University of Arkansas Kicks Off Student Sustainability Competition, Offers $30,000 in Prizes

Editor's note: Competition rules and regulations document updated Jan. 14, 2009, and is available for download.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas will hold a sustainability competition for student teams that will compete for $30,000 in awards. This is the first time a student sustainability competition has been held on the University of Arkansas campus with such a large cash award and the winning team may see their project implemented.

An information session will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb.5 in the Union Connections Lounge. The entry deadline has been extended to 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13.

During the info session, faculty and staff sustainability experts will make presentations about the needs on the University of Arkansas that may inspire team projects. The fair will be a good opportunity for students to meet potential team members as well.

Graduate and undergraduate students who enroll in, and successfully complete, at least six credit hours for the spring 2009 semester are eligible to form teams and may earn academic credits for their participation. (See rules and regulations for more information.) The teams will work to develop practical innovations that will provide the University of Arkansas campus with financial and energy savings, and reduce the negative environmental impacts of campus activities. They will also develop policies and business plans that will improve the university’s energy and environmental performance.

Teams must be a minimum of two people, and a maximum of eight. This competition is focused on challenging students to devise practical innovations to address the environmental and energy problems of the 21^st century by greatly reducing the negative environmental impact of their campus, especially the university’s carbon footprint. Faculty involvement must be limited to advice and general direction.

“The University of Arkansas is rapidly moving to the forefront of sustainability in higher education,” said Nick Brown, the University of Arkansas executive assistant for sustainability. “The Students First Sustainability Competition will engage students in our sustainability efforts, harvest their knowledge about energy conservation, water conservation, recycling and pollution prevention, and reveal ways that we can save money on campus utility bills.”

Awards for the competition are substantial: $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners, respectively. Funding for the awards is being provided by the Honors College.

“Students are strongly encouraged to form interdisciplinary teams with student experts in areas of business, communication, technology, energy science and policy formation,” Brown said. However, the students ultimately decide team composition.

“Additionally, we are grateful to Dean Suzanne McCray of the Honors College for designating such generous funds to this competition,” Brown said. “We felt that by offering a significant cash prize to the winning teams, we’d attract quality submissions while demonstrating our commitment to fostering the future of sustainability.”

Project submissions are due by 4 p.m., April 1, 2009. The winners will be announced April 15, 2009.

A panel of judges comprising representatives working in comparative disciplines and University of Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart will make a blind review of the proposals and select the winners.