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M.Arch. student takes first place for sustainability work in India

M.Arch. student takes first place for sustainability work in India

Taubman College student John Monnat (M.Arch.), along with Adithya Dahagama of the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and Leon Espira of the School of Public Health, took first place in the Dow Distinguished Award for Interdisciplinary Sustainability competition. The project, “De-Silting Minor Irrigation Ponds in South India: The Sustainability of Decentralized Resource Distribution”, involved close work with farmers and state officials to document and record the various effects associated with de-silting ponds. The silt, which was traditionally used as a substitute for artificial fertilizer, carried the potential for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Monnat and his team traveled to Telangana in South India and organized a symposium for hundreds of local farmers and officials and emerged with a completed greenhouse gas assessment, employment model, and geo-spatial database, among other findings. 

The Dow Distinguished Award is a part of U of M’s first annual Dow Sustainability Symposium and aims to foster future leaders in sustainability across multiple disciplines. The event, featuring over 70 Dow Sustainability Fellows and several student teams encompassing more than seven schools and colleges, was held on Saturday, November 15. Visit Michigan’s stustainability website for more information.