60th Annual STS (2000–2001)
Finalists
Meredith Ashley Arfa

NEW YORK
Meredith Ashley Arfa, 17, of Armonk, was named a finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search for her behavioral and social sciences study of chimpanzees living in captivity-especially the effects of object enrichment on their social interactions. To counteract the adverse effects of captive life, primates should be provided with various forms of enrichment, including the addition of manipulatable objects (containers, toys, etc.) to their enclosures. Through observations and analysis during her 10-week study at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University, Meredith compared behaviors of chimpanzees when using-or not using-these objects. She concluded that social interactions, essential to a captive primate's well-being, are associated with active object use. Meredith is fluent in American Sign Language and president of the sign language club at Byram Hills High School, where she is captain of the mock trial team. A recipient of the Xerox Award from Rochester University for excellence in the humanities and social sciences, she is the daughter of Jonathan Arfa and Dr. Barbara Bernstein, and hopes to study psychology or law at Cornell.