Northwestern Students Receive $10,000 Prizes from the Dow Sustainability Innovation Challenge

March 23, 2009

The Northwestern Institute for Sustainable Practices will award two students and one student team $10,000 prizes from the Dow Sustainability Innovation Challenge in recognition of their research contributing to global sustainability.

The challenge is a new initiative to recognize exceptional work by students who are engaged in ongoing scientific, technical or social research to develop innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to meet human needs while also protecting the environment, promoting economic growth and achieving social welfare, now and into the future. Thirty-four Northwestern students submitted applications for the prize, and the three winning projects are based at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

The winners are:

- Can Bayram , for his work to develop highly energy efficient green light emitting diodes, under the supervision of Manijeh Razeghi, Walter P. Murphy professor of electrical engineering and computer science.

- Cynthia Pierre, for her work to improve the recycling of PET by transforming linear PET to lightly branched PET using an innovative, scalable, mechanochemical process, under the supervision of John M. Torkelson, professor of chemical and biological engineering.

- Zachary Lindemann, Yann Manibog, Eric West and SuelynYu, for their initiative to develop mini wind turbine kits that, in combination with solar units, will provide clean, renewable, off-the-grid energy in developing nations, under the supervision of Walter Herbst, clinical professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Master of Product Development program.

Northwestern prize winners join prize winners from five other universities — Cambridge, Peking, Tufts, Michigan and Sao Paolo — that are also part of the Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge.

“I’m thrilled that the Northwestern Institute for Sustainable Practices is able to feature on a global stage the extraordinary work on sustainability at Northwestern University,” says Kimberly Gray, professor of civil and environmental engineering. “We are grateful to the Dow Chemical Company Foundation for partnering with us in this international effort to promote sustainability.” Gray directs the Northwestern Institute for Sustainable Practices along with David Dana, professor of law.

The Dow Chemical Company Foundation initiated the Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge this year. Eligible areas of research included sustainable chemistry, energy efficiency and conservation, reducing climate change impact, life cycle product safety, and sustainable freshwater supply and distribution.

“Dow is delighted to work with NiSP to promote sustainability, and we join NiSP in congratulating the winners and thanking all the entrants to this year’s Challenge,” says Neil Hawkins, vice president of sustainability for the Dow Chemical Company. “We are very excited by the vibrant work in sustainability that we see at Northwestern. The Dow Sustainable Innovation Student Challenge underscores our commitment to stimulating, encouraging, and training the next generation of sustainability leaders at universities around the world."

The Northwestern Institute for Sustainable Practices (NiSP) promotes interdisciplinary education and research into economically, environmentally, and socially sound policies and practices that will help secure the earth’s natural resources for use now and far into the future. By convening experts from many disciplines, NiSP works to develop the integrated approaches that are essential for a swift transition to sustainable practices, in sectors ranging from energy to transportation to urban planning and ecological restoration.