Kory enjoys working with computers and playing football, basketball and baseball. He is also involved in mock trials and has volunteered for local charity building projects. A future career in electrical engineering appeals most to Kory. "I have always enjoyed working with electronics. You get to make things work right, besides designing new equipment and plants."
His mentor is his grandfather, a professor and a scientist. "I grew up asking questions and learned how to study and look for new discoveries," says Kory.
Kory was inspired by the September 11 collapse of the World Trade Center. The goal of his project was to learn how to make buildings safer in case of fire. He especially wanted to discover ways to insulate steel and keep it cool when surrounded by extreme heat. Kory predicted that of all the insulation materials he tested, asbestos would insulate steel best, if he could bond it to the steel, use it to protect the steel and find a nonhazardous way to use it.
Kory contacted a local company, Kcorrell Research, which agreed to work with him and provide supervision, a laboratory and safety equipment. To begin his project, Kory made 18 different test insulation mixes and baked the mixes onto steel nails. With further testing, he eliminated all but the three that bonded best. He performed a variety of tests using these insulators on a set of steel rods and tubes. Kory found that the insulated nails resisted extreme heat 295 percent longer than noninsulated nails and that insulated structural steel withstood heat 357 percent longer than noninsulated steel. He concluded that asbestos can be used in a nonharmful way and that it can be bonded to steel using certain chemicals. He also concluded that steel supports and fastenings of tall buildings and buildings at risk of fire should be insulated to prevent or delay collapse.
