63rd Annual STS (2003-2004)
Finalists
Elizabeth Rose Heller

NEW YORK
Elizabeth Rose Heller, 17, of Nanuet, entered an earth and space sciences project in the Intel Science Talent Search that statistically studied historical data to evaluate the strength of the 1868 El Niño. Based on leading geologists' reports from 1525 to the present, the biggest discrepancy for classification of an El Ni¤o event was in 1868. Using scientific ingenuity, Elizabeth compiled and analyzed select instrumental data such as land and sea surface temperatures, sea level pressures, wind and precipitation. She believes that her findings indicate that a weak-to-medium El Niño event did occur in 1868. This could lead to increased confidence in predictions of El Niño based on models that are calibrated to or verified by historical rankings. Her interest in the importance of history and historical records for understanding long-term trends in science has led her to volunteer at the Historical Society of Rockland. At Nanuet High School, Elizabeth plays tennis, enjoys chorus and is a member of the Foreign Language Honors Society. The daughter of Drs. Donald Heller and Mary Noberini, Elizabeth hopes to study both science and diplomacy at Vassar College.