Sustainability Project Competition | Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI students have submitted sustainability-themed projects in one of three categories: first-year, undergraduate, and graduate. These sustainability-themed projects each address a present societal need without compromising our ability to meet the needs of future generations. Projects address environmental, social, and/or economic themes that relate to sustainability.

Judges for the competition include WPI staff and faculty as well as regional sustainability experts.

Browse Award Recipients

Year	Recipient	Name	Title	Awarded by	Type	Department	Details
2025	Varsha Alladi	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Unravelling the Role of GABAergic Dysfunction in Catatonia: A GABAergic Investigation in Drosophila
2025	Identifying Hotspots: Analyzing The impact on Vulnerable Populations Using Geographic Information Systems	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Identifying Hotspots: Analyzing The impact on Vulnerable Populations Using Geographic Information Systems
2025	Itamar Harris	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Graduate	Office of Sustainability	Laser Technology for Sustainable Industrial Drying, Baking, and Dehydration
2023	Alex Sheehey, Samantha Simmons, Federico Vegas, Jackson Wamback	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Geothermal: A Green Solution to Rising Temperatures
2023	Sol Giesso, Patrick King	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Hecho en Monteverde: An evaluation of and improved criteria for a voluntary sustainability certification
2023	Mehrnoush Famil Dardashti	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Graduate	Office of Sustainability	Spray Drying Using Novel Nozzle Design to Improve Droplet Formation for Fine Powders
2022	Nick Tomasetti, Nico Alvarado, Ben Mason, Anonymous	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Using Media to Influence Agricultural Perceptions on Climate Change
2022	Rafaello Adler-Abramo	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Massachusetts Climate Resilience Policy, Planning, and the Needs of People with Disabilities: Paths to Improvement
2022	Munevver Elif Asar Sarikaya	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Graduate	Office of Sustainability	Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Energy_intensive Industrial Drying by Novel Drying Methods
2021	Gabriel Espinosa; Alexander Wadsworth; Jack Hanlon	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Small Scale Carbon Capture Implementation and Utilization at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2021	Emilia Perez; Chase Gaudino; Lauren Kaija; Hannah Schulz; Trisha Worthington	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Undergraduate	Office of Sustainability	Preparing for the Rise: A Study of Boston’s Sea Level & Designs for Coastal Resiliency
2021	Zahra Noori	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Graduate	Office of Sustainability	Experimental Study of Drying of Paper with Ultrasound Mechanism
2021	Munevver Elif Asar Sarikaya	Sustainability Project Competition	Winner	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Graduate	Office of Sustainability	Reducing Carbon Footprint of Energy-Intensive Industrial Drying by Smart Dryers