Wehr's research published in Harvard- based journal

On July 7, Odessa High School researcher Thorsen Wehr and his mentor, Jeffery Wehr, from the Advanced STEM Research Laboratory had their physics research published online in The Journal of Emerging Investigators; the journal is an online journal organized by Harvard University graduate students in Arts and Sciences. The teacher/mentor is part of the publishing process, because it is understood that they are part of the writing process.

Thor's research, Focusing Sound Waves Using a Two-Dimensional Non-Linear System, was submitted for peer-review in January 2014, and after months of scientific evaluation, was accepted in May and recently was published in the 2014 July issue. This research acknowledges the help and support of the Odessa School District and community and marks the first of potentially more published research from future students within the Odessa Science Department / Advanced STEM Research Laboratory.

Due to Thorsen's research, he also was elected by the Committee on Qualifications and Membership as an Associate Member of the Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi. The Sigma Xi Society is a non-profit honor society which was founded in 1886 at Cornell University and has included such notable scientists as Francis Crick, James Watson, Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein. Student researchers like Thorsen were invited to the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences conference in Chicago and could be selected as outstanding student researchers in the U.S.

"I am so fortunate that our research has been published, it was quite a long journey but months of late afternoons and it finally has happened. Also, it is an incredible honor to be elected into the Sigma Xi Society. I will strive to maintain the science determination needed to remain a member of Sigma Xi in the future," said Thorsen.

To read Thorsen’s research in the July issue of the Journal of Emerging Investigators, go to: http://www.emerginginvesti gators.org.