Funding supports students’ sustainability projects at WMU

The use of carbon neutral USB drives made partially of hardwood to store mandatory reading material for members of student organizations who attend Western Michigan University’s financial workshop for registered student organizations is expected to reduce the amount of paper used on campus by 15,200 pages.

The research project proposed by Meredith Atchison, from Grand Rapids, and Izaak Blankenstijn, from the Netherlands,  who currently lives in Kalamazoo, is one of four projects receiving funding from the university’s Student Sustainability Grant Program. The program is intended to promote a culture of sustainability on campus.

Atchison and Blankenstijn’s project received $4,878, which will cover the cost of the USB drives.

Another project would produce a prototype hybrid solar updraft tower that uses lenses fixed atop a greenhouse and mirrors to direct sunlight onto a tower, where hot air will rise and drive turbines to create electricity. Adam Haslinger from Clarkston, a senior majoring in engineering design technology, and Josef Imesch from Farmington Hills, a senior majoring in engineering management technology, proposed the research project and received $2,925 to carry it out.

A third project called for the purchase of sturdy umbrellas to replace disposable ponchos given out and often discarded by those attending student orientation in rainy weather. The $3,125 project was proposed by Brian Donahue from Tinley Park, Ill., a junior majoring in organizational communication, and Anthony Haduch from Park Ridge, Ill., a senior majoring in early childhood professional education.

WMU’s Botany Club received $721 for a program to teach students how to grow plants.

The Student Sustainability Grant Program has awarded a total of $42,731 during the 2011-12 academic year and previously gave out more than $19,000 to student led projects.

Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Jeanne Baron, Western Michigan University