Clarkson University Student Michael Donovan of Renssealaer, N.Y., Takes First Place at NYS Pollution Prevention Institute Statewide Competition

2014 Jun 30

Clarkson University junior Michael S. Donovan of Renssealaer, N.Y., was recently awarded first place at the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute Statewide Competition.

Two Clarkson University teams, Apartment Food Waste, and Students and Community Outreach on Renter Efficiency (SCORE), received awards at the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute's (NYSP2I) third-annual R&D student competition, held at Rochester Institute of Technology and sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Donovan participated on the Clarkson Apartment Food Waste team, which received first place in the undergraduate category.

The theme this year was "Greenovate NYS: Make a difference on campus or in your community by developing an innovative solution to benefit the environment." Teams could apply for up to $1,000 to use on project materials during the spring semester. Six undergraduate teams and five graduate teams from schools across New York State received funding and presented at the student competition.

The projects were judged on the teams understanding of the environmental issue, unique approach to sustainability and pollution prevention, potential positive impact to the local environmental footprint, quantitative analysis of environmentally harmful reductions, potential for implementation, and responses to judges' questions.

Based on RIT's campus, the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) is a statewide research and technology transfer center funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. RIT and its partner universities, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, and the University of Buffalo, along with the state's ten regional technology development centers (RTDC), together comprise the NYSP2I. The vision for the NYSP2I is to foster the transformation and development of sustainable businesses and organizations in New York State in a collaborative program committed to making the State a leader in environmental stewardship.

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.