Ms. Nidhi Jaipershad
Assistant Principal of Science
Email: Njaipershad2@schools.nyc.gov
I always had a passion for science. Even as a child, I always wanted to know how things worked or why and often forced my siblings and friends to participate in experiments that would probably never pass an IRB! I can relate to my 4600 students because I am a proud graduate of Francis Lewis high school (class of 97). I have walked through the same halls, met similar challenges and even had some of the same teachers as you. I can attest to the fact that you are prepared for the next step! I went on to CCNY and graduated with a B.S. in Biology and then completed two Master’s degrees, one in Education and the other in School Leadership. My role as Science AP is to give you best experiences possible in both Science Research and the Science Department by providing opportunities and support. My Science Research seniors are the best of the best, not only because they are accomplished students, but because I have watched them become leaders, mentors, and kindhearted individuals who will go on to make this world a better place. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Teachers
Dr. Jessica Cohen
Dr. Cohen earned her BA in psychology and BS in nutrition science from Syracuse University. She then went on to earn her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Case Western Reserve University. While completing her post-doc at NYU Langone, and teaching at NYU Steinhardt, Dr. Cohen discovered her love of teaching and became certified in 7-12 biology at Hunter College. She has been teaching junior/senior science research at Francis Lewis since 2014.
Fun Fact: She is a diehard New York Ranger fan
Science Research Teacher
Email: jcohen53@schools.nyc.gov
Dr. Lingyan Wang
Dr. Wang, has worked at Francis Lewis High School as a science teacher for 5 years, teaching Living Environment and Sophomore Experimental Design. She received her B.S. in Biotechnology from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, graduated from Clark University with a Ph.D. in Biology in 2009 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 2009 to 2013. Her research was to manipulate the TGF beta pathway and extracellular matrix to prevent fibrotic scarring.
Fun Fact: She used to do many surgeries on mice and rabbits. That is why she was not afraid of the mice that used to live in her office.
Sophmore
Science Research Teacher
Email: liwang@flhs.us
Ms. Anisha Khemlani
Freshman
Science Research Teacher
Email: AKhemlani@schools.nyc.gov
Ms. Khemlani is a Chemistry/Research teacher at Francis Lewis High School. She was born and raised in Plainview, NY, where she lived with her mom, dad, and older brother, until she left for college. In high school, she was involved in Science Research, Science Olympiad, and Orchestra. She had the privilege of working in both the Padilla Lab and Dilger Lab at SUNY Stony Brook during her summer vacations. Additionally, in terms of Science Research, she participated in the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair, the New York State Science and Engineering Fair, and the Siemens Competition. In her junior year, she was named a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition.
After high school, she attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she majored in Chemistry and minored in Mathematics. At Brandeis, she worked in an Inorganic Chemistry Lab, was a grader for the Mathematics Department, and was a teacher’s assistant for Organic Chemistry Lab. Upon graduating from Brandeis, she was accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. While completing the program, she started teaching at Francis Lewis High School and got her master’s in science education from CUNY Lehman College. She currently lives in Suffolk County, New York with her dog, Bonnie, and cat, Pepe. This is her fourth year teaching Chemistry and first year teaching Science Research at Francis Lewis High School.
She is one of the two freshman science research teachers. As a freshman science research teacher, she has had the pleasure of teaching her students how to write scientifically, read scientific literature, write article summaries, and develop research projects. Additionally, she has provided support to sophomore, junior, and senior research students by listening to their NYCSEF presentations and answering any chemistr/general questions that came her way.
Fun Fact: When I was in school, I had perfect attendance from 7th to 12th grade.
Ms. Amy Jing Zhu
Freshman Science Research Teacher
Emails: amy4teach@gmail.com
jzhu5@schools.nyc.gov
Ms. Zhu is a research chemist with eight years of experience in mechanistic, catalytic, and organometallic chemistry. She has a B.S. in chemistry, an M.S. in organic chemistry, and an M.S. in adolescent education with a focus on science education. Her past research has included ligand design and reaction mechanisms study focused on main group elements, rare earth metals, and transition-metals. Her work has also involved catalytic reactivities development and polymeric and surfactant material synthesis and application. In addition, she has also worked in the pharmaceutical industry specializing in the synthesis and development of new compounds for a wide range of cosmetic and therapeutic applications. In the Science Research program, she teaches students to maintain a high level of professional expertise through familiarity with
scientific literature and applying those skills appropriately to research projects. She also supervises students in designing and conducting independent scientific projects, including formulating proposals, designing experiments, monitoring research progress, analyzing data, interpreting results, drawing conclusions, and writing papers.
Fun Fact: She is an avid hiker and a fan of fishing. She loves oldies music and movies. She likes to watch horror movies in the hotel room when she travels such that the scary memory will stay in the hotel room but not in her own room.
