Windsor Students Recognized at 65th Annual CT Science & Engineering Fair

On Saturday, March 16, the winners of the Energize Connecticut/eesmarts ™ Special Award categories at the 65^th 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 Alex Kragie, Special Assistant to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel C. Esty, Connecticut Light & Power President & Chief Operating Officer Bill Herdegen and United Illuminating Senior Vice President of Customer & Business Services Tony Marone. Representatives from Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating served as judging chairs and coordinated approximately 30 judges from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Pratt & Whitney, Capitol Regional Education Council, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority and the Connecticut Business & Industry Association.

“The students honored here today show a promising future for our workforce, one that will have the skills necessary to tackle tomorrow’s energy and environmental challenges,” said Kragie. “Connecticut and the United States need students trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to help us increase energy efficiency, utilize renewable energy sources, and help us to remain environmentally conscious. It is a privilege to be here today to honor these students on behalf of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Energize Connecticut and the entire state of Connecticut.”

Among the winners in the energy and sustainability categories were:

Alternative/Renewable Energy (Middle School)

1^st Place: Grace Herrick, Grade 8; St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown. Project: Evaluating the Performance of a Model Solar Updraft Tower Power Plant.  $300 cash award and trophy

2^nd Place: Martha Haddad, Grade 8; St. Joseph School in Danbury. Project: Converting Waste to Electricity Using Efficient Microbial Fuel Cell. $200 cash award and trophy.

3^rd Place: Osama El Sherbini, Grade 8 and Nader Kasem, Grade 7; Madina Academy in Windsor. Methods That Utilize Available Solar and Thermal Energy to Charge Your Electrical Device in a Power Outage Using a Thermoelectric Generator. $100 cash award and trophy.

Alternative/Renewable Energy (High School)

1^st Place: Andrew Ma, Grade 10; Greenwich High School in Greenwich. Project: Solvent Extraction of Hydrocarbons and Hydrocarbon Derivatives from Lythrum Salicaria Seed Capsules. $500 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in ISWEEP, the International Sustainable Olympiad in Houston, TX.

2^nd Place: Daniel Giebisch, Grade 10 and Noah Gallant, Grade 10; Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge. Project: Windbelts: The Future of Wind Power; The Effect of Magnet Thickness, Coil Configuration, and Film Elasticity on Electrical Output of a Windbelt. $300 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego, NY. 

3^rd Place: Bridget Oei, Grade 11, East Catholic High School in Manchester. Project: Integration of Photovoltaic and Peltier-Seebeck Thermoelectric Effects to Optimize the Power Density of a Hybrid Solar Panel. $200 cash award and trophy.

Future Sustainability (High School)

1^st Place: Karim Kharbouch, Grade 12; Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture in Bridgeport. Project: Optimization of the Cellulose Algae Salt Battery. $800 cash award, trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in ISWEEP, the International Sustainable Olympiad in Houston, TX.

2^nd Place: Travis Anderson, Grade 11; Greenwich High School in Greenwich. Project: Intrinsic Laptop Energy Capture via Keyboard Piezoelectric Conversion. $500 cash award,  trophy and all-expenses paid trip to compete in the GENIUS Olympiad in Oswego, NY.

3^rd Place: Bridget Oei, Grade 11; East Catholic High School in Manchester. $300 cash award and trophy.

Sustainable Resources & Practices (Middle School)

1st Place: Martha Haddad, Grade 8; St. Joseph School in Danbury. Project: Converting Waste to Electricity Using Efficient Microbial Fuel Cell. $500 cash award and trophy.

2^nd Place: Katie Provost, Grade 7; Fields Memorial School in Bozrah. Project: Perfect Plastic. $300 cash award and trophy.

3^rd Place: Grace Herrick, Grade 8; St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown. Project: Evaluating the Performance of a Model Solar Updraft Tower Power Plant. $200 cash award and trophy.

The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair is open to students in grades 7 through 12, who compete for 500 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.

About Energize Connecticut

Energize Connecticut helps you save money and use clean energy. It is an initiative of the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority, 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.