Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium | News Posts
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:21
Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium | News Posts
Summer Programs
Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium
Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium
Rudy Brandl '83
Apr
22
2026
The inaugural W+H in-house NASA Symposium, held on Friday, April 17 and spearheaded by Middle School science teacher Ms. Noreen Jafri, brought together a dynamic group of young researchers from the Middle School Citizen Scientist elective and four ninth grade students. Shrey Amin ’31, Srilekha Guntupalli ’31, Alizeh Nazir ’31, Riyan Nihalani '31, Adi Raj ’31, Shivani Sundar ’31 and Advik Singh ’31 joined Upper School students Sanjana Bhardwaj ’29, Aanya Chaturvedi ’29, Geeta Kumar ’29 and Samyak Kumar ’29, who eagerly gave up their break time to participate in the daylong event in the Oakwood Room.
The symposium showcased original investigations ranging from
How Does Weather Impact Our Mood?
to
Does Burning Trash Impact Air Quality in Thai Villages?
In the weeks leading up to the event, students strengthened their research through Zoom sessions with experts, including Dr. Kevin Czajkowski (University of Toledo), John Moore, a nationally recognized STEM education leader and Executive Director of Palmyra Cove, and Dr. Jodi Haney and Sara Mierzwiak from the GLOBE Office in Ohio. Mr. Moore joined the event in person and continued to share his wisdom. This inaugural symposium was made possible through the generous support of the WHPA mini grant.
Reflecting on the experience, Alizeh shared, “I really enjoyed the science symposium because it was a perfect opportunity to discuss and learn more about science with my fellow scientists and the NASA GLOBE team that took the time to join us!”
The morning began with a collaborative session in which students across all divisions engaged with presenters and offered peer feedback. This exchange created an authentic scientific environment that encouraged discussion, critique and refinement of ideas. Shivani noted, “This symposium was a completely different experience from what I have had before. I really enjoyed working with GLOBE, collecting our own data and presenting it to my peers and GLOBE scientists.”
Expert reviewer John Moore then provided in-depth feedback, drawing on decades of experience in environmental education and remote sensing. His insights helped students see the broader applications of their work and the role of tools like satellite data and visualization in understanding Earth systems. Students especially valued this interaction, with Shrey sharing, “I also really liked the opportunity to work with the GLOBE scientists and Mr. John Moore.” Students were also excited to receive
Holocubes
for augmented reality geo-visualizations, generously provided by Mr. Moore.
Following a gourmet lunch prepared by Chef Anibal and the Sage Dining team, students attended a keynote session via Zoom with NASA Senior Earth Science Specialist Brian A. Campbell. Speaking from the Wallops Flight Facility, Campbell explained how satellite instruments such as ICESat-2, typically used to measure ice sheet thickness, can also be used to measure tree height, offering insights into forest health and climate change. His talk highlighted the importance of combining satellite data with ground observations through citizen science initiatives like GLOBE.
The outdoor geocaching activity, thoughtfully prepared by freshmen Siddarth Selvaraj ’29, Yash Jain ’29, Shaan Patel ’29 and Raj Gandhi ’29, was postponed due to lightning. However, the students enjoyed participating in it on a beautiful afternoon this week.
Presenters are eager to incorporate the peer feedback from this event and continue developing their projects from year to year.
NASA SYMPOSIUM PHOTO GALLERY
Summer Programs
Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium
Middle School Students Lead Inaugural NASA Symposium
Rudy Brandl '83
Apr
22
2026
The inaugural W+H in-house NASA Symposium, held on Friday, April 17 and spearheaded by Middle School science teacher Ms. Noreen Jafri, brought together a dynamic group of young researchers from the Middle School Citizen Scientist elective and four ninth grade students. Shrey Amin ’31, Srilekha Guntupalli ’31, Alizeh Nazir ’31, Riyan Nihalani '31, Adi Raj ’31, Shivani Sundar ’31 and Advik Singh ’31 joined Upper School students Sanjana Bhardwaj ’29, Aanya Chaturvedi ’29, Geeta Kumar ’29 and Samyak Kumar ’29, who eagerly gave up their break time to participate in the daylong event in the Oakwood Room.
The symposium showcased original investigations ranging from
How Does Weather Impact Our Mood?
to
Does Burning Trash Impact Air Quality in Thai Villages?
In the weeks leading up to the event, students strengthened their research through Zoom sessions with experts, including Dr. Kevin Czajkowski (University of Toledo), John Moore, a nationally recognized STEM education leader and Executive Director of Palmyra Cove, and Dr. Jodi Haney and Sara Mierzwiak from the GLOBE Office in Ohio. Mr. Moore joined the event in person and continued to share his wisdom. This inaugural symposium was made possible through the generous support of the WHPA mini grant.
Reflecting on the experience, Alizeh shared, “I really enjoyed the science symposium because it was a perfect opportunity to discuss and learn more about science with my fellow scientists and the NASA GLOBE team that took the time to join us!”
The morning began with a collaborative session in which students across all divisions engaged with presenters and offered peer feedback. This exchange created an authentic scientific environment that encouraged discussion, critique and refinement of ideas. Shivani noted, “This symposium was a completely different experience from what I have had before. I really enjoyed working with GLOBE, collecting our own data and presenting it to my peers and GLOBE scientists.”
Expert reviewer John Moore then provided in-depth feedback, drawing on decades of experience in environmental education and remote sensing. His insights helped students see the broader applications of their work and the role of tools like satellite data and visualization in understanding Earth systems. Students especially valued this interaction, with Shrey sharing, “I also really liked the opportunity to work with the GLOBE scientists and Mr. John Moore.” Students were also excited to receive
Holocubes
for augmented reality geo-visualizations, generously provided by Mr. Moore.
Following a gourmet lunch prepared by Chef Anibal and the Sage Dining team, students attended a keynote session via Zoom with NASA Senior Earth Science Specialist Brian A. Campbell. Speaking from the Wallops Flight Facility, Campbell explained how satellite instruments such as ICESat-2, typically used to measure ice sheet thickness, can also be used to measure tree height, offering insights into forest health and climate change. His talk highlighted the importance of combining satellite data with ground observations through citizen science initiatives like GLOBE.
The outdoor geocaching activity, thoughtfully prepared by freshmen Siddarth Selvaraj ’29, Yash Jain ’29, Shaan Patel ’29 and Raj Gandhi ’29, was postponed due to lightning. However, the students enjoyed participating in it on a beautiful afternoon this week.
Presenters are eager to incorporate the peer feedback from this event and continue developing their projects from year to year.
NASA SYMPOSIUM PHOTO GALLERY