Hendrick Hudson Senior Honored with Award at Prestigious Science & Engineering Fair
Hendrick Hudson senior Lena Pfeiffer was recently chosen as the winner of the Visionary Engineering Award at the 2025 Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF). Pfeiffer, who is a student in Dr. Christine Rogers’ Science Research class at Hendrick Hudson High School, was one of three Hendrick Hudson students whose work was showcased this year at WESEF, a forum for displaying the impressive research projects of high school students from Westchester and Putnam County schools.
Pfeiffer was joined by fellow seniors Oakley Gougelman and James McManus. The award she received recognizes students who exhibit enthusiasm, desire and intellect in the field of engineering.
“Seeing my work recognized in this way was incredibly rewarding and further fueled my passion for STEM,” Pfeiffer said. “I am deeply grateful for this honor and for the support of Dr. Rogers and the Science Research class.”
Pfeiffer’s project was titled, “A Novel Approach of Using Commercial Semiconductor Device Technology for Biosensing,” and explored using a bipolar junction transistor (BJT)-based device as a biosensor for measuring pH in saliva.
“This technology could ultimately be used to develop a portable, cost-effective intraoral device for monitoring pH for early detection of dental diseases or conditions,” she said.
Pfeiffer credited the guidance of her research mentor, Dr. Sufi Zafar, a renowned research scientist at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.
“I would also like to thank the administration for supporting the Science Research program at Hen Hud,” Pfeiffer said. “Conducting my research project in a real-world setting and with the guidance of a professional scientist was an invaluable learning experience. I am excited to gain additional research experience in college.”
Pfeiffer, Gougelman and McManus will have the posters that detail their projects on display in the cafeteria during STEAM Innovation Day, which is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 29.