But the five co-authors are making believers out of themselves and scientists around the country with their insight on growing plants in space.
Hitt, fellow Dow graduate Sophie Cai, current Dow students Sanvi Patel and Gabe Nix, and their advisor Lisa Tsay teamed up to write an 18-page article, "Balancing Nutrient Content and Nitrate Levels in Space Agriculture: Investigating LED Light and CO₂ Effects on Space-Grown Leafy Green Vegetables," in the Nov. 17, 2025 issue of Gravitational and Space Research, published by American Society for Gravitational and Space Research.
"I was not initially expecting it to become a publication in a research journal," said Hitt, who is a sophomore at Columbia University. "Originally, I think we were thinking of doing an educational piece instead, where we would all reflect about doing the research that we've done so far. And we were like, we can give (publishing) a try and see how it goes.
"So it was definitely a surprise for me, but I also think it's definitely an inspiration that even high schoolers and undergraduates can do published papers."
All four of the students have participated in the Space Farmers Club both at Jefferson Middle School and at Dow High. The Space Farmers are affiliated with Growing Beyond Earth, a NASA-partnered project that aims to advance NASA's research on growing food in space by having students run plant experiments.
The authors' research, conducted over a one-year period, studied how LED light intensity and carbon dioxide enrichment relate to nitrate and nutrient profiles in leafy greens grown under conditions similar to those at the International Space Station.
Their conclusions include that carbon dioxide enrichment was associated with reduced nitrate in the hybrid leafy Asian green, with nutrient trade-offs (including higher iron and lower magnesium/calcium in some conditions); and that higher light intensity was associated with increased nitrate in red romaine, contrary to what the group expected.
They also experimented to see if certain levels of certain nutrients in space can pose a carcinogenic risk.
Local grants through the Midland Area Community Foundation helped fund two growth chambers, environmental sensors, and lab supplies for the research.
"Our community has played a huge role in the support and funding we get for these experiments, and I feel like we couldn't have done this without them," said Patel, who is a junior at Dow.
The other authors are similarly excited about the implications of having their work read by a large-scale audience.
"With the right tools, mentorship, and support from our school district, we can do real citizen science — collaborate across grade levels and even publish peer-reviewed work," said Cai, who is a freshman at the University of Michigan. "Getting research exposure early changes what we think we're capable of and helps create a pathway into college-level work."
"This whole experience will undoubtedly help me with my future academic pursuits," said Nix, a sophomore at Dow. "The teamwork, writing, research, and data collection and analysis gave me lots of valuable experiences that will definitely benefit me as I head into college."
In December 2024, Cai, Nix and Dow sophomore Emma Huang had also won first place for their poster based on the same research in the Middle/High School Poster Competitions at the 40th American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Tsai, who is a philosophy professor at Saginaw Valley State University, has been excited to see the students' confidence grow through their research and writing.
"I've seen them grow from, 'Really, we can grow plants in space?' to 'Of course, we can grow plants in space!'" Tsay said. "I don't know how you guys feel about this process, but I'm really proud of (you)," she added while speaking directly to the four students.
"Scientific investigation at this young age is a road map to explore the world," Tsay added. "I think the future's bright for you (students)."
Science teachers Tom McNamara at Dow and Christine Brillhart at Jefferson also support the work of the Space Farmers.
The work, and the outreach, continues for the Space Farmers. Patel explained that on Saturday, Jan. 17, they will participate in Kids Day at the Midland Mall by offering engaging STEM activities for youngsters.
And in April, the high school students will teach Woodcrest Elementary second-graders about space farming through the astrobiology STEM activation program (ASAP).
"We're doing a lot of outreach to expose our club to the community," Patel said.
© 2026 the Midland Daily News (Midland, Mich.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
