COMMACK SCHOOLS

CHS senior Mehek S. has claimed a top honor in an international competition.

Displaying her research in Columbus, Ohio, Mehek earned a third-place Grand Award in the microbiology category at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Approximately 1,600 finalists competed at ISEF, making it the most prestigious high school science competition in the world. The participants represented the top winners from affiliated science fairs internationally. 

Students from more than 80 countries presented their work encompassing 22 categories to a slate of judges, who are among the world’s top experts in their respective fields.

Finalists who receive Grand Awards, including Mehek, represent the top 20 percent of finalists at the competition.

Mehek presented her research entitled, “Characterizing the Secretion Signal in the C-Terminus of the Francisella tularensis Protein FTL_1123: Insights for Type 1 Secretion and Therapeutic.”

She earned a $1,200 award.

After graduation, Mehek plans to enroll at Harvard. An honored academic leader, she also volunteers with the Commack Ambulance Corps, competed for the CHS badminton team and works with the district’s Legislative Advocacy Committee.