Kurtis Mickel Carsch
Texas
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Kurtis Mickel Carsch, 17, of Plano, used computational modeling to identify a novel catalyst that would more efficiently convert
methane to methanol for his Intel Science Talent Search chemistry project. Current catalytic methods of converting methane gas to
liquid methanol consume excessive energy or require extreme temperatures. Kurtis focused on enzyme modeling to establish the
optimized geometries of various organometallic (metal-based) catalysts to redesign non-optimal catalytic sets into more effective
models that would minimize the energy and temperature needed for the conversion of methane into methanol. He believes his research
will result in a cleaner, lower-cost fuel and chemical feedstock, reduce our dependence on petroleum, and promote the creation of
methanol-based industries. Kurtis is the primary author of a paper on his research published in Computational and Theoretical
Chemistry. He is co-founder of a tutoring organization at Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton. The son of Randolph
Carsch and Leslie Mickel, he aspires to earn a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and conduct full-time research.
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