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Now, just three months later, the HAFTR senior nabbed another top honor being named one of the 59 semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search competition from New York State.
"I was shocked when I found out," Bandler said. "You never can expect this. It's so unpredictable that something like this can happen. There are so many good projects and I knew the probability was tiny."
And the 17-year-old Scarsdale native truly understands probability. The project that earned her this honor tested how a branch of stochastic mathematics used to predict long-term probabilities, called a Markov chain, can help make accurate predictions when related to human behavior.
"We learned that Markov chains can accurately predict human actions and that they actually work," Bandler said. "And that as time goes on they become more and more accurate. They may not be able to predict what happens tomorrow, but they can predict what happens in five years. As time goes on they become more and more accurate."
Bandler, who got into MIT via early action, was mentored by both Ms. Rebecca Isseroff and HAFTR's department chairperson in mathematics Mr. Neil Bernstein. They both find her being named a semifinalist in both the Siemens and Intel competition to be an extraordinary accomplishment.
Isseroff, who has been working with students on research projects since 2000, has never had a student who did two different projects in the same year, win for both. "It's absolutely amazing to be able to do two different projects in the same year and become a semifinalist in two different competitions with each of the projects," Isseroff said. "It's a remarkable amount of work that you have to put in for each of them, but Rachel has enthusiasm and an upbeat attitude, besides the fact that she is very bright so it all rolls into a very successful package."
HAFTR Principal of General Studies Mr. Stanley Blumenstein, who is a former principal at the Bronx High School of Science, agrees that Bandler's feat should not go unnoticed. "In all my years as principal and assistant principal, working with those top students, I can't recall a student who actually was able to complete two projects - not one, but two projects - that both were entered and both won recognition, one in the Siemens and then this paper in the Intel competition. For a student to do two papers in two totally different fields and get recognition, that is unheard of. Here you have a truly
amazing student."
Each of the Intel semifinalists will receive a $1,000 award for their research. Additionally, to recognize excellence in teaching and school support of individual student research, every school will receive an award of $1,000 for each semifinalist named in the Intel STS 2009. This award is used to further excellence in science, math, and engineering education. On Jan. 28, 40 of the semifinalists will be named finalists and receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the week-long competition in March. They will compete for a grand prize of $100,000 with winners being announced on March 10.
Bernstein feels Bandler has a good chance of being named a finalist since her project could have significant ramifications in the future, due to its proving the ability of Markov chains to predict human behavior. "I believe that what she did could have future positive effects on society," Bernstein said. "It really might because what she attempted to do was to predict future events and it really enabled her to determine long-term probability based on eating habits and just human behavior models in general. This could well be used down to road in an effective way, if used properly. Maybe she'll continue to explore her present project in the future and develop other studies that are similar to what she did, and perhaps combine them down the road. It could very well be a plus for universities, scholars and society in general."
The 300 semifinalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2009 were chosen from among 1,608 entrants representing 495 high schools in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and five overseas schools. Bandler thinks her receiving this honor is a tribute to everyone who helped her along the way.
"Being named a semifinalist is just great because there a professors reading these papers and they tell you how good a job you did on it," Bandler said. "I want to thank Mrs. Isseroff for all her help and Mr. Bernstein for teaching me everything that I needed to help me to formulate my project. I also wanted to thank my aunt because she picked me up on all those late nights while doing the papers and whenever I was working on my project. And my mom because she's the one that got me really interested in science. She's the one that got me to research in the first place. After all the hours of work and the all nighters, it shows that it all paid off."
Comments about this story? PShapiro@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.
"I was shocked when I found out," Bandler said. "You never can expect this. It's so unpredictable that something like this can happen. There are so many good projects and I knew the probability was tiny."
And the 17-year-old Scarsdale native truly understands probability. The project that earned her this honor tested how a branch of stochastic mathematics used to predict long-term probabilities, called a Markov chain, can help make accurate predictions when related to human behavior.
"We learned that Markov chains can accurately predict human actions and that they actually work," Bandler said. "And that as time goes on they become more and more accurate. They may not be able to predict what happens tomorrow, but they can predict what happens in five years. As time goes on they become more and more accurate."
Bandler, who got into MIT via early action, was mentored by both Ms. Rebecca Isseroff and HAFTR's department chairperson in mathematics Mr. Neil Bernstein. They both find her being named a semifinalist in both the Siemens and Intel competition to be an extraordinary accomplishment.
HAFTR Principal of General Studies Mr. Stanley Blumenstein, who is a former principal at the Bronx High School of Science, agrees that Bandler's feat should not go unnoticed. "In all my years as principal and assistant principal, working with those top students, I can't recall a student who actually was able to complete two projects - not one, but two projects - that both were entered and both won recognition, one in the Siemens and then this paper in the Intel competition. For a student to do two papers in two totally different fields and get recognition, that is unheard of. Here you have a truly
amazing student."
Each of the Intel semifinalists will receive a $1,000 award for their research. Additionally, to recognize excellence in teaching and school support of individual student research, every school will receive an award of $1,000 for each semifinalist named in the Intel STS 2009. This award is used to further excellence in science, math, and engineering education. On Jan. 28, 40 of the semifinalists will be named finalists and receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the week-long competition in March. They will compete for a grand prize of $100,000 with winners being announced on March 10.
Bernstein feels Bandler has a good chance of being named a finalist since her project could have significant ramifications in the future, due to its proving the ability of Markov chains to predict human behavior. "I believe that what she did could have future positive effects on society," Bernstein said. "It really might because what she attempted to do was to predict future events and it really enabled her to determine long-term probability based on eating habits and just human behavior models in general. This could well be used down to road in an effective way, if used properly. Maybe she'll continue to explore her present project in the future and develop other studies that are similar to what she did, and perhaps combine them down the road. It could very well be a plus for universities, scholars and society in general."
The 300 semifinalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2009 were chosen from among 1,608 entrants representing 495 high schools in 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and five overseas schools. Bandler thinks her receiving this honor is a tribute to everyone who helped her along the way.
"Being named a semifinalist is just great because there a professors reading these papers and they tell you how good a job you did on it," Bandler said. "I want to thank Mrs. Isseroff for all her help and Mr. Bernstein for teaching me everything that I needed to help me to formulate my project. I also wanted to thank my aunt because she picked me up on all those late nights while doing the papers and whenever I was working on my project. And my mom because she's the one that got me really interested in science. She's the one that got me to research in the first place. After all the hours of work and the all nighters, it shows that it all paid off."
Comments about this story? PShapiro@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.
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