Deer Park High School sophomore Vincent Cacciola was one of almost 90 Long Island students accepted recently accepted into the Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students at SUNY Old Westbury. Selected through math teacher nominations and a difficult entrance exam, students attending this math course and research program are considered among the top one-tenth of math students on Long Island. The Institute of Creative Problem Solving for Gifted and Talented Students was founded by Dr. Jong Pil Lee in 1992.

Each student in the ICPS program is paired with a research partner, who they work with to solve problems based on the program’s lectures. At the culmination of the program, students develop their own research projects and submit research papers; Cacciola chose topography as his subject. The ICPS program began last November and concludes in March, at which time graduates have the opportunity to take future courses, such as robotics and research internships, that are offered by SUNY Old Westbury. Cacciola intends to participate in a mathematical research internship.

“I’ve been enjoying the ICPS program very much because of how unique it is relative to a traditional math classroom, and the content conveyed there is much more rigorous and more stimulating compared to a ordinary math classroom,” Cacciola said. “It also opens many doors to other programs that SUNY Old Westbury offers, which I find very compelling.”

Date Added: 2/26/2025