Aidan Harrington graduated from Menlo Park Academy in 2013, the second graduating class in the school’s history, before attending St. Edward High School. He is now a junior at Colgate University, where he is a Biology major and Geography minor. Aidan has made the Dean’s List every semester, and is actively involved in independent scientific research. He works in a lab that studies plant ecology in the context of climate change, trying to understand the major factors driving plant adaptations. Aidan is currently working on several papers for publication and has presented his research at two conferences. He is also a nominee for the Goldwater Research Scholarship, and plans on attending grad school to continue his studies in plant ecology. Outside of class and research, Aidan is a member of his university’s ultimate frisbee team, hosts a radio show, tutors and works in the Religion Department. (The above photo shows Aidan doing field work in Alabama last summer, studying a specimen of the fern Dryopteris celsa.)
“Menlo helped nurture and develop the intellectual curiosity necessary to succeed in both an academic and research setting — skills that have been crucial to my development as a student.” ~ Aidan Harrington