High School Poster Session Registration and FAQ

The 28th Annual High School Poster Session

Saturday, February 21, 2026

The event will be held in person at St. Joseph's University, New York

Notice for Finalists

Keynote Speaker

"How Molecules Come Together to Form Bioinspired Materials"

Subhasish Chatterjee, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences at St. Joseph’s University, New York

Molecular self-assembly—the process by which molecular building blocks spontaneously organize into larger structures—is central to how many biological and bioinspired materials form and function cooperatively. Examples include materials involved in structural color, light harvesting, microbial behavior, and environmentally relevant processes. Research in this area seeks to understand how simple molecular interactions give rise to complex material properties. This interdisciplinary work combines experiments and computer simulations to examine the structure, dynamics, and mechanical behavior of soft materials across molecular and nanoscale length scales. Recent studies highlight how molecular structure influences material function, with relevance to emerging applications in systems chemistry, biotechnology, and nanoscience.

Subhasish Chatterjee is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at St. Joseph’s University, New York (Brooklyn campus). He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry, specializing in Molecular Biophysics, from the CUNY Graduate Center. His research involves biomaterials, spectroscopy, and computer simulations. He has taught and mentored undergraduate and high school students at several institutions and has collaborated with research centers, including the New York Structural Biology Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Contacts

Tess Dussling
Chairperson of the 28th ACS High School Science Fair
Assistant Professor of Child Studies and Director of the M.A. in Literacy and Cognition
[email protected]

João Marcelo Ribeiro
Committee Member of the 28th ACS High School Science Fair
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physical Sciences
[email protected]

Registration

Presenter

To register as a presenter please select register below and fill our the form by coordinating with your science teacher. Deadline is January 17, 2026.

Registration deadline has passed

Judge and Volunteer

Registreation for judges and volunteers has closed.

FAQ

• Who can participate?
  This competition is open to high school students in the Metropolitan New York Area, grades 9-12.
• If I entered the competition last year, can I register for the next event?
  Yes! St. Joseph’s High School Science Fair is an annual event. Students may register each year they wish to participate.
• What is the attire for the event?
  Students should dress professionally in business attire.
• How is judging done?
  Students will be judged by scientists working in the industry and academia. Students should expect to be judged by multiple judges.
• What awards are granted at the St. Joseph’s Poster Session?
  Every high school student registered will receive a participation certificate. There is also one first-place award and two honorable mention awards in each category.
• Is the St. Joseph’s Poster Session only for individual work or can teams enter? 
  We welcome entries from both individual and group research projects but each member of a group must register if he/ she will attend the event.

FAQs for in-person events only

• Where is St. Joseph's University located?
  St. Joseph's University, Brooklyn Campus is located at 245 Clinton Ave Brooklyn, NY 11205.
• How do I get to St. Joseph's University?
  • Directions
  • Campus Map
• What time should students arrive to set up their poster?
  Students should arrive at 9:00 am to set up posters.
• What is the schedule of events:
  9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. — Check-in/Setup/Breakfast
  9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — Judging
  11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Keynote Speaker
  12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Awards
• Where should students go to set up their posters?
  Students participating in the poster session should report to the registration desk upon arrival (245 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205). You will be assigned a location at the registration desk.
• Can students bring anyone to accompany them?
  Students may bring guests (parents, teachers, research advisors). All guests must register for the event by clicking here.
• What should students bring with them to the event?
  We suggest you bring a self-standing tri-fold poster board. If you have a printed poster, you can use a tri-fold poster board and attach your poster with binder clips. Please bring all materials you may need for your poster such as tri-fold poster board, clips, etc.