Weiss School Results - Palm Beach County Science and Engineering Fair

Andrew Fiedor received first place in the category of Earth and Environmental Sciences. His experiment and data collection are currently being conducted in science class where he is harvesting two coral fragments.  His main goal was to test for oxybenzone concentrations in Florida’s coral reef systems using an aquarium to keep native species to determine the concentrations that are currently affecting populations by using common sunscreens. His future goal is to develop and educate the public on the use and raise awareness of this global problem.

Dylan Kiesling received first place in the category of Math. Dylan did extensive and accurate data collections with calculations to show that ocean energy generators should be placed where waves are highest regardless of the water depth. Waves pack an immense amount of energy before they break onshore. Since the United States is surrounded by oceans, a significant amount of the population is living near the coastlines. Dylan wants to figure out a reliable way of harvesting wave energy, so America can lead a new energy industry and meet a huge energy demand with reliable and forecastable clean energy.

Gabriel Mikati received first place in the category of Engineering and Material Science and a specialty award from Florida Sugar Cane Company. Although industrial processes do provide us with energy, Gabe decided there must be a different source for energy besides using fossil fuels. His project idea is not only environmentally friendly but will also be the most cost-effective way to produce electricity. The science behind the idea is thermoelectricity and using the Seebeck effect which uses two dissimilar metals to form a thermocouple. This process allows you to collect electricity day and night due to asphalt being able to absorb and retain heat and the soil below being a much cooler temperature. During his experimentation, it was possible to create thermoelectricity from the difference in temperature between the asphalt of roads and cooler temperature of soil below. This provides us with alternates in the production and storage of energy for the future.

Ekansh Puri received first place in the category of Chemistry. His project was very inspiring as his goal was to reduce pollution. As the economies of the world progress, more chemicals and pollutants are released into the atmosphere. One of the most well-known and destructive ones is ozone, which causes over one million premature deaths per year along with a plethora of health issues. Ekansh designed an experiment to test the effectivity of potassium iodide on high concentrations of ozone. His research had a profound importance as it was finding a new solution to one of the most major pollutants.

Colin Quinn received first place in the category of Chemistry. He is an amazing student who decided to find a solution to the ever-increasing problem of industrial byproducts. Every day, thousands to millions of barrels of a chemical called industrial brine are produced as an industrial byproduct, which can have devastating impacts on the environment. Colin designed and conducted an experiment to examine the timeframe in which negative effects begin to occur from this experiment, which has been shown to permanently destroy ecosystems in an area. His experiment can be used to find a better, more efficient solution to counter the effects of improper disposal of one of the most common industrial byproducts.

Michael Mikati received first place in the category of Environmental Engineering. His passion was fueled by designing a prototype to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect with possibilities for energy and rainwater collection. He is in the process of developing a working prototype to reduce exposure of manmade surfaces to the sun in urban cities by providing shade. The design also allows for solar energy collection during the day and rainwater collection when it is raining. This design can essentially reduce temperatures in urban cities while also collecting clean energy and rainwater. Reduced temperatures save lives and limit heat-related illnesses in urban cities.