Priyanka Balaji

Particle physics drew the attention of sophomore Priyanka Balaji when she was in her ninth grade biology class. Balaji began to research this topic and reach out to professors and students at colleges. Balaji had one goal in mind — she wanted to conduct research on how to harness energy using particle physics and was interested in following the scientific method to research a significant problem in-depth and to find a solution in response to the problem. 

Balaji is a National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium student delegate and part of a research symposium, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. She is currently working with two undergraduates at UC Berkeley.

“My motivation for this was mainly my passion for learning,” Balaji said. “I liked seeing how we can use particle physics to solve real life problems.”

Although it can be hard to find an interesting topic and stick with it, Balaji has read many scientific articles and naturally gravitated toward a topic which isn’t often explored at Lynbrook. 

Her biggest supporter is her mother, who helped Balaji reach out to the undergraduates and solidify her research. 

In the future, Balaji hopes to mentor other students and support those who follow the same path as her, helping them do it in an easier way. 

“Now that I’ve understood how the process works, I want to share my knowledge with other Lynbrook students who would like to follow the same path,” Balaji said.