Students
Apply Nanotechnology to Innovation
"(Winston-Salem, NC)
– The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced late this afternoon that a panel
of expert judges selected Forsyth Technical Community College’s team of
nanotechnology students as first place winners in the 2016 Community College
Innovation Challenge (CCIC). The students’ innovative approach to applying
nanotechnology to maximize the efficiency of greenhouses through solar energy elevated
them to the national championship.
Normandale Community College in Minnesota and Virginia
Western Community College in Virginia tied for second place.
Forsyth
Tech’s team included Shannon Coalson,
Adam Afifi, Jack Landgraf and Philip
York. They were selected from among 10 finalist teams across the country
that participated in a rigorous multi-month process requiring them to develop
innovative, research-based solutions to challenges at the nexus of food, energy
and water systems.
The
10 teams spent this week attending a four-day innovation “boot camp” in
Arlington, VA during which they received feedback on their presentations and
met with experts on subjects including team-based design, communicating the
value of innovation and transitioning research to commercialization.
The
boot camp included a visit to the U.S. Capitol yesterday where teams had the
chance to present their projects to members of Congress and legislative staff.
“This national distinction places a tremendous shining star
on our nanotech students’ résumés,” says Michael
Ayers, dean of Math, Science, & Technologies. “It validates the type of
innovative programming that Forsyth Tech offers, which few other colleges
across the country can match.
“This experience places our students on the bleeding edge of
science by encouraging research and innovation that is usually associated with
four-year universities. We are so proud of them!”
“The national attention we have received from participation
in this Innovation Challenge will open doors to our students and Forsyth Tech,”
says Dr. Mehrdad Tajkarimi, the students’
nanotechnology instructor. “It will make it easier for our students to obtain
jobs and for the college to gain partners who could potentially help bring this
and other innovations to market.”
The NSF, in partnership with the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC), developed the CCIC competition as a
way to foster development of crucial innovation skills among students in one of
the nation’s most significant academic sectors. Community colleges play an
important role in developing America’s technical workforce, in part by
involving groups traditionally underrepresented in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers.
“The
Community College Innovation Challenge presented these students with real-world
questions that the scientific community is working to answer,” said Joan
Ferrini-Mundy, NSF assistant director for Education and Human Resources. “It
has been gratifying to see how enthusiastically all of this year’s participants
have responded to that challenge. These winning teams are emblematic of the
kinds of quality entries we received.”
Other
winning teams and their projects included:
·
Normandale
Community College, Minnesota: Wastewater Hydrokinetic Turbine
·
Virginia
Western Community College, Virginia: Efficient Mechanical Collection Method of Recovering Waste Apples
·
Northeast
Community College, Nebraska:
CROP-IT Solution to Regulate Irrigation Equipment
·
Perimeter
College at Georgia State University, Georgia: Autonomous Technology Lake Algae Skimmer
·
Tulsa
Community College, Oklahoma:
Automated Microfluidic Colorimetry Lab for Aquaponic Monitoring (AMCLAM)
·
Northeast
Wisconsin Technical College, Wisconsin: Junk Yard Generator
·
Henry
Ford College, Michigan:
Rescue Restaurant Food Waste to Address Hunger
·
Red
Rocks Community College, Colorado: Cooling Tower Blow Down Water Conservation
·
Bucks
County Community College, Pennsylvania: The Wind Catcher Max Wind Tower
Forsyth Tech provides students with flexible educational
pathways to a competitive workforce for the community and global economy. The
college offers associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in more than 200
programs of study, including programs that promote personal and professional
development through non-credit courses and seminars, as well as customized
training for business and industry.
Forsyth Tech is the fifth largest community college in North
Carolina and serves more than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and
part-time faculty and staff."
- A Press Release
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