For the third consecutive year, the Shaw Institute partnered with George Stevens Academy’s Independent Study and Internship Program (ISIP) — and this year’s cohort raised the bar.
The ISIP program connects George Stevens Academy (GSA) juniors and seniors with local professionals, offering hands-on experience in fields they’re passionate about. The Shaw Institute has been a proud ISIP partner for three years, and 2026 was no exception. We welcomed two seniors — Oliver Boit and Myles Montgomery — for internships that took them far beyond the classroom.
Both students dove into live research projects: processing human tissue samples for our microplastics and health study, collecting and identifying specimens tied to harmful algal bloom monitoring, and — in a Shaw Institute first for ISIP students — assisting with a seal necropsy alongside our collaborators at Allied Whale.
“The most important thing we can do as scientists is open our doors,” said Dr. Charlie Rolsky, Executive Director of the Shaw Institute. “When young people see that real research happens in their own backyard, it changes what they think is possible — for science, and for themselves. What we do doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in communities, on coastlines, and in conversations. Oliver and Myles reminded us that the next great discovery might come from someone who grew up right here in Blue Hill.”
Myles Montgomery (they/them) – Senior, George Stevens Academy
Myles completed a two-week internship at the Shaw Institute, exploring a wide range of research areas — from identifying phytoplankton and zooplankton to analyzing microplastics found in human tissue samples. But one discovery stood out above the rest for them.
After learning about the Institute’s soft plastics compactor, provided by Clear Drop, and the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify plastic types, Myles became curious about what was actually going into the trash at local businesses. To find out, they collected and catalogued a full week’s worth of soft plastic waste from a nearby business, assessing the potential to divert that material from the landfill.
It was applied research with a direct community connection — exactly what ISIP is designed to foster.
Oliver Boit (he/him) –Senior, George Stevens Academy · College Choice: Virginia Commonwealth University
Oliver’s path into science is well underway. A senior at GSA with plans to study at Virginia Commonwealth University this fall, he committed to a year-long internship with the Shaw Institute to build as much laboratory experience as possible before leaving for college.
That ambition landed him at the center of one of the Institute’s most consequential ongoing projects: investigating the presence of microplastics in human tissue and their potential role in diseases like Alzheimer’s, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn’s disease. The work is conducted in collaboration with Arizona State University — giving Oliver a window into large-scale, multi-institutional science. We are so proud that Oliver’s work with us, in collaboration with Harvard, helped him nab acceptance into his dream school, Virginia Commonwealth University, where he’ll study forensic science.
“We don’t hand students a textbook — we hand them a pipette. That’s the Shaw Institute difference,” said Dani Rodriguez. “When you learn by doing, the science becomes personal, and personal science is what changes the world. We always like to say that great scientists aren’t born in classrooms. They’re made in moments — and we’re proud to help create those moments.”