GFA Symposium
Welcome to the GFA Symposium. We are very excited to host this annual academic conference — featuring dynamic presentations based on original student research! Please see below for a list of topics presented at the 2025 GFA Symposium.
Basic Program
8:10–8:25 — Advisory
8:30–9:10 — Opening Assembly, Janet Hartwell Performing Arts Center
Keynote Speaker: Brad Katsuyama, P ’29, ’30, ’34
Performance by Sophie Calger ’25
“If I Ain’t Got You,” Alicia Keys
9:15–10:05 — Inquiry Fair, Coyle Gym
10:10–11:00 — Session I
11:05–11:35 — Session II
11:40–12:00 — Advisory
12:00-12:40 —Lunch
12:45–1:35 — Session III
1:40–2:10 — Session IV
2:15–2:45 — Closing, Janet Hartwell Performing Arts Center
Performance by Jamie Davis ’25
“My Favorite Things,” Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
Session I (Panels), 10:10–11 A.M.
INQUIRY: HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND APPLIED METHODS
- Waging Peace
- Diving Into the Archive
- Art, Ideology, and Identity
- New Encounters with American Revolutions
- Secrets, Lies, and Archival Truths of the Vietnam War
Waging Peace
Diving Into the Archive
Art, Ideology, and Identity
New Encounters with American Revolutions
Secrets, Lies, and Archival Truths of the Vietnam War
ADVANCED INQUIRY: APPLIED MATHEMATICS
ADVANCED INQUIRY: RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
- Parodies, Profiles, Poems, People: Crafting Literature Based on Life Experience
- Paintings, Pyramids, and Pointe Shoes: Exploring Life through Poetry, Prose, and Art
Parodies, Profiles, Poems, People: Crafting Literature Based on Life Experience
Paintings, Pyramids, and Pointe Shoes: Exploring Life through Poetry, Prose, and Art
INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HUMAN ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
INQUIRY: THEATER AND DESIGN
ADVANCED INQUIRY: COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND DESIGN
Session ii (individual), 11:05-11:35 P.M.
INQUIRY: PROBABILITY AND COMBINATORICS
ADVANCED INQUIRY: MATHEMATICS
- The Math Behind AI: Creating a Model for a More Efficient Legal System
- Predicting Stock Prices Using Media-Summary Neural Networks
- Forecasting Urban Growth in Connecticut
- The Future of Green Economics: The Math Behind Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
- Math in the NFL: Predicting Winners through Machine Learning
- Beating the Odds: Using Math to Predict NBA Outcomes
- Starting My Own Business: Math Behind the Fashion and Retail Industry
- Data-Driven Drafting: Predicting Fantasy Football Success Through Regression Modeling
- Enhancing Independence Through Autonomous Mobility
- The Mathematics of Restaurant Success: Calculating the Path to Opening My Own
- Mathematically Approaching Color Harmony
The Math Behind AI: Creating a Model for a More Efficient Legal System
Predicting Stock Prices Using Media-Summary Neural Networks
Forecasting Urban Growth in Connecticut
The Future of Green Economics: The Math Behind Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage
Math in the NFL: Predicting Winners through Machine Learning
Beating the Odds: Using Math to Predict NBA Outcomes
Starting My Own Business: Math Behind the Fashion and Retail Industry
Data-Driven Drafting: Predicting Fantasy Football Success Through Regression Modeling
Enhancing Independence Through Autonomous Mobility
The Mathematics of Restaurant Success: Calculating the Path to Opening My Own
Mathematically Approaching Color Harmony
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
- Breaking Barriers: The Power of Social Media in Elevating Paralympic Athletes
- Between Rhetoric and Reality: Exposing Russia's Stance on the Future of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament
- Decentralization Meets Regulation: Crypto’s Future in the US Economy
- Representation vs. Reality: The Complexities of Indian Identity in Western Film and Television
- Silk and Sabotage: The Weaponization of Fashion in the French Revolution
- Sports Psychology Unveiled: The Impact of Pressure on Young Tennis Athletes
Breaking Barriers: The Power of Social Media in Elevating Paralympic Athletes
Between Rhetoric and Reality: Exposing Russia's Stance on the Future of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament
Decentralization Meets Regulation: Crypto’s Future in the US Economy
Representation vs. Reality: The Complexities of Indian Identity in Western Film and Television
Silk and Sabotage: The Weaponization of Fashion in the French Revolution
Sports Psychology Unveiled: The Impact of Pressure on Young Tennis Athletes
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
- Whether You’re Happy Here or Not…: Making Sense of Maslow’s Hierarchy by Writing
- The Book to Her Author: Poetry and Paint Exploring the Life of Objects
- Lessons to My Daughter: A Cautionary Tale of the Process of Crafting a Story
- Between Pulse and Prose: Jane Austen’s Guide to Love, Sisterhood, and Growing Up
- How to Write a Novel: Advice from Someone in No Position to Give Advice
- A Starry Gambit: World-Building and Fantasy Writing
Whether You’re Happy Here or Not…: Making Sense of Maslow’s Hierarchy by Writing
The Book to Her Author: Poetry and Paint Exploring the Life of Objects
Lessons to My Daughter: A Cautionary Tale of the Process of Crafting a Story
Between Pulse and Prose: Jane Austen’s Guide to Love, Sisterhood, and Growing Up
How to Write a Novel: Advice from Someone in No Position to Give Advice
A Starry Gambit: World-Building and Fantasy Writing
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CSED
- From Race to Road: How Formula E Innovations Drive Energy-Efficient Mobility
- From Tweets to Trades: Using Sentiment Analysis to Forecast Short-Term Stock Market Movement
From Race to Road: How Formula E Innovations Drive Energy-Efficient Mobility
From Tweets to Trades: Using Sentiment Analysis to Forecast Short-Term Stock Market Movement
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HUMAN ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
- Environmental Inequality & Health: Mapping the Impact of Air Pollution on Marginalized Communities in Fairfield County
- STARTing a Sustainable Future: Analyzing the Current Sustainability Practices of GFA
Environmental Inequality & Health: Mapping the Impact of Air Pollution on Marginalized Communities in Fairfield County
STARTing a Sustainable Future: Analyzing the Current Sustainability Practices of GFA
ADVANCED INQUIRY: RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
- Healthcare & Horses: How Equine Hearts Change Our Heart Rhythms and Treat Atrial Fibrillation
- A New Piece in the Diabetes Puzzle: miR-30-5p and Glucose Metabolism
- Assessing the Health of the New Creek Marsh
Healthcare & Horses: How Equine Hearts Change Our Heart Rhythms and Treat Atrial Fibrillation
A New Piece in the Diabetes Puzzle: miR-30-5p and Glucose Metabolism
Assessing the Health of the New Creek Marsh
ADVANCED INQUIRY: VISUAL ARTS
- The Creative Process: Exploring the Creative Brain Through Documentary
- More Than a Camera: The Journey from Snapshots to Storytelling Through Photographing GFA Athletics
The Creative Process: Exploring the Creative Brain Through Documentary
More Than a Camera: The Journey from Snapshots to Storytelling Through Photographing GFA Athletics
Session III (Panels), 12:45–1:30 p.m.
INQUIRY: HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND APPLIED METHODS
ADVANCED INQUIRY: APPLIED MATHEMATICS
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HUMAN ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
ADVANCED INQUIRY: RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
- Is It Working? Human Subject Research Into Nutrition, Practice, and Yondr Pouches
- Seeing the Unseen: Research into Forensics, Radiation, and Abiogenesis
Is It Working? Human Subject Research Into Nutrition, Practice, and Yondr Pouches
Seeing the Unseen: Research into Forensics, Radiation, and Abiogenesis
Session IV (Individual), 1:35-2:05 p.m.
ADVANCED INQUIRY: MATHEMATICS
- The Math in the Future of Autonomous Robotics
- Optimizing Baseball Swings Using Machine Learning
- Redefining Risk: A Probabilistic Approach to Precise Asset Evaluation
- Predicting the S&P Using Machine Learning
- Predicting the Stock Market
- Forecasting Stock Prices Using an ARIMA Model
- Unlocking Economic Potential: Addressing Female Labor Force Underrepresentation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- The Game Behind Cancer: Implementing Game Theory into Oncology for Optimized Treatment Strategies
- The Mathematics Behind Launching and Managing a Dance Studio: A Financial Guide to Success
- The Math Behind NFL Team Success
- Calculating the Most Valuable Football Player of All Time
The Math in the Future of Autonomous Robotics
Optimizing Baseball Swings Using Machine Learning
Redefining Risk: A Probabilistic Approach to Precise Asset Evaluation
Predicting the S&P Using Machine Learning
Predicting the Stock Market
Forecasting Stock Prices Using an ARIMA Model
Unlocking Economic Potential: Addressing Female Labor Force Underrepresentation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Game Behind Cancer: Implementing Game Theory into Oncology for Optimized Treatment Strategies
The Mathematics Behind Launching and Managing a Dance Studio: A Financial Guide to Success
The Math Behind NFL Team Success
Calculating the Most Valuable Football Player of All Time
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HISTORY & GLOBAL STUDIES
- War without Borders: US Drone Policy and the Erosion of Traditional Ethics in Conflicts
- Israel and Palestine in the American Mind: How Clinton and Trump's Rhetoric Shaped Public Perception
- All is fair in Art and War: Examining the EU’s role in the Restoration of Nazi Stolen Art
- Politics Stops at the Water's Edge: Isolationism in a New Era of Bipartisan U.S Foreign Policy
- Crisis, Consequences, and Control: Evaluating Government Intervention and Its Impact on Post-2008 Banking Practices
- The Power Behind Progress: How New York Has Accelerated The Adoption Of Solar Technology
War without Borders: US Drone Policy and the Erosion of Traditional Ethics in Conflicts
Israel and Palestine in the American Mind: How Clinton and Trump's Rhetoric Shaped Public Perception
All is fair in Art and War: Examining the EU’s role in the Restoration of Nazi Stolen Art
Politics Stops at the Water's Edge: Isolationism in a New Era of Bipartisan U.S Foreign Policy
Crisis, Consequences, and Control: Evaluating Government Intervention and Its Impact on Post-2008 Banking Practices
The Power Behind Progress: How New York Has Accelerated The Adoption Of Solar Technology
ADVANCED INQUIRY: RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
- Knee Deep in Healing: Effects of Exosomes Secreted by Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Paste on the Acceleration and Promotion of Healing in an ACL Reconstruction
- The Effect of Nrf2 Inhibition Through Bexarotene on the Chemoresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines
Knee Deep in Healing: Effects of Exosomes Secreted by Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Paste on the Acceleration and Promotion of Healing in an ACL Reconstruction
The Effect of Nrf2 Inhibition Through Bexarotene on the Chemoresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines
INQUIRY: SCIENCE RESEARCH
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CREATIVE WRITING
- It’s Giving Chronically Online: A Collection of Satirical Short Stories Exploring the Cultural Experiences of Gen-Z
- Silver Favorites: An Exploration of Art and Art History through Ekphrastic Poetry
- Would You Love Me Now?: Poems Exploring the Past, Present, and Make-Believe
- Mr. Blue Sky: A Collection of Poetic Profiles
- The Waltz: Dance and Poetic Form
- Somewhere Between Staying & Leaving: A Sharp, Unfiltered Look at Friendships, Longing, Detachment, and the Quiet Moments That Break Us
It’s Giving Chronically Online: A Collection of Satirical Short Stories Exploring the Cultural Experiences of Gen-Z
Silver Favorites: An Exploration of Art and Art History through Ekphrastic Poetry
Would You Love Me Now?: Poems Exploring the Past, Present, and Make-Believe
Mr. Blue Sky: A Collection of Poetic Profiles
The Waltz: Dance and Poetic Form
Somewhere Between Staying & Leaving: A Sharp, Unfiltered Look at Friendships, Longing, Detachment, and the Quiet Moments That Break Us
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CSED
ADVANCED INQUIRY: HUMAN ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY
- Algae Fuel Exposed: Understanding the Limitations of Microalgae as a Sustainable Biofuel Solution
- Saving the Salt Marsh Sparrow: Conservation Strategies for a Flooded Future
- Resilient Reefs: Assessing Coral Species Resistance to Climate Change
Algae Fuel Exposed: Understanding the Limitations of Microalgae as a Sustainable Biofuel Solution
Saving the Salt Marsh Sparrow: Conservation Strategies for a Flooded Future
Resilient Reefs: Assessing Coral Species Resistance to Climate Change
ADVANCED INQUIRY: CERAMICS
Highlights from GFA Symposium 2023
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