A Great Neck South student was named a national finalist in one of the country’s most prestigious student science competitions.
Jay Zussman, a senior at Great Neck South High, was named Dec. 9 a national finalist in the 2014 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology held at George Washington University in Washington D.C., said Jessica Vega, public relations coordinator for the Great Neck Public Schools.
Vega said Zussman was one of six winners in the individual category of the competition, earning a $20,000 scholarship.
Efforts to reach Zussman were unavailing.
Carol Hersh, a science research teacher at Great Neck South High School, said Zussman is an exceptional student and enthusiasm for science.
“He put in a great deal of effort to develop a thorough understanding of his topic, to collect a lot of data, to come up with appropriate conclusions and to figure out how to present his findings in a paper and presentation in a clear and complete manner,” Hersh said. “Jay’s success in the Siemens competition is the result of talent, genuine interest in science and a lot of hard work.”
She said each student had to present and defend their presentation to a board of judges.
Zussman, who is the only winner from New York State, was named a semifinalist in October, and eventually moved on to be a regional finalist before claiming the final prize. He is the first South High student to win the top prize from the competition.
The project Zussman won for is titled “Zip1 C-terminal phosphorylation promotes Zip1-Sgs1 interaction in meiotic cells.”
The study shows the importance of the interaction between two proteins involved in meiosis. Meiosis is the type of cell division in sexual reproduction essential to maintaining genetic diversity.
