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May 19, 2012

South teen finds success in world of science fairs

Sue Loughlin The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Priya Kirtley is just 14 years old, but her science research project — as well as her enthusiasm — has drawn attention at a prestigious international science fair.

Kirtley, a freshman at Terre Haute South Vigo High School student, competed this week in the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, staged this year in Pittsburgh.

Emma Sperry, a junior at South Vigo, also participated. Both qualified at the state science fair March 31.

Kirtley’s project involved producing hydrogen in an eco-friendly way by growing freshwater algae under certain conditions. A future goal is to make a fuel cell using hydrogen produced from algae.

The project combines “my love for biology and my concern for environmental issues,” she said in an abstract about her project. “I strove to find alternative means of producing an environmentally-friendly method of producing hydrogen in order to ultimately power a fuel cell.”

According to her hypothesis, the algae (C. Reinhardtii) would produce hydrogen gas when deprived of sulfur. She developed her own apparatus and found that her hypothesis was correct. “The algae did produce hydrogen when deprived of sulfur,” she stated.

Ironically, when her teacher in advanced biology taught about photosynthesis earlier this school year, Kirtley didn’t understand it well. But when she worked with her dad to map it out and better comprehend it, a light went off and her life hasn’t been the same since.

She decided to take on a research project that included both biology and the environment, a project “that can serve a greater purpose in the future,” said Kirtley, who speaks quickly and enthusiastically as she talks about her work. The project incorporates photosynthesis.

Next year, she hopes to take her project a step farther and potentially apply it to a fuel cell device. “I feel I have opened the door to a maze … and there are all these other doors that can lead to different outcomes,” she said in a telephone interview from Pittsburgh.

She’s excited about the possibilities of her project and the potential to help the environment. “It’s sad to see all the fossil fuels being burned,” she said, and she’s concerned about global warming.

At this point, she doesn’t have enough data to know if her project will have a practical application at some point, “but it’s fun to believe,” she said.

Her mother, Sudipa Kirtley, is a physics professor at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and her father, James, works in information technology at Rose-Hulman.

More than 1,500 students from about 70 countries participated in the science fair this week. “It’s the greatest experience I’ve ever had,” Kirtley said. Talented science students from around the world gathered there, sharing ideas and comparing data.

“They want to change the world,” she said. They have research projects that could one day cure a disease or improve the quality of life in some way. In talking to the other students, “You get a bigger understanding of the world and what you can do to help,” Kirtley said.

Judges encouraged her to continue her research project and many were surprised she was only 14, she said. She admits she can’t contain her enthusiasm. “It’s like putting a lid on fireworks,” she said.

She’s been inspired by her experiences in Pittsburgh and recalls one person she met who had an optimistic attitude about the future. He believed “the future would be great” and sustainable solutions will be found if students such as Kirtley and others keep pursuing their research.

He stated, “We can’t just let the future happen to us … We have to make the future ourselves,” Kirtley recalled. She has taken those words to heart and hopes to help “make the future” in some way.  Kirtley, expected to return home late Friday, received recognition, including certificates and pins, from the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force ad Environmental Protection Agency. In a few weeks, her presentation will be on Engineering TV on the web.

Melanie Huber, South Vigo science department chairwoman, accompanied Kirtley and Sperry to Pittsburgh. The two were among 23 students to represent Indiana.

Sperry agrees the international science fair “was a lot of fun. The best part is meeting people from all over the world and learning about their experiences with science.” She spoke with experts in various science disciplines also learned from fellow students about their projects “and I was able to gain insight about my own future.”

Kirtley’s project also qualified her to attend the I-SWEEEP (International Sustainable World Engineering, Energy, and Environment Project) Olympiad in Houston earlier this month. She won a fourth-place award and $400.

In addition, at the end of June, she will participate in the GENIUS (Global Environmental Issues-US) International High School Environmental Project Olympiad in Oswego, N.Y.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

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