Education in Explosions: a John Jay Grad Aims to Build a Better Engine

Some of the things Jeff Santer blows up in the lab include hydrogen, oxygen, methane and propane. And his research has him writing scientific papers with titles like, "Effect of Fuel Addition of CO, CH4, C2H4, and C2H6 to H2/O2 on Flame Burning Rates at High Pressures."

 Santer graduated from John Jay high school in 2005. He then left Katonah to study undergrad at Swarthmore College, where he majored in Engineering, minored in Physics, and fell in love with it. Now, he is continuing his studies. 

"I am at Princeton for Mechanical Engineering in a Ph.D. program," Santer, 23, explained. "I'm doing research on combustion, where I basically blow things up and see the speed that the flame moves at." 

Santer is entering his second year in a 5-year program which, at the end, will leave him qualified to be a professor himself or to continue with his research.

Yet despite having the ability to conduct complex research and detail it in papers few non-scientists can understand, Santer feels daunted by the research giants who have come before him. 

"It is kind of intimidating because everyone there is very smart and very motivated," he said. "Basically through every step of my academic path, I start feeling dumber and dumber." 

Santer's research will provide crucial information that will make more efficient engines. In turn, these engines will be better for the environment. This dedication to the environment began long ago for Santer, when he was a student at John Jay. 

"I was in the Environmental Club," he said. "We would go around and collect recycling and sort it all out." 

He continued his membership at environmental clubs throughout his time at Swarthmore, and now at Princeton. Santer also attributes his academic success to John Jay, where he excelled in math and science and participated in Science Olympiad, a national science competition at the high school level. 

"I built a catapult, I built a tower, and I did a few more academic things like taking chemistry tests," he said. 

He remember the teacher who headed up the club, Mr. Tucker, and all the different projects he worked on there. He had to design a catapult that was as powerful and accurate as possible, and then compete it against other designs by other students. He also had to design and build towers meant to hold more weight than his competitor's models. 

"I spent a lot of time doing that at John Jay and it's what got me interested in the sciences," he said. "It was good, I really liked high school." 

Environmentally-speaking, Santer feels his hometown of Katonah has done a good job being green for a suburb. He cites Metro North and a good parks system as the greenest perks of the town.  

It was Katonah after all that led Santer to chose Princeton in the first place. 

"I wanted to be near Katonah—it's nice to know I can go home."