New Haven Students Recognized at Connecticut Science Fair

From Energize CT:

Energize Connecticut sponsors energy and sustainability categories at state’s largest science competition for middle and high school students

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – March 28, 2016 – New Haven area students, Maya Geradi, Prastik Mohanraj and Sumanth Kondapalli were honored as finalists at the 68th annual Science and Engineering Fair at Quinnipiac University that was held on Saturday, March 19, 2016.

eesmarts ™, an Energize CT program administered by Eversource and The United Illuminating Company, 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.

Maya’s project, Exploring Conditions for Struvite Precipitation and Crystal Growth, was awarded 1st place in the High School Future Sustainability category. Her project focused on the production of Struvite, a crystal consisting of magnesium, phosphate and ammonium, and using it to meet EPA mandates for phosphate and ammonia levels found in municipal and farm effluents. By optimizing conditions for recovery through Struvite, she explained that this process has implications for environmental management and sustainability, as Struvite is an excellent slow-release fertilizer and can allow for recycling of ammonium and phosphate. She received $800, a plaque commemorating her achievement and a trip to compete at I-SWEEP in Houston, Texas.

Sumanth’s project, “How do varying kinds of enzymes effect the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis on lignocellulic material to produce cellulosic ethanol through fermentation,” was awarded 2nd place in the high school Future Sustainability category. The purpose of his experiment was to produce the most glucose through efficient hydrolysis and then effectively produce ethanol through fermentation. Overall, he found that the most feasible and cost effective method of producing cellulosic ethanol is through mixing different enzymes and using standard fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. He received $500, a plaque commemorating her achievement, and a trip to compete at the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego, N.Y.

Prastik’s project, Converting Pollutant CO2 Emissions into Methanol Fuels to Reduce Environmental Harm from Greenhouse Gases, was awarded 3rd place in the high school Alternative/Renewable Energy category. He was able to conclude that industrial implementation of this procedure would yield significant positive impacts on the environment, with the cycling of CO2 into methanol if methanol is used as fuel, or a decrease in CO2 production with other forms of methanol. He received $200 and a plaque commemorating his achievement.

The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair is open to students in grades 7 through 12 across the state, who compete for more than 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.

About Energize Connecticut

Energize Connecticut helps you save money and use clean energy. It is an initiative of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the CT Green Bank, the State, and your local electric and gas utilities, with funding from a charge on customer energy bills. Information on energy-saving programs can be found at EnergizeCT.com or by calling 1.877.WISE.USE.