Name: Elan Ness-Cohn
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
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School: Niles North High School
Accomplishments: Elan Ness-Cohn’s groundbreaking research called “The Application of Stereo Vision on Projectile Accuracy" received multiple awards last March during the Illinois Junior Academy of Science Fair.
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Some of his awards included best in category, a US Air Force Award and the Optical Society of Chicago Award, to name a few. The “Whiz Kid” also qualified to attend the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for his second time.
The event, held in May, is the premier science fair competition in the world for high school students, and brings together more than 1,600 students from more than 60 nations, as well as technology industry leaders and Nobel Prize laureates. Last year, Ness-Cohn was chosen to attend for his research in harvesting human energy. He will also compete at the Illinois Sate Science Fair at the University of Illinois in early May.
His current research project involves tracking the position of an object though the use of advanced mathematics, physics, and triangulation concepts, and then targeting the object with a projectile. One potential life saving application resulting from this technology would enhance safety at beaches unmanned by lifeguards, he said.
“A distressed swimmer could be identified and targeted through this technology, and then a life preserver could be projected out to the swimmer’s location by a robotic device,” Ness-Cohn said. “Additional human assistance could then be dispatched.”
Ness-Cohn was also a member of the RIOT (Researchers and Investigators of Tomorrow) club since his freshman year and has pursued his independent research as part of the STEM Inquiry and Research (SIR) class for the past two years. STEM is the acronym for the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics program at Niles North.
Key to Awesomeness: An inquisitive mind and a burning desire to master everything he does, “Elan is a true tinkerer in the best sense of the word, and is one of the top intellectuals I have come across in over 30 years of teaching,” said Jacki Naughton, the teacher of the SIR class and faculty science advisor. “Elan has taken his work to a whole new level.”
Ness-Cohn modestly attributes his success to having the opportunity of attending Niles North.
“The teachers are amazing and push everyone to be their best,” Ness-Cohn said. “We also have a long tradition of academic excellence. Working with such dedicated faculty in this environment has been truly inspiring for me.”
Niles North recently took first place at the regional Illinois Junior Academy of Science Fair, making it 21-years in a row now.
Ness-Cohn’s talents also extend beyond the laboratory. He is captain of the Niles North soccer team, and is a member of the swim team as well. Ness-Cohn said he looks forward to studying aerospace science or robotics in college. As a junior, he is not certain of the college he will attend but currently considers the University of Illinois or MIT.
