Siddarth Satish ’06 is part of a team at Stanford working on the USAIDS/Gates Foundation project Saving Lives at Birth. The group is one of 70 finalists in the competition for their project titled “Low-Cost Mobile Platform for Real-Time Monitoring of Blood Loss.” The team, co-advised by professors Michael Hsieh and Mark Gonzalgo of Stanford University and David Rempel from University of California, San Francisco, is in the final stage of the competition was asking readers to vote for their project at www.savinglivesatbirth.net. To read more, look under “finalists.” Satish sends greetings to the Harker community and his thanks for your support!
Description of Project Obstetric hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality in developing countries, with over 95 percent of the 350,000 worldwide annual deaths occurring in Africa and Asia. Real-time monitoring of maternal blood loss is crucial in allowing for preventive interventions within a critical time frame. Visual estimation of blood loss (EBL) by health workers is a widely adopted monitoring practice, but its accuracy is severely limited by human error and insufficient training and attention; health workers miss the onset of post-partum hemorrhage in over 80 percent of cases when visual estimation is used. Although spectrophotometry provides a gold standard for quantifying blood loss, it is unsuitable for real-time use and suffers from high resource costs. To address this gap, we are developing a low-cost mobile platform capable of accurate, real-time blood loss monitoring in obstetric point-of-care settings. The platform consists of a novel computer vision-based application installed on an inexpensive camera phone. Mounted to an overhead surface, the device captures a series of images of the patient table and calculates blood coverage, volume, and spread rate. Accounting for such factors as BMI and term of pregnancy, the application continuously tracks blood loss and alerts obstetric staff to the onset of hemorrhage. The advantages of the platform are (1) high accuracy at low cost, (2) automated monitoring in real-time, and (3) low barriers to staff education and adoption given high mobile device penetration in developing countries. This contributes an inexpensive, portable solution towards eliminating the most preventable yet most widespread cause of maternal mortality.
Jacob Chappell ’11 has been recognized for his prowess on the volleyball court by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Chappell was named to the Second All-American team, and was recognized primarily for his excellent defensive play as a middle blocker and his consistent performances. The AVCA, whose mission is “to advance the sport of volleyball and its coaches,” has published an All-American Team every year for the last five years. This is Chappell’s first selection.
The annual grade 8 trip to China was once again a fun-filled and enlightening experience for all. After arriving on May 29, the students did some sightseeing around the Shanghai area, visiting such places as the Oriental Pearl TV tower.
The next day, the students met with their friends at the World Foreign Language Middle School (WFLMS), where they took part in an assembly at which student Neil Sadhu gave a brief speech about the student exchange between the two schools. During their visit to the school, Harker students participated in a number of classes, including Chinese opera, where they made their own opera masks. They also learned about traditional Chinese musical instruments and had the chance to play them after watching the WFLMS students perform. Following lunch, the students visited the World Expo China exhibition, and that evening they viewed an amazing acrobat show.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to Zhujiajiao, the water town known for its canals and historic buildings dating back 1,700 years. Several students bought live fish and turtles that were released into the water to symbolize good luck.
After shopping and a scenic boat ride, the students then returned to WFLMS to watch the school’s P.E. classes and take part in a tug-of-war as well as several other sports with the Chinese students.
On May 31, everyone headed to the Yuyuan Gardens in downtown Shanghai to see the breathtaking Chinese architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The students marveled at the ornate decorations of the gardens as they were led through the many pathways.
Back at WFLMS, the Harker students attended shadow boxing and painting classes, and learned how to use an abacus.
The students said goodbye to their buddies the next morning and hopped on a plane to Beijing. There, they visited the Temple of Heaven, which the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties visited annually to offer prayers for a good harvest. Next, they explored the hutongs, Beijing’s traditional alleyways, riding on rickshaws to the house of a man who allowed the students to take a tour of his home. The man graciously answered many of the students’ questions about his life and thoughts on a variety of subjects. Before leaving his home, he advised the students to appreciate all that they have in their lives.
The next stage of the trip saw the students leaving Beijing for the Ming Tombs. On the way, they visited a jade factory to learn more about the stone and see some of the items being made. Upon arriving at the tombs, the students couldn’t resist taking photos of the statues that lined the famous “spirit way.” They were led to the dragon-headed turtle pavilion, where they rubbed the statue’s tail for a long life, and its head for continued happiness.
The group’s next major stop was none other than the Great Wall of China. “We took a ski lift to the top of the mountain where we could enter onto the wall. It was amazing!” said Jennifer Walrod, Harker’s global education director. “It was a clear sunny day, and we could see for miles.” Many photos were taken of the renowned structure, and the students were thrilled to take a toboggan ride down the side of the mountain.
A dinner of Peking duck was enjoyed that evening, and the students were treated to a “Legend of Kung Fu” show, featuring graceful and skilled dancers.
The group arrived back in Beijing the next day and began “a busy and long day full of sightseeing,” wrote Walrod in one of several dispatches to parents. In the morning, they visited Tiananmen Square and spoke of the 1989 protests and ensuing military action. They next headed to the Forbidden City, where they were guided through several of its 980 palatial buildings.
After enjoying lunch, the students went to the Silk Street, a shopping center where they could exercise their haggling skills with its many vendors. “We left the place carrying bags filled with our loot,” Walrod wrote. Later, the group arrived at the Summer Palace, China’s largest imperial garden, and rode a dragon boat to the palace’s pavilion. There, they enjoyed ice cream and viewed the paintings on the roof of the covered walkway.
The students arrived safely back home on June 6, ready to rest and reflect on a trip they won’t soon forget.
Three members of the Harker community participated in the Silicon Valley Youth Classic 37th Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 20 at San Jose State University’s Spartan Stadium. Harker coach Karriem Stinson was named head coach of the North squad, while new graduates Rishi Bhatia and Gautam Krishnamurthi were selected to the team. The team, about 45 strong, practiced on Davis Field prior to the game and played a tough game, losing 24-13. The San Jose Mercury covered the event and included a photo of Bhatia shaking hands with Lucy Wedemeyer, widow of Charlie.
This story was originally published in the May 2008 issue of Harker News. “Going Green” was the theme of the third annual Harker Research Symposium held in March 2008 on the Saratoga campus. Over 300 attended and 50 students from the middle and upper schools gave presentations. Poster sessions covered diverse topics from new and innovative approaches for generating and saving energy, to reporting on the effects of cell phone conversations on drivers’ reaction times. Paper presentations also covered a wide range of topics including research for new cancer therapies and the effects of farming on river water quality. The sessions featured presentations by our Intel and Siemens semifinalists, the J8 team, three Harker alumni and students from Lynbrook High School in San Jose and Galt High School from Sacramento.” Sponsors were Applied Materials, Google and Hewlett-Packard. Students from San Jose State University demonstrated Phantastic Physics, and Santa Clara University sent their solar decathlon team. Of special interest was a comprehensive exhibit describing the eco-friendly building techniques used in the new science and technology building. Symposium keynote speaker Geoff Green, founder of Students on Ice, a nonprofit organization that takes groups of students from around the world on unique educational trips to the Poles, took the audience on an inspiring and unforgettable voyage to Antarctica and the Arctic, recounting his adventures with orcas and penguins, polar bears and Inuit elders. Anita Chetty, science department chair and event organizer, said the symposium exceeded her wildest hopes. She was thrilled by the sense of energy, excitement and enthusiasm that was palpably present throughout the day. “The kids were so marvelous,” she said. “They came here and do this for the sheer joy of sharing their experiences and learning from each other.”
This story was originally published in the May 2008 issue of Harker News. “Going Green” was the theme of the third annual Harker Research Symposium held in March 2008 on the Saratoga campus. Over 300 attended and 50 students from the middle and upper schools gave presentations. Poster sessions covered diverse topics from new and innovative approaches for generating and saving energy, to reporting on the effects of cell phone conversations on drivers’ reaction times. Paper presentations also covered a wide range of topics including research for new cancer therapies and the effects of farming on river water quality. The sessions featured presentations by our Intel and Siemens semifinalists, the J8 team, three Harker alumni and students from Lynbrook High School in San Jose and Galt High School from Sacramento.” Sponsors were Applied Materials, Google and Hewlett-Packard. Students from San Jose State University demonstrated Phantastic Physics, and Santa Clara University sent their solar decathlon team. Of special interest was a comprehensive exhibit describing the eco-friendly building techniques used in the new science and technology building. Symposium keynote speaker Geoff Green, founder of Students on Ice, a nonprofit organization that takes groups of students from around the world on unique educational trips to the Poles, took the audience on an inspiring and unforgettable voyage to Antarctica and the Arctic, recounting his adventures with orcas and penguins, polar bears and Inuit elders. Anita Chetty, science department chair and event organizer, said the symposium exceeded her wildest hopes. She was thrilled by the sense of energy, excitement and enthusiasm that was palpably present throughout the day. “The kids were so marvelous,” she said. “They came here and do this for the sheer joy of sharing their experiences and learning from each other.”
This story was originally published in the May 2008 issue of Harker News. “Going Green” was the theme of the third annual Harker Research Symposium held in March 2008 on the Saratoga campus. Over 300 attended and 50 students from the middle and upper schools gave presentations. Poster sessions covered diverse topics from new and innovative approaches for generating and saving energy, to reporting on the effects of cell phone conversations on drivers’ reaction times. Paper presentations also covered a wide range of topics including research for new cancer therapies and the effects of farming on river water quality. The sessions featured presentations by our Intel and Siemens semifinalists, the J8 team, three Harker alumni and students from Lynbrook High School in San Jose and Galt High School from Sacramento.” Sponsors were Applied Materials, Google and Hewlett-Packard. Students from San Jose State University demonstrated Phantastic Physics, and Santa Clara University sent their solar decathlon team. Of special interest was a comprehensive exhibit describing the eco-friendly building techniques used in the new science and technology building. Symposium keynote speaker Geoff Green, founder of Students on Ice, a nonprofit organization that takes groups of students from around the world on unique educational trips to the Poles, took the audience on an inspiring and unforgettable voyage to Antarctica and the Arctic, recounting his adventures with orcas and penguins, polar bears and Inuit elders. Anita Chetty, science department chair and event organizer, said the symposium exceeded her wildest hopes. She was thrilled by the sense of energy, excitement and enthusiasm that was palpably present throughout the day. “The kids were so marvelous,” she said. “They came here and do this for the sheer joy of sharing their experiences and learning from each other.”
This story was originally posted online in March 2009.
The fourth annual science research symposium, “New Frontiers,” attracted more than 300 people to Nichols Hall on March 21. A record number of participants authored 22 upper school papers, including seven students who qualified as Intel or Siemens semifinalists or JSHS regional finalists, as well as 20 middle school and 17 upper school poster presentations.
This year’s event featured two keynote speakers. Nimet Maherali, Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cancer, presented “Cellular Alchemy and the Making of a Research Scientist.” Dr. Andrew Chan, senior vice president of immunology and antibody engineering at Genentech addressed guests regarding “Science, Biotechnology and Medicine in the 21st Century.”
Alfred Pokmeng See ’04 was one of two alumni who presented via video conference. See discussed “STAT3 Immunomodulation in the Malignancy of Glioblastoma” based on his research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology. From Princeton University, Nikhil Deshmukh ’04 discussed “Using Virtual Reality to Examine Neural Dynamics in the Spatial Navigation of the Mouse.”
Sponsors for this year’s event were Roche, Fortebio, Hunter Labs, Nanosyn, Pearl Therapeutics, Relypsa and Health Hero Network/Bosch. Upper school biology teacher and science department chair Anita Chetty began organizing the symposium when, “we noticed our students were finding research opportunities all over the world and then graduating and we didn’t know what they had done.” The event is modeled after a typical professional symposium which allows for sharing of ideas in a noncompetitive setting.
The 2009 symposium was dedicated to Howard Nichols who, in Chetty’s words, “Charted many seas and blazed his own trails, along the way inspiring all of us to dream and explore.”
Chris Nikoloff, head of school, spent some quality time with a group of grade 6 students when they came together at his home to watch the May 25 season finale of “American Idol.” The six students were invited to view the show with Nikoloff through a Harker Family & Alumni Picnic package purchased by Kristin Giammona, elementary division head, for her daughter, Mia. The group relaxed with snacks and watched as Scotty McCreery became the youngest American Idol winner to ever claim the prize.
This story was originally posted online Oct. 2, 2007
This school year marks the occasion of the 10th year since Harker opened the Bucknall campus and launched the new Upper School. There will be a variety of activities and features throughout the year to celebrate, and to marvel at just how far we’ve come in 10 short years. Harker’s “Toast to 10 Years” celebration inspired teachers Diann Chung and Cindy Proctor to host a Gr. 1 activity on the 10th day of school, all based on the number 10. Activities included the Flying Gumdrops, a Bean Bag Toss, a Ring Toss, the challenge of finding 10 things wrong on a page, and a variety of math games based on the number 10. “The Gumdrop Fling was fun when it touched the ceiling!” noted student Dominique P. Other groups counted out 10 Goldfish (and ate ’em!), while nearby, students jumped rope, counting up and down by tens. Each activity had its adherents. Matthew H. “liked counting 10 Goldfish and then eating them,” while Alexandra J. said she “liked the jump rope and counting by tens.”