Apr 24, 2009 - Claremont, Calif. - Harvey Mudd College's Center for Environmental Studies announced the winners of its 2009 summer research competition earlier this month.

"This year we received an unprecedented number of highly qualified applications, with especially strong representation from engineering," said Paul Steinberg, director of the center and associate professor of political science and environmental policy. "A special thanks goes out to the engineering department faculty who worked closely with students to identify exciting projects and craft compelling proposals."

The winning projects, which received full funding through the center, are as follows:

"The Feasibility of Introducing School Buses into Congested Areas of Bangladesh"
Student researchers: Mobashwir Khan ’10 and Jason Wang ’10
Research advisor: Professor Charisma Farheen Choudhury, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
HMC faculty liaison: Professor Patrick Little, Engineering

"Improving Wind Turbine Efficiency through Whales-Inspired Blade Design"
Student researcher: Alex Krause ’10
Research advisor: Professor Hoi Dick Ng at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
HMC faculty liaison: Professor Lori Bassman, Engineering

"Micro-combustion: The Energy Security We Need Today for a Better, Brighter and Cleaner Tomorrow"
Student researcher: Raquel Robinson ’10
Faculty advisor: Professor Ramanarayanan Balachandran, University College London
HMC faculty liaison: Professor Anthony Bright, Engineering

"The Use of Sensitivity Analysis to Evaluate the Cost-Effectiveness of Off-Site Solar Electricity Generation"
Student researcher: Tynan McAuley ’12
Research advisor: Professor Gary Evans, Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts

"Use of Aquatic Plants As a Sustainable Wastewater Treatment Method in Developing Countries"
Student researcher: Mary Moore-Simmons ’10
Research advisor: Professor Mary Cardenas, Engineering

"Designing a Safer Transitional Electric Vehicle"
Student researcher: Steven Ning ’10
Research advisor: Professor Mary Cardenas, Engineering

"A Novel Method to Control Biofouling on the Surface of Membrane Filters Using UV Irradiation through Optical Fibers"
Student researcher: Doo Hyun Chung ’11
Research advisors: Professor Jaehong Kim and Dr. Pyung Kyu Park, Georgia Institute of Technology
HMC faculty liaison: Professor Nancy Lape, Engineering