Honor Science Award Winner

Senate Resolution No. 820 BY: Senator RHOADS CONGRATULATING Melody Hong upon the occasion of achieving a distinguished top national ranking in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor the young adults of today and leaders of tomorrow whose character and achievements best exemplify the ideals and values cherished by this great State and Nation; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Melody Hong upon the occasion of achieving a distinguished top national ranking in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search; she was honored at an award ceremony at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, March 11, 2025; and WHEREAS, Melody Hong, a student at MacArthur High School, placed sixth out of 40 finalists at the 84th Annual Regeneron Science Talent Search for her incredible work developing a powerful, flexible statistical model for mapping sites called trans-methylation quantitative trait loci (trans-mQTL) within the human genome; and WHEREAS, The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides a national platform for high school seniors to showcase original, innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) research that proposes novel solutions to real-world issues; and WHEREAS, The competition celebrates and rewards young innovators who are applying their STEM talent and leadership skills to push the boundaries of discovery and address today's pressing challenges; finalists are evaluated for their scientific rigor, originality, critical thinking, leadership potential and commitment to drive meaningful impact across crucial STEM fields; and WHEREAS, The research Melody Hong conducted, along with her invaluable findings, will have an enduring impact on the field of genetics for decades to come, and will undoubtedly positively impact countless residents of New York State and beyond; and WHEREAS, Melody Hong has distinguished herself as a young woman of superlative ability, talent, and maturity, establishing standards of excellence and achievement, purposefulness of life, and responsibility rarely achieved in youthful years; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is moved to honor Melody Hong, an excellent scholar and caring individual, recognizing the value of her labors and the promise of her future; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate Melody Hong upon the occasion of achieving a distinguished top national ranking in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Melody Hong.