Erica Portnoy and Alexis Tchaconas - Making Commack Proud

Commack Junior Takes First Place in International Science Competition

Commack High School junior Erica Portnoy won top honors today in Microbiology at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in San Jose, California. Senior Alexis Tchaconas also took fourth place in the Cell and Molecular Biology Division, as well as receiving a $500 American Society of Physiology Award, and an $8,000 Naval Marine Corps Scholarship.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest premiere global science competition for students in grades 9-12. This year, 1,611 high school students representing 59 countries, showcased their independent research.

To qualify for the Intel ISEF, both Erica and Alexis won first place in their divisions in the NYS Science and Engineering Fair, held on March 15 at the NY Hall of Science. Today, Erica's project: "Construction of a Novel Plasmid to Study Attachment Factor Secretion in Uropathogenic E. coli Bacteria," won first place in the Microbiology division, and she received a $3,000 prize. Erica is very involved in the service learning engineering projects at Commack High School, and is a member of Team Commack, a group of students who invent customized devices to assist the disabled. The Team has also been recognized at the national level for assistive technology developed for a worker at a local United Cerebral Palsy facility.
Alexis' project, "A Genetic Investigation of Autism: The Role of Type III/neuregulin-1/ErbB4 Signaling and Contactin4 in Neurodevelopment," took fourth place with an award of $500 in the Cell and Molecular Biology Division. She also received recognition and prize money as stated above. Her interest stems from helping her brother, who has Autism, and she is very active in volunteering with autistic children. She is also the winner of other prestigious awards, including a Coca-Cola Scholarship.
Accompanied at the competition all this week by Commack High School Principal Russ Stewart and Science Research Teacher Richard Kurtz, the girls exhibited and explained their research to judges and attendees at the competition.  Richard Kurtz remarked, "These kids really deserved these awards. They work so hard at everything they do. The competition at these contests is mind boggling, and taking such high honors is an amazing tribute to the science program in the Commack School District, and to the tenacity of these young ladies."

Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Feltman was ecstatic when he heard the news. "We are absolutely thrilled at the results of the hard work of both Alexis and Erica,  and that independent judges have found the quality of their research to be so commendable."

 Erica Portnoy displays her project.

 Alexis Tchaconas with high school principal Russ Stewart.

 Erica and Alexis at the INTEL ISEF Competition.