FAU High School – Jupiter Campus in Partnership with Max Planck Academy Celebrates Inaugural Graduating Class
Florida Atlantic University High School – Jupiter Campus in Partnership with Max Planck Academy recently celebrated the inaugural cohort of students’ extraordinary academic performance and research projects at the Senior Research Symposium event hosted at the Max Planck Florida Institute of Neuroscience (MPFI).
During the event, FAU High seniors presented their research and scholarly findings in both oral and poster formats. An awards presentation portion of the symposium followed, recognizing the 23 exceptional students and their accomplishments which include: four peer-reviewed research papers published; awards of more than $10,000 in grant funding and research awards to support their research endeavors; and numerous research presentations given at university, state and national conferences.
FAU President John Kelly and David Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., chief scientific director and CEO of MPFI, welcomed guests and kicked off the event recognizing the exceptional FAU High students and their mentors.
“Congratulations to our first graduates of FAU High School – Jupiter Campus in Partnership with Max Planck Academy, who were selected from a pool of top-tier candidates to participate in this unique educational program,” said Kelly. “I am very proud of their many achievements and I look forward to hearing about their future successes.”
FAU High School – Jupiter Campus in Partnership with Max Planck Academy welcomed the first cohort of students in fall 2020, and is a premier, research-focused institute that provides an early university entrance high school experience for STEM-focused juniors and seniors in high school. This unique partnership between FAU, MPFI and the Germany-based Max Planck Society, expanded on similar opportunities for FAU’s graduate and undergraduate students. This extraordinary program provides FAU High students access to the laboratories of MPFI, allowing them to participate in unparalleled education and world-class research opportunities as part of their curriculum.
“Education and scientific training are key parts of the Max Planck model and partnering with FAU High School has given us the opportunity to expand our impact on the future generation of scientists,” said Fitzpatrick. “It has been inspiring to see the evolution of these students, who are now all well positioned to make important contributions to the world of science and beyond.”
FAU High seniors that successfully complete the program earn a high school diploma and Max Planck certificates, and at least two years of cost-free college credit, leading to unmatched research experiences and outstanding distinction through the FAU Max Planck Honors program and accelerated bachelor’s degree at FAU.
“These incredible students have worked countless hours in laboratories and field research sites to further scientific knowledge and our understanding of the world around us – and this is just the start for these world-changing minds,” Molly Adam, Ph.D., associate director of FAU High School.
To learn more about FAU High School – Jupiter Campus in Partnership with Max Planck Academy, visit fauhigh.fau.edu/jupiter-campus.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses located along the southeast Florida coast. In recent years, the University has doubled its research expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence, FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-serving institution, ranked as a top public university by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
About the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), a not-for-profit research organization, is part of the world-renowned Max Planck Society, Germany’s most successful research organization with 86 institutes worldwide. Since its establishment in 1948, 22 Nobel laureates have emerged from the ranks of its scientists. As its first U.S. institution, MPFI provides exceptional neuroscientists from around the world with the resources and technology to answer fundamental questions about brain development and function. MPFI researchers employ a curiosity-driven approach to science to develop new technologies that make groundbreaking scientific discoveries possible. For more information, visit https://www.mpfi.org/.