EPA awards grant to Marshall student team for technology project – Huntington Herald Dispatch

PHILADELPHIA The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a grant of up to $25,000 to Marshall University through its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) program. The funding is part of approximately $800,000 awarded to 32 student teams nationally to develop and demonstrate projects that help address environmental and public health challenges.

As EPA celebrates its 50th anniversary, this month, we are highlighting ways the agency supports the next generation of environmental leaders, said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, EPAs principal deputy assistant administrator for science and EPA science advisor. The P3 program helps foster environmental education among students to support the next generation of scientists and engineers working to tackle some of todays most pressing environmental issues.

Im very excited that Dr. Sukjoon Na and Dr. Sungmin Youn have been selected for an EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet award, said Dr. Isaac Wait, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at Marshall. This is a highly competitive grant program, and Dr. Na and Dr. Youn had their proposal selected while competing against other teams from across the country. That they were successful is an important external confirmation of the quality of their proposal and the promise of the research they have planned. The funds provided by EPA will support the involvement of a multidisciplinary student team, including undergraduate and graduate students from the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science programs.

This years winners are addressing a variety of research topics including efforts to reduce microplastics waste and food waste, creating innovative and solar-driven nanomaterials, building a stand-alone water treatment system that can provide potable water for indoor use in single family homes and removing PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) from water using liquid extractions. These teams are also eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their design in a real-world setting.

Phase I grantees from the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region include student teams from the following universities:

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa.

VOC Sensors for ppb-Level Detection and Speciation

Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va.

Nanoclay Reinforced Recycled HDPE to Replace PVC and PE Water Pipe Materials

Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa.

Biochar Filter for Philadelphia Water Pb Removal

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Va.

Rare Earth Elements Recovery Using Food Waste

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EPA awards grant to Marshall student team for technology project - Huntington Herald Dispatch