Students Honored for Making a Difference
WPI seniors Jason Frey, Ryan Kendrick, Jodi Lowell, and John Rothermel traveled to Windhoek, Namibia, where they helped residents of nearly 4,000 unelectrified settlements develop renewable energy businesses. For their Interactive Qualifying Project, which won first place in the President’s IQP Awards competition, they interviewed dozens of local families about their energy use, resulting in a toolkit for local entrepreneurs to assess possibilities for introducing renewable energy businesses to the area. Such businesses would generate income and bring accessible energy services to communities without electricity.
Advised by Robert Krueger and Fred Looft, this IQP was one of five presented to a panel of judges at the annual contest held in January. Other award winners:
- Second Place: “Noise Data Farming for the City of Boston,” Shannon O’Toole, Brandon Finzel, Justin Perron, Jacob Russell (advisors: Chrysanthe Demetry, Kevin Clements)
- Second Place: “HIV/AIDS Prevention Education: A Look at the HIV/AIDS Awareness Activities at the Polytechnic of Namibia,” Danielle Dionne, Amanda Tichy, Jessica Sullivan-Keizer, Derrick DiConti (advisors: Robert Krueger, Fred Looft)
- Third Place: “Demand Response Programs in the Greater Boston Area,” Michael Irace, James Chryssanthacopoulos, Chukwunomso Agunwamba, Eyuel Abebe, Muzhtaba Tawkeer Islam (advisors: James Doyle, Alex Emanuel)
- Third Place: “Developing a Strategy to Improve Solar Home System Sustainability in Rural Thailand,” Gabriel Baldwin, Benjamin Childs, Carolyn Hunter, Victoria Urrea (advisors: Bland Addison, Seth Tuler)