Way to Go!: Scott Soifer, of Lawrence
Scott Soifer was recently inducted into the National Gallery for America's Young Inventors. Credit: North Shore Hebrew Academy High School
A Lawrence teenager who created a system to protect infants and young children from getting heatstroke if they are left in vehicles has won a spot in the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors.
Scott Soifer, 17, a senior at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in Great Neck, said his Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention System, when integrated into a vehicle, detects a child’s presence and turns on the air conditioner if the temperature reaches a preset value.
“This invention will save lives,” said Soifer, adding that he has secured a patent and is in touch with licensing agents and car manufacturers. “I also wrote an accompanying app that automatically contacts emergency personnel and the caregiver.”
Soifer was one of six young people recently inducted into the national gallery, a designation that came with an Edison Innovation Award, a medallion and a $500 check.
He also was among 300 Regeneron Scholars named nationwide this month in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search. His other achievements include conducting summer research at Harvard, Tufts and Stony Brook universities and placing fourth in the embedded systems category at last year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
Soifer is founder and president of his school’s Engineering Club and MIT Launch Program and captain of the Rube Goldberg team. He also was the academy’s 2016-17 Student of the Year.— Michael R. Ebert
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
