of technical society meetings.
-- Awards: Numerous top honors and first-place awards have been received in all categories entered at state, regional, national, and even international science competitions, including substantial student awards in stocks, bonds, college scholarships, and trips to events in other states and even Europe.
