On Saturday, March 15, the winners of the Energize Connecticut/eesmarts ™ Special Award categories at the 66th Annual Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair were announced during a ceremony at Quinnipiac University.
Energize Connecticut and the eesmarts program sponsored the Special Award categories of Alternative/Renewable Energy for middle and high school students; Future Sustainability for high school students; and Sustainable Resources and Practices for middle school students.
On hand to present the awards to the finalists were Connecticut Light & Power Senior Program Administrator Rebecca Meyer and United Illuminating Director of C&I Services Roy Haller. Representatives from CL&P and UI served as judging chairs and coordinated approximately 30 judges from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Capitol Region Education Council, Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation, University of New Haven, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
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“The Energize Connecticut Special Award categories represent topics that are extremely vital to the future of our state and beyond,” said Fair Director Bob Wisner. “These students are creating projects geared towards increasing energy efficiency, using clean and renewable energy technologies, and promoting overall sustainability. If the submissions we receive are any indication of where we are heading in these fields, then our future looks promising.”
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Among the winners in the energy and sustainability categories were:
Alternative/Renewable Energy (Middle School)
1st Place: Nader Kasem, Grade 8, Khaleel Rahman, Grade 8 and Ayman ElSherbini, Grade 8; Madina Academy in Windsor. Project: Novel Methods for Water Desalination by Harnessing Solar Energy Using a Solar Oven with Flat Mirrors, Fresnel Lens and a Parabolic Mirror. Prize: $300 cash award and trophy.
2nd Place: Kateryna Yurkevych, Grade 8; Sacred Heart School in New Britain. Project: How Long Does It Take Devices to Charge When the Power Goes Out? Prize: $200 cash award and trophy.
3rd Place: Humza Zaidi, Grade 8; Talcott Mountain Academy in Avon. Project: The Efficiency and Durability of Piezoelectric Generators. Prize: $100 cash award and trophy.
Alternative/Renewable Energy (High School)
1st Place: Ethan Novek, Grade 9; Greenwich High School in Greenwich. Project: Creation of Tidal Power from Infiltrating Coastal Ground Water via a Novel Tidal Barrage System. Prize: $500 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in I-SWEEEP, the International Sustainable Olympiad in Houston, TX.
2nd Place: Grace Herrick, Grade 9; The Gunnery in Washington. Project: Evaluating the Performance of a Model Solar Concentrating System Using Thermoelectric Generating Technology. Prize: $300 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego, NY.
3rd Place: Matthew Rogers, Grade 10, Suffield High School in Suffield. Project: New Invention to Efficiently Harness Wave Power. Prize: $200 cash award and trophy.
Future Sustainability (High School)
1st Place: Bridget Oei, Grade 12; East Catholic High School in Manchester. Project: Investigating the Efficacy of Bioluminescent Mushroom Panellus Stipticus as a Biosensor to Detect the Toxicity of Water Contaminants. Prize: $800 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in I-SWEEEP, the International Sustainable Olympiad in Houston, TX.
2nd Place: Kenneth Dorian, Grade 11; Greenwich High School in Greenwich. Project: The Remediation of Heavy Metals from Wastewater Using an Aspergillus Niger Activated Flow Filter. Prize: $500 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego, NY.
3rd Place: Omar Tekin, Grade 11, Abidin Emhan, Grade 11 and Taha Cangoz, Grade 11 at Putnam Science Academy in Putnam. Project: Alternate Source of Paper from Melons. Prize: $300 cash award and trophy.
Sustainable Resources & Practices (Middle School)
1st Place: Katie Provost, Grade 8; Fields Memorial School in Bozrah. Project: A Study of the Production, Impact Testing, and Degradation of Seaweed Based Bioplastics. Prize: $500 cash award and trophy.
2nd Place: Jonathan Wu, Grade 7; Middlebrook School in Wilton. Project: Solar and Wind Power. Prize: $300 cash award and trophy.
3rd Place: Nader Kasem, Grade 8; Khaleel Rahman, Grade 8 and Ayman ElSherbini, Grade 8 at Madina Academy in Windsor. Project: Novel Methods for Water Desalination by Harnessing Solar Energy Using a Solar Oven with Flat Mirrors, Fresnel Lens and a Parabolic Mirror. Prize: $200 cash award and trophy.
The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair is open to students in grades 7 through 12 across the state, who compete for over 600 spots each year. The objective of the fair is to attract young people to careers in the science and engineering industry, while also developing critical thinking skills. The fair is supported by several academic and industrial organizations throughout the state, with funds directed to the awards, operations and various educational activities.
For more information on the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, please visit www.ctsciencefair.org.
