STEM I is taught by Dr. Crowthers and is a research-based class where students conduct a long-term independent research project in a field of their choice. In class, we practice reading and understanding technical scientific literature, and present in various settings, from school-wide elevator pitches to small group projects. Each term, we have regular update meetings to present findings from existing scientific research and our own projects, which culminate in school-wide science fairs in December and February.
As global energy consumption and demand continues to rise, there is a clear need for sustainable energy storage solutions. Current energy storage methods are predominantly done in the form of batteries, most of which involve heavy-metal-based designs. However, the mining processes necessary to source the materials in these designs make them extremely environmentally harmful and a net-negative to sustainability efforts. My STEM project aims to engineer a novel battery, capable of undergoing the same electrochemical processes present in current batteries, but using bioderived compounds in the design instead. Currently, I have conducted simulation trials showing the potential of the model to aid in sustainability goals toward the future, which you can find on my Quad Chart on this page.
So far, I have completed extensive preliminary data collection for my project in the form of simulation code written in the Python programming language. I used the results of my simulations to present my project at the schoolwide December science fair.
As a summary of my work so far, I have created a Quad Chart, describing the goals of the project, a graphical abstract, current results and analysis, and broad implications of my project. You can find my Quad Chart below.
If you're having trouble viewing the file in your browser, use this link: Quad Chart.
Find my project documents here: Documents.