Here you will find an overview of the most significant research I have conducted since the 9th grade! You will be sure to notice the quality and novelty of research improving as time goes on :) There is great variety in the areas and types of research, including school papers, sample research proposals/projects and peer-reviewed publications. I have made sure to put everything into chronological order for ease of use. Go ahead and click the drop down menu built into the titles/headers of the research project/paper for a brief yet detailed overview. You can also skim or scroll through the papers in their entirety, you are now left to your own devices. Feel free to consult the table of contents below if you are looking for something specific that may have been mentioned on my resume, LinkedIn or during an interview.
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South African Research Project (Ongoing)
My social impact proposal was devised whilst I was partaking in the Global Citizen Academy Program with Minerva KGI. Through extensive class discussions, assigned readings and collaborative break out rooms with classmates. Our social impact proposal is the amalgamation of everything we learnt over the course of the program, and is based off our passions and interests.
I wanted to pursue something regarding communities , climate change and sustainability. I was able to draw upon my own personal experiences with my uncle's farm in Germany and therefore, decided to give the agricultural landscape and the intersection it has with climate change a go.
The proposal was a footing for me to base some valuable research of mine in Africa on. It has since been modified and developed as a result of circumstances. In its current state I am focusing on students in Cape Town and their changing perception of climate change.
Social Impact Proposal (Up date).pdfHarvard Journal of Emerging Investigators Publication
After going through the arduous process of completing my Chemistry Extended Essay in my junior year. The opportunity to publish my research presented itself, with the support and encouragement of my research supervisor I decided to commit to publication with the Harvard Journal of Emerging Investigators. From first manuscript submission to final publication took merely 3 months (although it certainly felt much longer) which happened to be the week preceding my high school graduation. The great majority of publications take a year and are affiliated with prestigious universities, labs and professors with ample funding. Luckily, I was able to succeed with none of these advantages
Klein-Hessling_final.pdfIB Chemistry Extended Essay
What started as an idea in the 6th grade wasn't revisited until freshmen year. Unfortunately, my school didn't have the resources or support for me to carry out the project. Junior year I had what I needed and I was working towards submitting my work to the 2019 Google Science Fair. Extenuating circumstances prevented me from doing so and instead I dedicated myself to carrying out the work as part of my IB Extended Essay.
Final Chemistry EE.pdfIB Chemistry Extended Essay - Synopsis
Research Title: In the synthesis of bioethanol from banana, what contributes greatest to the consequent yield of bioethanol, the concentration of amylase supplied during enzymatic pre-treatment or that of yeast catalysing the fermentation process?
Type: Extended Research Thesis/Independent Research Project/Peer-Reviewed Publication
Research Supervisor: Rachel Ingram, Head of Chemistry Department - United World College Dover
Abstract:
Given my background in farming and agriculture I was particularly interested in the role that biofuels could potentially play in mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. I wanted to investigate the role enzymes played in the synthesis of biofuel from biomass and whether amylase supplied during enzymatic pre-treatment, or yeast catalysing the fermentation process had a prominence over the other in the consequent bioethanol yield produced. Three different fermentation batch samples were categorized based on the enzyme compositions that they would receive. The samples of the fermentation batch samples were then subjected to enzymatic pre-treatment by addition of their respective compositions of amylase and yeast for a period of 15 minutes. Making use of a standardised glucose calibration curve, the glucose concentrations of the varying samples of the fermentation batches of banana post enzymatic pre-treatment was determined. This provided preliminary evidence of amylase having greater prominence than yeast in producing a greater bioethanol yield. Since the more glucose present the more was available for fermentation. Afterwards the banana samples were sealed within conical flasks and submerged within water baths, with optimal conditions for fermentation to take place for a period of 3 days. The samples were then removed and suspended over acidified potassium dichromate and were left overnight to undergo oxidation. The bioethanol concentration of the fermentation batch samples was then determined by performing a titration against the varying degrees of the oxidised dichromate.
Experimental results for the bioethanol concentration of the fermentation batch samples indicated that amylase when supplied independently vs yeast resulted in greater bioethanol yields and concentrations. However, for the samples where both amylase and yeast were added concurrently the results demonstrated that the optimal enzyme composition for maximising the yield and concentration of the bioethanol was a 3:2 proportion of amylase vs yeast. The conjugate proportion of 2:3 however, still produced a greater yield than the samples where the proportion of enzyme added was entirely amylase. Which indicates that yeast is essential to producing bioethanol from biomass since it catalyses the fermentation process. However, when added concurrently with amylase its proportion is not as significant in producing the consequent bioethanol yield than amylase. This provides some insight into what factors industrial engineers would need to take into consideration when mass producing bioethanol on the industrial scale, the optimal enzyme composition with respect to cost and the bioethanol yield.
IB Chemistry Internal Assessment
Research Title: How does altering the voltage supplied to an electrolytic cell by powerpack, affect the change in mass of the zinc (anode) coating being electroplated on an iron strip (cathode) over the course of 10 minutes?
Research Focus: Factors affecting the rate of electroplating
Type: Short Research Thesis
Research Supervisor: Sara Walker, Chemistry Teacher - United World College Dover
Abstract:
I found voltaic cells and electroplating of interest given the various applications that they possess in engineering and in industry. I wanted to investigate the relationship between the voltage supplied to an electrolytic cell by powerpack and the rate of electroplating a metal, which was analogous to the change in mass of the metal being used for plating. Given that galvanizing; applying a protective zinc coating onto steel or iron to prevent rusting, is heavily implored within the industry. A voltaic cell with zinc being the anode and iron the cathode was assembled. The voltage supplied to the electrolytic cell by powerpack was increased as the trials progressed and the change in mass of the zinc anode (zinc strip) was recorded to provide an idea of the extent to which the iron strip (cathode) had been electroplated with a zinc coating and to ascertain how the rate of electroplating varied.
Experimental results provided evidence for an exponential relationship between the voltage supplied to the electrolytic cell and the change in mass of zinc anode or rate of electroplating. This relationship holds particularly strong at lower voltages but then begins to become less reliable due to external factors like over-polarization of the electrodes and increased dendrite formation amongst them at higher voltage values. The investigation provided insight regarding the optimal voltage supplied to the electrolytic cell for faster and more efficient electroplating (minimal dendrite formation). It also has implications such as determining the most effective cost ratio in terms of the rate of electroplating, electroplating efficiency and electricity costs which the electroplating industry would have to concern itself with.
Electroplating_Chem_IA_Final_Draft.pdfIB Physics Internal Assessment (1)
Research Title: How does altering the initial height of water contained within a cylindrical pipe affect its efflux velocity?
Research Focus: Gaining an understanding of efflux velocity and the behaviour of water to potentially approximate and model the behaviour of water exiting hydroelectric dams.
Type: Short Research Thesis
Research Supervisor: Jason Haywood, Head of the Physics Department - United World College Dover
Abstract:
Given the dire situation that has arisen as a result of the increasingly changing climate and my invested interest in renewable energy. I was drawn towards hydroelectric dams as a means of power generation and method of mitigating the consequences of climate change. A cylindrical pipe was filled with varying initial heights of water and the displacements of these efflux velocities were then recorded. Modelling the parabolic trajectory of the efflux water and making use of kinematic equations (Torricelli’s Law) the differing efflux velocities were calculated in correspondence to the initial heights of water contained within the cylindrical pipe. The experimental results illustrated that the efflux velocity of the water is directly proportional to the initial height of water contained within a cylindrical pipe. From this it was established that the power production capacity of efflux water was directly proportional to the distance it fell.
Taking into account that Torricelli’s law applies to orifices which are small in relation to the place in which water is contained, this investigation demonstrates the possibility of applying this theory to the power production of hydroelectric dams taking into consideration certain modifications and parameters. The flow rate of water can be calculated as 0.25 x 3.141 x (D)^2 x Efflux velocity Which would provide useful for calculating the maximum theoretical power output of a hydroelectric damn based on the height of the reservoir or “dam head”.
Final The relationship between initial height of water and efflux velicity.pdfIB Physics Internal Assessment (2)
Research Title: How does varying the distance of a fan which exerts wind towards a model wind turbine affect the consequent current it produces?
Research Focus: The effect of wind velocity on the current produced by a model wind turbine
Type: Short Research Thesis
Research Supervisor: Jason Haywood, Head of the Physics Department - United World College Dover
Abstract:
Given the recent increase in adopting of sources of renewable energy for combating the adverse effects of climate change. I became interested in investigating the factors affecting the power produced by wind turbines after learning that Germany where I’m from, has the largest installed wind capacity in Europe. I wanted to figure out how altering the velocity of air being blown by a standing fan, would affect the current produced by a model wind turbine. Since I didn’t have access to a wind tunnel this proved to be rather difficult, to overcome this I varied the distance of the fan blowing the air towards the model wind turbine and measured the current produced. Experimental results demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between the current produced and ( d, distance of the fan from the model turbine). However, it bore features of a curve and was therefore linearized for further analysis. Which established that a strong linear relationship between the log distance of the fan and the log of the current produced by the model wind turbine existed.
The investigation provided insight on how varying the distance of a fan blowing air towards a model wind turbine affects the current it produces. Consequently, a better understanding of the power generated by wind turbines based on the speed of the wind blowing around them could be theoretically applied for ascertaining the best geographical location for a wind farm.
1fdc4a42f3b34d1ea4590fa0802e569b.pdf (2).pdfIB Mathematics Internal Assessment
Research Supervisor: Anthony Hopwood, Mathematics Teacher - United World College Dover
Research Title: Determining the difference in the amount of solar radiation stemming from the planets of the solar system and the sun reaching the earth’s atmosphere and penetrating it, relative to the perigee and apogee of their elliptical orbits
Research Focus: Proportion of UV radiation consisting of the total solar radiation stemming from the sun and the planets in the solar system penetrating the earth’s atmosphere.
Type: Short Research Thesis
Abstract:
Given that Singapore is located very closely to the equator and experiences some of the greatest continual sunshine across the year I wanted to determining how much solar radiation on average reaches and penetrates the atmosphere of earth. Moreover, I was particularly interested in how much of that solar radiation was in the UV spectrum considering the adverse implications UV radiation has on cells and other living things. After doing preliminary research regarding the properties of ellipses and the variables needed to calculate the solar radiation emitted by a celestial body. I made use of polar coordinates and the properties of the foci of an ellipse to model the elliptical orbits of the planets in the solar system and the sun. From there I was able to approximate the variation in distance between the sun and the planets in the solar system and determine their perigee and apogee during the course of their elliptical orbit. Using said variations in distance I calculated the minimum, maximum and average solar radiation from the sun and that of the planets in the solar system reaching and penetrating the earths atmosphere. These values were then compared to that observed by NASA and were within 10% of said range. Moreover, the most common wavelengths of radiation were calculated as well for comparison with the radiation that was in the UV spectrum. It was also interesting to figure out that the main factor impacting the solar radiation reaching the earth’s atmosphere was the surface temperature of the emitting body. Unfortunately, being mathematically constrained by being in high school, determining the exact proportion of UV radiation compromising the total solar radiation reaching the earths atmosphere from the sun and the planets in the solar system was not possible. However, suitable mathematical methods were explored and worked well but their derivations were not understood in entirety.
Math IA submission.pdf