2022 NYIT MINI-GRANT AWARD

North Shore High School Freshman Recipient of the 2022 Fifth Annual NYIT Mini-Research Grant Award

Congratulations go out to Eli-Weseley-Jones, a freshman at North Shore High School, for recently being selected by the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) as a recipient of the 2022 Fifth Annual Mini-Research Grant Award.

North Shore High School Principal Eric Contreras said, “It is impressive to see students such as Eli engage in high level rigorous research early in their high school experience. The best ideas for tomorrow are shaped by young innovative minds of today. We are proud of Eli’s work and wish him well as he and other North Shore students continue their research. Thanks to mentors such as Dr. Mordechai, North Shore high school is a strong incubator for young researchers and their innovative work.”

Eli was selected from a list of many strong applicants for his research project titled, Numeracy and Communication of Medical Risk. The proposal for which he won the grant is a continuation of his current project. "In my current project, I learned that one's subjective numeracy, or how good someone thinks they are with numbers, is positively correlated with their willingness to try a new medication. However, a person's subjective numeracy is not related to their objective numeracy, which is how good they actually are with numbers. This study has the potential to improve the understanding of how different numerical formats are perceived, which would allow doctors to present treatment options to their patients more clearly."

In a letter addressed to Eli-Weseley-Jones, the NYIT Grant Review committee awarded him $300 for his research proposal and “determined his submission to have scientific merit and potential impact in the STEM fields, including health.”

Secondary Science Director Steven Menchel stated, “Eli has a gift for making the complex easily accessible to all. His work is creative and complex, but it lives in a realm of problems that can be immediately addressed and possibly solved based on his findings.”

Eli concluded by saying, "I am looking forward to using the support from the mini-grant to extend and improve my research. Thank you to Dr. Mordechai, my mom, my sister Kate and, of course, NYIT, for all of your assistance."

Everyone at the North Shore School district wishes Eli Weseley-Jones continued success and congratulates him on being the recipient of the 2022 Fifth Annual NYIT Mini-Research Grant Award! 

Article written with assistance from Eli Weseley-Jones. Photos by Shelly Newman