39 Students Earn Medals at the 2026 Long Island Math Fair

Of the 39 students that Friends Academy sent to the 2026 Long Island Math Fair, 22 won gold medals — and everyone else placed with either a silver or bronze — in the premier research competition that challenges students in grades 7 through 12 to explore complex topics beyond traditional school curriculums.

Held at Hofstra University in late April, the LIMF requires students to research and develop original mathematical theories/applications and present their findings to a panel of expert judges.

“Everyone worked so hard and did a phenomenal job,” says Mrs. Jillian Chiarenza, the chair of the Upper School mathematics department. “One of the great things about the Long Island Math Fair is that it gives our students a chance to really see the connections between the math that they learn in the classroom and the way it shows up in the real world. And not only do they get to choose and refine an individual research topic to present, they also get to see the research being done by their peers.  It is a fantastic opportunity to broaden and deepen their math understanding.”

The results for the Upper School:

Gold: Graham Davis (9th), Olivia Hang (9th), Albert Jaworski (11th), Christina Yin (9th)

Silver: Erica Ha (10th), Brady Wong (11th), Anthony Yu (11th), Kevin Yu (11th)

Bronze: Maggie Ma (11th), Armaan Parkash (11th), Cecilia Yin (11th)

Upper School students, who are featured in the main photo at the top of this story, researched an array of topics, including:

• Digital Assets and Stochastic Calculus: Modeling Probability in Decentralized Markets
• The Mathematics of a Pirouette
• Mathematical Analysis of Non-Traditional DIs to Estimate Tornadic Wind Speeds on the Enhanced Fujita Scale
• How Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?
• Mathematical Analysis of Ecosystem Fragility Following the Removal of a Keystone Predator

The results for Middle School students, some of whom are pictured above:

Gold: Madeline Lee (8th), Sidney Nauseef (7th), Teddy Dugan (7th), Armaan Walia (7th), Ava Chang (7th), Alyssa Chang (7th), Vinoli Peiris (7th), Akal Singh (7th), Harry Stern (7th), Soni Singh (7th), Sofia Sultan (7th), Tessa DeStefano (8th), Savannah Ross (8th), Gabby Wright (8th), Tommy Dorego (8th), Sophia Fan (8th), Sophia Jung (7th), and Tanvi Patel (8th)

Silver: Charlotte Natow (8th), Hunter Southall (8th), Ky Mariwalla (8th), Andrew McCrain (8th), Ella Chen (7th), and Elaine Sze (7th)

Bronze: Krishav Aggarwal (7th), Amelia Imennova (7th), and Victoria Sun (7th)