Angeline Zhao
Phillips Academy Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Communities-of-Interest in NYC Redistricting via Monte Carlo Simulations
Angeline studied the redistricting of city council districts in New York City. Looking at communities-of-interest when drawing districts can help give minority groups a greater voice in elections.
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Angeline Zhao, 18, of McLean, Virginia, used mathematical modeling to study voting districts in New York City for her Regeneron Science Talent Search social sciences project. Communities of interest (COIs) are groups of people who may share interests and voting patterns. Drawing voting districts with COIs in mind can help give these groups a stronger voice in elections.
For her project, Angeline gathered data on voting districts, election results and demographics. The data came from Google Maps and New York City’s elections and city planning departments. Angeline used a statistical approach called a Monte Carlo merge-split algorithm to test thousands of ways to draw district lines. Her findings showed how to define districts that create strong COIs with shared racial and political traits. She believes her algorithm could ensure voting laws support fair representation. This can empower minority groups to defend their rights.
Angeline is the daughter of Qing Feng and Xinli Zhao. At Phillips Andover Academy (Andover, Massachusetts), she leads the math club and team.
Beyond the Project
Angeline is CEO of Illumony, a nonprofit that provides educational resources to students. She runs programs and events that teach STEM concepts through hands-on learning.
FUN FACTS: Angeline founded SPRING Editorials, part of a youth-led think tank called The SPRING Group. As editor-in-chief, she publishes student opinion pieces on local, national and global policy issues. She is also managing editor of Youth Voices at The Teen Magazine.
