62nd Annual STS (2002-2003)
Finalists
Jeffrey Lawrence Licitra

NEW YORK
Jeffrey Lawrence Licitra, 17, of Rye Brook, submitted a botany project to the Intel Science Talent Search investigating effects of the widespread mortality of eastern hemlock trees on the microenvironment of the surviving forest. Stands of hemlock trees in the U.S. have been devastated by the invasion of a non-native insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid. Jeff studied ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities - where mycorrhizal symbiosis between a fungus and surrounding tree roots allow the trees, such as red oaks, to grow where they would otherwise be less competitive. By examining red oak seedlings grown in hardwood and hemlock stands, he concluded that the effects of adelgid and hemlock mortality both played a role in hindering ECM colonization on the seedlings. At Blind Brook High School, Jeff plays drums for the jazz ensemble, serves as president of the school congress and is editor-in-chief of the creative arts magazine. He enjoys backpacking, creative writing, volunteering regionally for Habitat for Humanity, and heading the Westchester Environment Student Council. The son of Lawrence and Marilyn Licitra, Jeff hopes to attend Georgetown University.