A Word from Breck's ASR Director, Dr. Kragtorp

The 2024 science fair season saw a return to fully in-person science competitions, including the first-ever ASR competition road trip to Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the North Central Regional Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium. ASR projects won a total of 15 special awards in research competitions, as well as earning one alternate and two finalist qualifications for ISEF. You can find more information on these projects on the ASR website. 

This summer, our ASR group was made up of 18 students with eleven different projects. In addition to being the largest group of ASR students since before the pandemic, it is also notable that more than half of these students conducted the majority of their work at the Breck campus. This is an exciting outcome of our ongoing effort to develop a collection of professional-level science research equipment at Breck. Access to this technology allows Breck students to take greater ownership of their projects while maintaining the tradition of conducting advanced research under the mentorship of university researchers. 

Read on for more exciting ASR news and ways to stay connected to this community. 



Dr. Kati Kragtorp

Advanced Science Research Director

ASR News & Upcoming Events

ASR Project Archive

Interested in reading about past projects? Click here.

2025 Science Fair Volunteer Opportunities

• TCRSF paper judging (all online) February 8–17, 2025
• TCRSF in-person poster judging on February 28, 2025, please contact volunteers@tcrsf.net
• MSSEF in-person poster judging on March 28, 2025, please contact alysetainter@mnmas.org

ASR Project Archive

Interested in reading about past projects? Click here.

Advanced Science Research Projects 2024

Benny Marmor '26 and Allie Sigmond '26

worked at Breck under the guidance of Dr. Ce Yang of the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Benny & Allie developed a robot designed to navigate through a greenhouse, capture images of basil plants, then analyze the images to detect signs of insufficient fertilizer.

Abby Endres '25 and Selena Qiao '26

worked on an independent project at Breck, with the support of Dr. Erik Watkins in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Minnesota. Abby and Selena investigated the effects of the bug-repellant chemical, DEET, on turf grass.

Caleb Li '26 and Dawson Miller '26

worked on an independent project at Breck, with the support of Dr. Matt Simick in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Caleb and Dawson tested an inexpensive method of destroying perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is part of a class of ‘forever chemicals’ found in products such as non-stick cookware and fire-fighting foam.

Henry Sabo '25 and Patrick Eyres '25 worked at Breck and in the Biosensing and Biorobotics Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, under the guidance of Dr. Suhasa Kodandaramaiah. Henry and Patrick designed and created a dynamic maze to study changes in brain function in mice challenged with remembering and acting on visual cues.

Yuchen Shi '26

worked on an independent project at Breck, under the guidance of Dr. Kati Kragtorp. Yuchen studied the effects of moderate levels of caffeine on memory and attention in high school students. As the impact of caffeine on adolescents is understudied, this research could lead to important insights into how the increasing prevalence of caffeine use may affect their academic performance. 

Charlotte Vasicek '25

worked in the department of Soil, Water, and Climate at the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Dr. Satoshi Ishii. Charlo assisted in the collection and analysis of water samples from two Minnesota rivers in order to better understand the factors contributing to reduced water quality. This research is part of a larger collaboration with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that could lead to improvements in water quality management and reduce occurrences of waterborne illness.

Juniper Setterberg '25 worked in the department of Biochemistry Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Freeman. Juniper characterized the structure and function of SamA1, a novel bacterial protein. This research is part of an ongoing effort to identify natural biological products that could potentially lead to the development of new drugs.

Graham Bailey '25 and Samantha Dvorak '25 worked in the department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School, under the guidance of Dr. Bryce Binstadt. They investigated the role of the stretch-sensor gene, Piezo1, in the development of joint inflammation in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.

Abigail Getnick '26 and Kelan McKay '26

worked at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota under the guidance of Dr. Darko Bosnakovski. They investigated the role of the gene DUX4 in modulating the ability of cancerous cells to be recognized by the immune system. Insights from their research could lead to improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy treatments for cancer.

A Word from the Alumni Office

The Alumni Office is excited to partner with Dr. Kragtorp and Breck's Advanced Science Research program again to create an annual ASR Newsletter. During my first three years at Breck, I had the good fortune to be able to travel with Dr. Kragtorp to take photos and connect students on each project. I am amazed at the opportunities ASR creates for Breck students and the excellence each student brings to their project!

As you think about your ASR experience, please consider investing in future student opportunities with a Breck Fund gift or a gift to the Breck Science Department.

Brian Sobas

Director of Alumni Engagement