South High senior Harrison Weinberg won second place in the 2021 Spellman HV Clean Tech Competition for his research and design of a model buoy system that can identify patches of oil and gas on the surface of water using a UV light intensity sensor.

Harrison’s project, “Engineering of a Cheap Buoy Used for the Detection of Oil in the Marine Environment,” won second place in the low-cost category of the international competition. His submission included a prototype that he designed, engineered, and tested in science research class during the 2020–21 school year. His goal was to create an easy-to-use, low-cost system that could be utilized for monitoring oil pollution in local waters. His science research teacher was Dr. Carol Hersh.

The theme of this year’s Spellman HV Clean Tech Competition was “Preserving Planet Earth.” Participants were challenged to identify a specific problem that impacts the environment, research and describe the scale of the problem, analyze the causes, and design a solution using clean technology. Entries were submitted in April, and winners were announced in August following several rounds of competition.

The Clean Tech Competition is a program of the Center for Science Teaching & Learning (CSTL). Now in its tenth year, the competition is designed to foster a deeper understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related concepts, recognize outstanding talent, and prepare the next generation of globally competitive innovators.