Pioneer Academics announces the 30 original research papers that were selected for the 2023 Pioneer Research Journal, Volume 10, an international collection of certified undergraduate-level research. Published annually, the journal features the most outstanding scholarship generated by the global scholars enrolled in the Pioneer Research Program, the world’s only fully-accredited online research program providing U.S. college credit for exceptional high school students from around the world.
Publication in the Pioneer Research Journal is a distinction achieved only after an intensive review process defined by thoroughness and objectivity. Each paper was nominated by one of Pioneer’s mentoring professors before undergoing a rigorous double-blind review by a member of the 52-member panel of faculty experts from top American universities and colleges. Reviewers evaluated each paper according to four criteria: engagement with scholarship, evidence and analysis, writing and organization, and scholarly contribution. The papers ultimately selected after undergoing this review represent 2% of the research papers from Pioneer’s 2023 academic year.
For the scholars whose work will be featured in Volume 10, the publication of their research was the culmination of a transformative experience defined by academic growth and the pursuit of each author’s intellectual passions. And while having their work selected for inclusion in the journal is a distinct honor, what was most meaningful to these scholars was the experience of conducting original research on topics for which they had great passion and that met the high academic standards that define Pioneer’s academic system.
Alikhan Serikuly, a student at the National School of Physics and Mathematics in Turkey, noted that he was of course thrilled when he learned his paper had been selected for the journal. He also stated, though, “I was totally happy with what I already got out of the Pioneer program – tons of knowledge and many new skills that are sure to help me in my academic journey down the road.”
Jaeim Paik, a student at the United World College of Southeast Asia in Singapore, shared a similar sentiment: “I was able to hone my research and communication skills, specifically developing a research method that best suits me and learning how I can build a cohesive argument around a central thesis.” She also reflected on how the collaborative nature of the Pioneer experience enriched her research. “I would never have been able to complete the process,” she said, “without the continued support of my professor as well as my cohort peers who provided constructive feedback and unique ideas that only strengthened my paper.”
Elaine Gao, a student from Jenks High School in the United States, highlighted the excitement that comes from creating new knowledge through original research. “Throughout the time I was working on my research,” she said, “the same thought flashed through my mind: I’m discovering something new here by evaluating human rights development through Hegelian philosophy.”
We are proud of every Pioneer scholar who worked so tirelessly in the pursuit of knowledge in the 2023 academic year, and we are thrilled to recognize the work of the 30 scholars whose work will be featured in Volume Ten of the Pioneer Research Journal when it is published!
See the chart below for a complete listing of the papers selected for the 2023 Pioneer Research Journal.
Scholar Name
Scholar School
Scholar Country/Region (by school)
Pioneer Research Area
Pioneer Research Topic
Jaeim Paik
United World College of Southeast Asia, East Campus
Singapore
Anthropology/Sociology/Culture Studies
Environmental support around the world: To what extent are age and birth cohort a factor in determining attitudes towards environmental protection?
Jaeha Jang
Cranbrook Schools
United States
Anthropology/Sociology/Literature/Culture Studies/Gender Studies
Applications of and Challenges to Freud’s Oedipus Complex in Hermann Hesse’s Demian
Michael Gan
Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong
China
Architecture
Reinterpreting Architectural Heritage: Reflecting the Past and Shaping the Future in the Adaptive Reuse of Columbia Circle
Yi Xin
Beijing Huijia Private School
Art History/Architecture
Transformations of the Great Mosque of Cordoba: Deciphering Political and Religious Messages in Medieval Spain
Lyndia Lu
Shanghai High School International Division
Biology
Predictive Modeling of Nucleoside Analog-Induced Antiviral Resistance Mutations in SARS-CoV-2
Siddharth Manne
Sreenidhi International School
India
Biological implications of human space exploration: microgravity and radiation dysregulated genes
Lev Ermakov
SkyView Academy
Investigating the Potential of a CRISPR-CAS System SARS-CoV-2 Treatment Administered Through the Nasal Passage
Chenxu Zhang
Beijing City International School
Business/Psychology
The Relative Persuasiveness of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messages on Changing Drivers’ Attitudes Towards and Intentions to Perform Aggressive Driving Behaviors
Zhenpeng Liu
Guangdong Country Garden School
Chemistry
Unveiling the Mechanism of Allicin: A Molecular Docking Study on its Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro)
Alikhan Serikuly
Haileybury Almaty
Kazakhstan
Biochemical Properties and Potential Benefits of Creatine as a Dietary Supplement
Sihao Jiang
Nanjing Foreign Language School
Chemistry/Biology
Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations to Explore the Diffusion of Diabetes Drugs Through Thermosensitive Materials Available for Microneedles
Chengqi Ma
Shanghai Pinghe School
Economics/Business
Associations between Country-Level Digitization, Formation of Imperfect Markets, and Firm-Level Productivity
Siheon Yang
Gangnam International School
South Korea
Economics/International Relations
Trade and Development: A Modified Model Approach and the Role of the Government
Yizai Yin
Robert Louis Stevenson School
Education/Mathematics
Why Do Girls Explore STEM Fields? Unfolding Reasons Behind Female Students’ Decisions to Participate in or Quit STEM Careers
Chloe Gu
Engineering/Computer Science
Design of a Fine Motor Skill Training Smart Toy for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Tianyi Shen
Environmental Studies
Treatment of Micro-Plastic Related Pollution in Sewages along the Yangtze River: Waste Water Treatment Plants versus Constructed Wetlands
Nehir Yel
Diyarbakir Bahcesehir College Science and Technology High School
Turkey
Environmental Studies/Biology/Ecology
Global Warming and Altered Flowering Phenology: Ecological, Cultural, and Economic Dimensions
Yunxi Zhao
Chinese International School
China-Hong Kong
Environmental Studies/Ecology
Nanoparticle-mediated water remediation: Investigating the efficacy and ecological impact of Biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water
Courtney Xia
Shanghai American School
Gender Studies/Sociology
How Do Sociocultural Norms Lead to Gender Segregation and the Wage Gap in the Legal Profession?
Jeremy Tu
Memorial High School
An In(Queer)y Into Title VII: How Bostock v. Clayton County Fails Bisexual and Nonbinary Employees
Guqiao Wang
International Department, The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University
History
Colonialism and the Anglo-Chinese Curriculum in 19th-Century Hong Kong
Chase Teichholz
The Bronx High School of Science
History/STS
Navigating the Chaos: Scientific Advancement and War in the Seventeenth Century
Isabella Zhu
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Literature
Poetry Translation in the Age of Machines via Julia de Burgos’ “Río Grande de Loíza”
Jayce T. Walton
Langley High School
Mathematics
The Code in the Hat: Hamming Codes Applied to Ebert’s Hat Puzzle
Mihaela Tzvetkova
The American College of Sofia
Bulgaria
Neuroscience/Biology
Circadian Rhythms and Breast Cancer: Exploring the Molecular IntERαctions of the CLOCK Gene with Estrogen Receptor Alpha
Ziting Gao
Jenks High School
Philosophy/History
Ad Infinitum: The Freedom-Centered Development of Human Rights Based on the Hegelian Speculative Philosophy of History
Eliana Du
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Physics/Mathematics
A Qualitative Comparison of the Fast Fourier Transform and the Morlet Wavelet Transform for Potential Depression Diagnosis Using Resting-State Electroencephalographic Data
Zixuan Hong
BASIS International School Guangzhou
Sociology/Economics
A Meta-analysis of the Effect of Right-to-Work Laws on Labor Unions and Workers
Jiayi Wu
Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School
Sociology/Political Science/History
Shout through the Air: Rhetoric of China’s Lower-Class "Toilet Girl" as Empowerment and Subversion
Ryan Hong
Yongsan International School of Seoul
STS/Anthropology
Urbanization and Food Waste in South Korea: An Ethnographic and Cultural Analysis of the Food Supply Chain Dynamics
Doing research is commonplace. How do you choose the research opportunity that makes a difference?
Join us for a free online info session to learn about Pioneer
Check exclusive sharings From directors of prestigious programs
Please complete the below form with any questions or concerns you may have.
Thank you for your interest in Pioneer’s Global Problem-Solving Institute (GPSI). The application for the Fall 2025 terms is now available. Please select your country/region below:
