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14 June 9, 2011 THE EVANGELIST GRADUATION 2011 www.strose.edu/visits The College of Saint Rose Friday, July 29 Thursday, August 18 Friday, August 12 One visit is all it takes to discover why Saint Rose truly is a remarkable college and a remarkable value. Register on-line or call 1-800-637-8556 today. Schuyler Inc. Bakery 637 3rd Avenue • Watervliet 518-273-0142 We are a PEANUT-FREE BAKERY Congratulations to the Class of 2011! Fresh and Delicious Graduation Cakes Bread ~ Rolls ~ Cookie Trays Pastry Trays Photo-Picture Cakes Available ORDER EARLY! Serving the Capital District for over 57 Years BY ANGELA CAVE STAFF WRITER After weeks of hearing power tools buzz through steel in an Albany backyard last summer, Katie Picchione’s neighbors grew slightly irritated. When she moved her science project to the garage, its rotten-egg stench irritated her family, too. Even Katie, a junior at the Academy of the Holy Names in Albany, sometimes questioned her homemade biogas digester: Was she using the right materi- als? Would her hundreds of hours of manual labor, design work and supply shopping pay off? Was it worth it to heat the digester in the garage, to venti- late the area so methane gas didn’t seep into the house and to “feed” her new “pet” every day? “There were times when I was ready to turn it off,” she told The Evangelist. Then, at 11 p.m. on a school night, the digester’s flame finally lit: Katie had successfully creat- ed usable energy out of food scraps and lawn clippings. “The fact that it worked was really fulfilling,” Katie said excit- edly. This spring, her experiment won first place at the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair. She also received a $40,000 scholarship to attend Rensselaer Polytech- nic Institute in Troy, a cash prize, a magazine subscription and a trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles. The trip was “phenomenal,” she said. “You could walk around and hear people speaking five different languages. Everybody [there] has this universal fascina- tion with science. It made me actually see my science research in a different way.” Katie thinks she won the local competition “because I’m so excited about it — and the fact that I can bring it down to a level that my [nine-year-old] brother could understand.” Katie’s passion for biogas bloomed after she attended a talk featuring Gregory Bell, con- sultant to BioEnergies of the Americas in Albany. Mr. Bell later became her mentor and partner. “On a community scale, I think biogas is a very real possi- bility,” Katie said, explaining that cafeteria leftovers, landfill gas and grass clippings can fuel cars. “We have the potential to use the energy all around us — and instead of digging for fossil fuels, we can just use the things we have.” Mr. Bell has never actually built a digester. “It was really her idea,” he said. “I never really had in mind to do a backyard version of this anywhere.” According to Mr. Bell, there are 4,500 digesters in Germany, 3,500 in other European coun- tries and only 150 in America. Seventeen of those are located in New York State. Katie’s research showed that families in developing countries use digesters to heat homes and cook food, but the gas isn’t fully compressed and stored, and the methane sometimes causes explosions. “I wasn’t able to find a safe way in my research, so I set out to find a safe way,” she explained. Katie applied for a permit from the Department of Environmental Conservation and consulted with engineers about safety before starting con- struction. The project exceeded simply making a digester. Katie created filters to clean corrosive impuri- ties found in raw biogas and built compression and storage systems to make the contraption safe and simple enough to use on small scales. She’s not done yet: She and Mr. Bell will design and build a new digester that will be energy- independent and use materials less vulnerable to corrosion. The Picchiones attend All Saints parish in Albany, where Katie was recently confirmed and commissioned as a eucharistic minister. She says she expresses her faith through her environmental stewardship. This summer, Katie will write college essays. She’s considering RPI, but seems to favor Olin College of Engineering in Mass- achusetts. She said she wants to be an inventor, “but since colleges don’t offer that as a major, engi- neering will do pretty well. I know that wherever I’m sup- posed to be, whatever God has in store for me, I’m going to end up there.” (To view a video on Katie’s project, see www.Facebook. com/evangelist.albany). ENVIRONMENT Biogas project wins prizes KATIE AND HER biogas digester. Three out of the four scholarships awarded at the fair went to AHN students: Juniors Maura Desharnais and Aislyn DiRisio won $20,000 scholarships to Albany College of Pharmacy.
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FreshandDelicious GraduationCakes Bread~Rolls~CookieTrays PastryTrays Photo-PictureCakesAvailable ORDEREARLY! 14 THEEVANGELIST ENVIRONMENT ServingtheCapitalDistrictforover57Years Friday, July 29 Thursday, August18 Friday, August12 One visit is all it takes to discover why Saint Rose truly is a remarkable college and a remarkable value. Register on-line or call 1-800-637-8556 today. www.strose.edu/visits June 9, 2011 STAFF WRITER BY ANGELA CAVE
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Page 1: Evangelist N9c #1

14 June 9, 2011TH E E VA NG E L I S T

GRADUATION 2011

www.strose.edu/visits

The College of Saint Rose

Friday, July 29 Thursday, August 18

Friday, August 12

One visit is all it takes to discover why Saint Rose

truly is a remarkable college and a remarkable

value. Register on-line or call 1-800-637-8556 today.

Schuyler Inc.Bakery

637 3rd Avenue • Watervliet

518-273-0142

We are a

PEANUT-FREE BAKERY

Congratulations to

the Class of 2011!

Fresh and Delicious

Graduation Cakes

Bread ~ Rolls ~ Cookie Trays

Pastry Trays

Photo-Picture Cakes Available

ORDER EARLY!

Serving the Capital District for over 57 Years

BY ANGELA CAVES T A F F W R I T E R

After weeks of hearing powertools buzz through steel in anAlbany backyard last summer,Katie Picchione’s neighborsgrew slightly irritated. Whenshe moved her science projectto the garage, its rotten-eggstench irritated her family, too.

Even Katie, a junior at theAcademy of the Holy Names inAlbany, sometimes questionedher homemade biogas digester:Was she using the right materi-als? Would her hundreds ofhours of manual labor, designwork and supply shopping payoff? Was it worth it to heat thedigester in the garage, to venti-late the area so methane gasdidn’t seep into the house andto “feed” her new “pet” everyday?

“There were times when I wasready to turn it off,” she told TheEvangelist.

Then, at 11 p.m. on a schoolnight, the digester’s flame finallylit: Katie had successfully creat-ed usable energy out of foodscraps and lawn clippings.

“The fact that it worked was

really fulfilling,” Katie said excit-edly.

This spring, her experimentwon first place at the GreaterCapital Region Science andEngineering Fair. She alsoreceived a $40,000 scholarshipto attend Rensselaer Polytech-nic Institute in Troy, a cash prize,a magazine subscription and atrip to the Intel InternationalScience and Engineering Fair inLos Angeles.

The trip was “phenomenal,”she said. “You could walk aroundand hear people speaking fivedifferent languages. Everybody[there] has this universal fascina-tion with science. It made meactually see my science researchin a different way.”

Katie thinks she won the localcompetition “because I’m soexcited about it — and the factthat I can bring it down to a levelthat my [nine-year-old] brothercould understand.”

Katie’s passion for biogasbloomed after she attended atalk featuring Gregory Bell, con-sultant to BioEnergies of theAmericas in Albany. Mr. Belllater became her mentor andpartner.

“On a community scale, Ithink biogas is a very real possi-bility,” Katie said, explaining thatcafeteria leftovers, landfill gasand grass clippings can fuel cars.“We have the potential to use theenergy all around us — andinstead of digging for fossil fuels,we can just use the things wehave.”

Mr. Bell has never actuallybuilt a digester. “It was really heridea,” he said. “I never really hadin mind to do a backyard versionof this anywhere.”

According to Mr. Bell, thereare 4,500 digesters in Germany,3,500 in other European coun-tries and only 150 in America.Seventeen of those are locatedin New York State.

Katie’s research showed thatfamilies in developing countriesuse digesters to heat homes andcook food, but the gas isn’t fullycompressed and stored, and themethane sometimes causesexplosions.

“I wasn’t able to find a safe wayin my research, so I set out tofind a safe way,” she explained.

Katie applied for a permitfrom the Department ofEnvironmental Conservation

and consulted with engineersabout safety before starting con-struction.

The project exceeded simplymaking a digester. Katie createdfilters to clean corrosive impuri-ties found in raw biogas andbuilt compression and storagesystems to make the contraptionsafe and simple enough to useon small scales.

She’s not done yet: She andMr. Bell will design and build anew digester that will be energy-independent and use materialsless vulnerable to corrosion.

The Picchiones attend AllSaints parish in Albany, whereKatie was recently confirmedand commissioned as a

eucharistic minister. She saysshe expresses her faith throughher environmental stewardship.

This summer, Katie will writecollege essays. She’s consideringRPI, but seems to favor OlinCollege of Engineering in Mass-achusetts.

She said she wants to be aninventor, “but since collegesdon’t offer that as a major, engi-neering will do pretty well. Iknow that wherever I’m sup-posed to be, whatever God hasin store for me, I’m going to endup there.”

(To view a video on Katie’sproject, see www.Facebook.com/evangelist.albany).

ENVIRONMENT

Biogas project wins prizes

KATIE AND HER biogas digester. Three out of the four scholarships awardedat the fair went to AHN students: Juniors Maura Desharnais and AislynDiRisio won $20,000 scholarships to Albany College of Pharmacy.