Waste to Energy Broader Impact Report

Waste to Energy: Harnessing the fuel in organic waste to create a business opportunity for a recycling-based society and system, Harshada Pednekar

In the summer of 2020, Harshada Pednekar, at the time pursuing a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, was approached by the Institute’s Executive Director, Dr. Eva Csaky, to work on waste to energy research. Amidst the pandemic, Harshada joined the team remotely and immediately hit the ground running on her research, despite the challenges of getting acclimated to a new role without being in-person.

Harshada is passionate about the environment and achieving sustainable business practices while being mindful of the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. She had a professional career in India, most notably working as a Design Engineer at Indo-French company Mailhem-Ikos Environment Pvt. Ltd. where she designed portable biogas plants and bio-methanation (UASB Reactor) plants, with capacity ranging from 1000 kg to 100 TPD of municipal solid waste. After graduation, Harshada began work at AECOM in Greenville, South Carolina as a Civil Engineer.

Research on this report went well beyond desk research, as Harshada also examined industry best practices and gained insight from experts in the field. We were fortunate to have excellent industry advisors from the Terra Group at Toyota Motor North America, Inc.; Matthew Sheldon, Hunt Institute Social Intrapreneur; Jason S Sekhon, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen SME; Mark Hitchock, Zero waste, recycling, and the City of Plano Liaison; and Kelli Gregory, NTCOG liaison, clean energy mobility. Faculty advisors included Dr. Eva Csaky, Hunt Institute Executive Director, and Mohammad Khodayar, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Lyle School of Engineering.

Harshada completed her report shortly before graduating, and the final report is titled Waste to Energy: Harnessing the fuel in organic waste to create a business opportunity for a recycling-based society and system.

Included in the report is a quote from President of Toyota Motor Corporation Akio Toyoda, who said, “I believe that our mission is to provide goods and services that make people throughout the world happy, or, in other words to “mass produce” happiness…I view this as also being a part of earnestly engaging in the sustainable development goals.”

The summary states that to generate a feasible amount of methane to support a digester, it is estimated that 10 to 12 tons/d, with 8-10% contamination and 80% of the contamination being bioplastics, can produce about 70 Nm3/h of biogas. This is the amount of biogas needed to produce 200 kg/day of hydrogen, which is the smallest commercially available packaged system. The greenhouse gas emission (GHG) for IngeoTM is currently 1.3 kg CO2 eq./kg polymer compared to approx. 3.2 kg CO2 eq./kg polymer for PET. Therefore, implementing anaerobic digestion for PLA can reduce around 942.5 kg – 1132 kg per day of CO2 equivalent emissions.

A total of 1 ton per day of undigested bioplastic with 30% of total solids will be sent to landfills; 3 tons per day of dewatered digestate cake can be utilized for composting, and Class A fertilizer can be produced. The research on anaerobic degradation of biopolymers is still in its infancy. Therefore, this report has discussed different pre-treatment alternatives to treat PLA such as physical, chemical, and thermal treatments. The findings suggests on-site segregation benefits of the current solid waste management scenario in the commercial sector of Plano, Texas. This report consists of a description of existing scenarios and possible pre-treatment alternatives for bioplastic degradation generated from the commercial sector in hopes of finding a solution good for people, our planet, and that can be a viable and profitable solution for a city like Plano, Texas.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Paul Westbrook, Hunt Institute Fellow

Paul Westbrook, Hunt Institute Fellow

Paul Westbrook is a recognized leader and speaker in efficiency, solar energy, and whole-system integrative design across the spectrum from residential projects to large industrial facilities. He brings this wealth of expertise to the Hunt Institute as a Fellow.

Paul currently serves on the board of Kijiji Innovative Sustainable Solutions (KISS). Founded by Hunt Institute Social Entrepreneur Clara Ford, the organization’s mission is to reduce rural poverty by promoting sustainable development in Tanzania’s rural communities through education, community activism, sustainable initiatives, and youth and women empowerment. Together with Hunt Institute Fellow Dr. Jessie Zarazaga, Clara continues to work with the Hunt Institute’s Global Development Lab on the Kijiji Project, including the completion of Phase I and the Spring 2021 Innovative Sustainable Solutions Design Competition where Paul served as a judge helping to narrow down the final winners.

In 1996, Paul designed his own North Texas solar home, which won the NAHB Energy Value Housing Award for Innovative Design. The house utilizes passive and active solar design and still ranks as one of the most efficient homes in Texas; it has been on the annual national tour of solar homes since 1996. Extensive water efficiency and rainwater collection led to Paul being named a Water Genius by the North Texas Municipal Water District in 2009.

Paul has over 33 years of design and operational experience with large, complex manufacturing facilities. He led the effort at Texas Instruments (TI) to design and build the first sustainable, LEED Gold Certified semiconductor manufacturing facility (“fab”) in the world. The 1.1 million square foot facility in Richardson, Texas, is over 40% more energy efficient and cost 30% less to build than the previous fab. Paul was also the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) for two TI manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, including the first LEED Gold building of any type in that country.

As Sustainable Development Manager at TI, he led the effort to improve the energy and water efficiency of TI’s 20 million square feet of existing global facilities – doubling the company’s energy and water efficiency in less than 10 years. Paul has also worked with the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative teams on industry-wide efficiency improvements and on green design standards.

In 2012, Paul was named a Senior Fellow for the US State Department’s Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) program. He visited Honduras, Bolivia, Columbia, and Peru, where he worked with governments, universities, and industry on efficiency and renewable energy. After retiring from TI, Paul started his consulting business, RE:source. The RE stands for Radical Efficiency. But it also stands for Resource Efficiency, Renewable Energy, REsilience, and REimagine. His book The Joy of Efficiency covers resource efficiency and integrative design. His research can be reviewed on his website titled Westbrook House where he provides links to learn about passive and active solar.

Paul received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1982. Paul is president and a saxophone player for the nonprofit Texins Jazz Band – a full big band established in 1986. He is also an accomplished track & field sprinter. He led the TI Team to 12 consecutive national corporate track titles as captain and was inducted into the United States Corporate Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

When asked what motivates him to do impact work, Paul’s response is, “I’ve worked on many interesting projects that achieved radical efficiency and sustainability improvements. That experience and knowledge has value in many areas, and I’m happy to share.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

STEM Up Phase II Goes to Tintinto, The Gambia

STEM Up Phase II Goes to Tintinto, The Gambia

Phase II of STEM Up continues to evolve, featuring a Wi-Fi-generating computer cart to be used in combination with the solar power being produced at Tintinto Primary and Secondary School in The Gambia. Wilkie Stevenson, an alumnus of SMU Lyle School of Engineering, spent the majority of his college employment as an Undergraduate Research Analyst for the Hunt Institute where he worked on various projects, such as STEM Up, that are designed to support rural access to digital education in communities around the world. Early on in Mohammed Njie’s project research for Illuminating Tintinto, he and Wilkie began to discuss the potential of their two projects collaborating, with STEM Up going to The Gambia to be tested.

September 24, 2021, we welcomed a multi-disciplinary and multi-national audience for a demonstration of the STEM Up Phase II prototype on its way to The Gambia to be beta tested. Joining us for the demonstration was Haddijatou Lamin Njie, an International Development Expert with over 25 years of working with government, multilateral organizations, and international non-government organizations (NGOs) in The Gambia.

Ms. Lamin Njie responded to the demo with, “For me, this prototype opens doors. It is a huge entry point with so much possibility to build on and contextualize.” Considering Ms. Lamin Njie’s proven track record of leading and evaluating development programs, her words offered humbling confirmation that the STEM Up Phase II project is on the right track towards making an impact.

Wilkie graduated in 2020 amidst the global pandemic. After graduation, he continued to work on the STEM Up concept, designing a unit that will broadcast digital educational resources over Wi-Fi. Using the solar power produced at Tintinto Primary and Secondary School, the theory is to utilize low-cost and low-power servers, along with refurbished laptops, to outfit a computer lab. The Wi-Fi generated by the computer cart can also be used by other devices in addition to the supplied computers. With no internet connection in Tintinto, the STEM Up team decided to create a unique solution. Instead of attempting to provide internet to remote schools, they took the approach of downloading vast amounts of open source educational media and creating a static, offline version of the internet. This allows for a variety of educational media and digital materials to be accessible by any device connected to the open WiFi network, without internet connection. With years of pre downloaded educational media, this system will not only bridge the digital divide but will also teach computer literacy so that communities are prepared to take full advantage of the internet once they are connected. Open source materials include Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Crash Course, and Ted Talks, along with open-source K-12 educational resources. In addition, the hard drive contains the entire Project Gutenberg (one million books), WikiEM, and much more.

This redesign is the essence of STEM Up Phase II. It is essentially a computer cart functioning as a starter kit for a computer lab. The school was designed with a computer lab, but it has sat empty since its completion. The teachers and students in Tintinto Primary and Secondary School have agreed to beta test the concept and provide invaluable feedback. The goal is for teachers to be able to curate and preload materials, media, and interactive games to augment their curriculum, as they introduce computers and digital learning materials to the classroom experience.

According to Statista, “The lack of digital skills concerns a large share of the African population. In 2019, the adoption rate of digital skills stood at only 10 percent in Mozambique and 23 percent in Côte d’Ivoire, meaning that most of the people were not able to use digital devices and applications, nor access the internet.” Rural areas in Africa are lagging behind the development of urban areas due to many factors, with a major one being infrastructure which dramatically affects the level of education that teachers are able to provide their students. In recent years, the development community has started identifying the Global North vs. the Global South based on indicators like access to education and technology.  In The Gambia, a West African country surrounded by Senegal, just 48% of people have moderate, yet sometimes unreliable, access to electricity (typically in urban areas) and the remaining 52% have no access (typically remote rural areas). Solar energy and distributed generation are transforming rural communities. Organizations like Barefoot College and Janta, Mohammed’s social enterprise, seek to mitigate this lag with distributed generation that individuals and communities own. With this research, we hope to take it one step further and add access to a computer lab for rural schools.

Mohammed and Wilkie plan to travel to Tintinto village to train the teachers on the computers and to test the system’s tolerance for the conditions at the school. Risk management is an important piece of the project design, with factors such as dust, heat, moisture, and environmental conditions being considered. Technical limitations like battery life and hours of daylight for recharging after school are all variables that are also being considered in the planning stage.

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest to watch this project unfold.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Clyde Valentín : Conversations about Community and Resilience

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On this episode of The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast, Clyde Valentín tells us how creativity can be used to tell stories and empower people to make their own culture.In this episode of The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast, Clyde Valentín tells us how creativity can be used to tell stories and empower people to make their own culture.

Clyde Valentín was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He is the Co-founder and former Executive Director of Hi-ARTS (formerly known as the Hip-Hop Theater Festival). He is the inaugural Director of Ignite/Arts Dallas: People, Purpose + Place the community engagement initiative at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. The mission of Ignite/Arts Dallas is to challenge the imaginations of students and citizens to envision more just and vibrant communities through art and culture experiences. Clyde was a 2015 Community + Culture Fellow of the National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Program.

Valentín is an advisory committee member of the Latinx Theater Commons and has served as a consultant or panelist for numerous national arts organizations including Creative Capital, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), YouthSpeaks/Brave New Voices, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Theater Communications Group (TCG), the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC), the National Performance Network (NPN) and AlternateROOTS. He most recently joined the Local Advisory Board for Year-Up DFW and the Board of Texans for the Arts, the statewide advocacy organization for public funding in the Arts in Texas.

Clyde says, “Although I had that living memory as a native Brooklynite, I also was able to ride the wave of that creative growth.”

What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?

The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookand Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Alia Salem: Conversations about Community and Resilience

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Alia Salem is the Founder and Executive Director of FACE (Facing Abuse in Community Environments). Her professional background is in organizational development, community organizing, and communications with a particular focus on the intersections of institutionalized racism and the push towards an equitable pluralistic society.In this episode of the Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers podcast, Alia Salem emphasizes the importance of connecting with one’s community and beyond. For Salem, the only way to enact change and fight injustice is by supporting movements that are different from our own. Listen to this podcast to learn how we as a global community can work together to solve issues that can’t be solved in silos.

Alia Salem is the Founder and Executive Director of FACE (Facing Abuse in Community Environments). Her professional background is in organizational development, community organizing, and communications with a particular focus on the intersections of institutionalized racism and the push towards an equitable pluralistic society. She also has a certification in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

Alia is a co-founder of the Palestine Action Committee of Texas and an active board member with both the Dallas Peace and Justice Center and the North Texas Fair Housing Center. She is a proud 2019 Roddenberry Fellow and a Dallas Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project. Alia is the former Executive Director for the DFW Chapter of CAIR and is a 14-year veteran of community work within the broader DFW metroplex. She is a published writer and public speaker, and her work has been featured on most major media outlets globally. She is a graduate of UT Arlington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with her three focuses of study being in Communications, Sociology, and Religion/Culture.

Alia Salem says, “I’ve always had a propensity to [a] serve, but also [b] to do so in a way that kind of fills a void and contributes my skillsets for the broader good, for the greater good.”

What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?

The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

HunTalks: The Gambia Energy Project

Mohammed Njie has a mission to bring clean energy to The Gambia. Since his first day at the Hunt Institute, he has been working to make this vision a reality. Mohammed is a senior at Southern Methodist University double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Lyle School of Engineering. He was the first Student Social Entrepreneur in the history of the Hunt Institute Social Enterprise program. He is recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator. Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia in West Africa. After graduating high school, he constructed his first electric car. His childhood helped solidify his life mission from a young age: helping to close the energy gap between the Global North and South, starting in The Gambia.

The limited energy sector in The Gambia leaves the majority of the country’s population in need of electricity. The demand for energy in the Gambia far exceeds the available supply. For more than three decades, the national utility company NAWEC has struggled to meet the ever-growing demand. Of the 48% of Gambia’s population that has access to electricity, they experience frequent blackouts because the supply is unreliable. The Gambia has one of the highest energy production costs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world ($0.32/KWh). The high costs are mainly due to the importation of expensive diesel that is used as fuel for generators by the national utility company. The rest of the 52% of the population do not have access to a grid that supplies energy, resulting in no access to electricity. This leaves two categories of customers in the Gambian electricity market: (1) Urban Gambians with unreliable access to electricity and expensive tariffs, and (2) Rural Gambians with no access to electricity at all.

Mohammed discusses his motivation, saying, “Energy infrastructure is at the foundation of economic, environmental, and social growth. The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, lacks this essential infrastructure but has the desire and resources to support it. Janta is the solution that will bring clean, reliable energy to the Gambia to facilitate the country’s growth and development. The need for energy in The Gambia is necessary now more than ever given the effects of climate change on agriculture, the country’s most important industry. This makes our venture a necessary and worthy cause.”

In this edition of HunTalks™, Mohammed shares his journey to make this vision a reality as a student employee in the Institute. Click on the video above to hear him share about his colleagues in the Institute and how they have contributed to his success.

Previous posts about Mohammed Njie:

December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”

February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”

July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur” 

November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”

December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”

April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”

April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Hunt Institute Senior Tribute Spring 2021

Hunt Institute Senior Tribute Spring 2021, Cullen Blanchfield, Harshada Pednekar, Liam Lowsley-Williams, Madison Rodriguez, Manuela Murillo Sanchez, Mohammed Njie, Rachel Levitt, Stephanie Rodriguez, Varsha Appaji, Corrie A. Harris
Last team photo prior to the global pandemic, March 2020.

Each year in the month of May, there is the bittersweet turnover that is a result of having a team of student workers. We cheer for students completing their education at Southern Methodist University and at the same time, wipe away a tear watching them leave.

I personally cannot help but reflect on each senior’s time at the Hunt Institute with nostalgia; I remember their training, watching each one grow in their own talents, and celebrating their breakthroughs in projects, processes, and academic challenges. At the same time, though, I am comforted by the introduction of new team members capable and ready to receive the baton and run the race.

As is tradition, we are thrilled to showcase some of our graduating team members through a Senior Tribute video. As we have done with many of our traditions, we have adapted this video to represent both our distance and in-person team members. We invite you to watch the video above to meet some of our graduating team members and hear their takeaways from their time at the Institute.

Impressively, most student workers in the Institute are leaders in student organizations, honors program members, recipients of scholarships with strict academic requirements, and/or volunteers in their community and on campus at SMU. Honestly, sometimes I do not know how they do all this while maintaining such good grades and producing such quality work in the Institute. They are ranked in the best of the best all-around students at SMU in my eyes.

In the almost five years I have run the Institute’s program, it has grown and improved because of the input and perspective of each team member. We are interdisciplinaryHunt Institute Interdisciplinary student workers Corrie A Harris Southern Methodist University in nature. 20% of our students have majors in Dedman, 30% in Lyle, 13% in Meadows, and 9% in Cox, while 28% have majors across multiple schools. In addition, 41% of our student workers have two or more majors. 22% of our students are masters level, while the remaining 78% are undergraduates. This combination creates a unique opportunity for growth in each student in their perspectives and interpersonal skills.

Over the years, we have tested many new ideas; some worked, and some did not. I always remind the over-achievers that failure is part of what innovation is all about. For most of us, that is hard to handle. You beta test things on a small scale and keep looking until you find the right solution to the given challenge. It very rarely is the first thing you try. Our successes are the result of all the failed attempts. Speaking of learning, I learn more from them than they do from me on many occasions. Reverse mentoring is a common practice in the Institute!

One of my favorite things is when seniors tell me they accepted an offer of employment. We jump up and down cheering, telling all the other team members the great news! Everyone joins in the celebration. We laugh, we cheer, we clap, and affirm them that this is the fruit of years of labor. I usually say, “Of course they chose you, you are exactly what they are looking for!” and I mean it. This does not just happen overnight, certainly not just because they got lucky. Each one earned their offer.

I end this note congratulating our seniors for finishing strong while facing many challenges along the way. Seniors, based on the legacy you leave behind in our Institute, you all are truly world changers. We are grateful for each of you and your contribution to the work of the Hunt Institute while you studied at SMU.

Congratulations and welcome to the alumni family! #PonyUp – Corrie A. Harris

JuliaGrace Walker contributed to the graphic.

Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems hereWe invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.

Better Building: Compressed Earth Blocks Report

Better Building: Compressed Earth Blocks Report, Dr. Brett Story, Global Development Lab, Lyle School of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Southern Methodist University, Madison Rodriguez, Jase Sutton, Robert Hillyard, Adriana Mena, Ziyu Sun, Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity

“Our society as a whole needs to leverage the forces of globalization, technological advancement, and climate change – what the UN calls ‘the three mega forces’ – for disruptive solutions to further inclusive sustainable economic development,” said Director of the Hunt Institute Dr. Eva Csaky. “We can reach this goal by harnessing the power of disruptive collaboration.” The CEB research partnership and collaboration between Dr. Brett Story and the Hunt Institute began in 2015 for just this purpose.

Previous phases for this research included Phase I, focusing on the strength testing of CEBs under a variety of conditions including varying moisture levels, cement content, and soil type. This research was followed by Phase II, focusing on determining characteristics for different types of soil found globally as a first step in standardization.

Phase III’s objectives were somewhat altered due to the global pandemic which resulted in breaking the work into two parts. This semester the team developed a report entitled,” Better Building: Compressed Earth Block Report,” which highlights the market opportunity and sustainability of compressed earth blocks in construction. The project manager is JuliaGrace Walker, and the undergraduate researcher is Madison Rodriguez.

The next part of the project will take place during the summer and fall term of 2021. In Phase III, analyses will be performed and data will be compared from the test structures at both the Taos and Dallas campuses. Relationships between soil type and mix design, block strength, and thermal properties will also be investigated. Additionally, this investigation will include models developed by Dr. Story’s lab team which is comprised of Ph.D. students Jase Sitton and Robert Hillyard, as well as undergraduate researchers Adriana Mena and Ziyu Sun. Combined together, both parts of Phase III will inform the vision of a living laboratory at SMU@ Taos.

Dr. Story’s vision is ultimately “…to use the data obtained during this project to make recommendations for full-scale, more permanent structures that can be used by faculty and students at the SMU Taos campus. The information learned during this project will be used to start the design of a “living” laboratory, which would be a laboratory building constructed with CEB and instrumented with a variety of sensors. In this way, the structure is both the laboratory space as well as the test specimen.”

CEBs are an emerging earthen construction technology that contribute to stronger and more resilient earth infrastructure. As interest in sustainable construction technology has increased, more research has been conducted on CEBs as an alternative to traditional masonry.  Comparing CEB to traditional masonry, CEB structures can be more energy efficient throughout their life cycle. When approached accordingly, they can are energy efficient to produce and transport, while conserving resources and reducing waste production. CEBs are better insulated due to their high thermal mass and thermal resistance. Subsequently, their high thermal inertia gives CEBs the advantage of humidity regulation, and evaporation of water in the earthen walls contributes to natural cooling. CEBs represent a cost effective, energy efficient, and sustainable solution that directly contribute to the ninth and eleventh UN Sustainable Development Goals, which address industry, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as sustainable cities and communities.  CEBs indirectly contribute to many other SDGs through their impact on health, household incomes (through cost savings) and quality of life.

Sam Borton contributed to this post.

Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems here. We invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.

2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision

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Illuminate Tintinto Hunt Institute's SMU Giving Day Project #SMUDayOneMohammed Njie envisions a future in which all of Africa has access to reliable, affordable, clean energy in his lifetime. Since his first day at the Hunt Institute, he has been working to make this vision a reality, starting with his home country of The Gambia. Mohammed developed a plan with the help of the Hunt Institute team. During that process, Mohammed founded Janta Energy, a social enterprise, with the goal of bringing clean, reliable energy to The Gambia. Like all great ideas, he needed a pilot project to test his hypothesis that rural schools could be fully functional with solar panels because the majority of their meeting time is during daylight hours. The pilot has the panels connected to batteries for evening classroom access. The long-term goal is to include fuel cells when the technology advances enough to offer an affordable option.

After securing permission from the Minister of Energy for The Gambia and local leadership in Tintinto, the team installed the technology needed to illuminate 50% of Tintinto Primary and Secondary School. During Janta’s pilot project, the team was able to pull data from the school’s energy use and excess, evaluating capacity in planning what should be installed to complete the project. After a year of use, based on the findings, the technology has proven that it will be a viable solution going forward.

In the spring semester of 2021, the student employees’ goal was to raise the remaining money needed to finish the pilot; they called it the “Illuminating Tintinto” project and submitted it to the SMU Giving Day roster. Through their hard work, they spread the word to generous donors who donated to complete the project. Now 100% of the Tintinto Primary and Secondary School will be powered by solar panels. Access to electricity will make available an entirely new learning environment, providing tools for teachers to use to enhance the learning experience of students in Tintinto.

In response to the generous donations made to support his pilot project, Mohammed said, “This is amazing. We are one step closer to making the dreams and hopes of the students in Tintinto village a reality. Progress and sustainability are possible through education, and energy access makes education a limitless experience for students. I am very excited about the future of Tintinto village, its students, and its people.”

With the knowledge and experience gained through this process, Mohammed intends on scaling Janta. By replicating the same technology, he plans to continue using local resources and labor to outfit other schools, eventually expanding the idea for use in rural hospitals in his pursuit to bring clean energy to all of The Gambia.

We, the team at the Hunt Institute, would like to thank all the supporters supporting the group of student employees determined to help Illuminate Tintinto. We are excited to see the progress that Mohammed Njie is making and are proud of the student employees that embody our university motto, “World Changers Shaped Here.”

Many of our supporters have long been by our side, some are new friends, and still, others are our very own SMU Alumni that worked in the Institute and returned to once again aid in our impact. Thank you!

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

How Civic Journalism Can Restore Trust and Create a More Inclusive Economy ImpactNights

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A Collective Action Program for ImpactNights

The program for this month’s ImpactNights was facilitated by Anna Clark, Hunt Institute Fellow, and co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium on February the 11, 2021. Anna opened the event with an introduction that set the stage for a timely discussion on civic journalism and its role in rebuilding trust.

“The year 2020 was defined by a confluence of unprecedented challenges made worse by a fractured media landscape that sows divisiveness and undermines trust,” said Clark. “A new year is an opportune moment to consider how we can use the power of the media for good in our own community.”

The panelists included four of DFW’s most committed media advocates for inclusion, each of whom edits an important outlet in our local media ecosystem:

  • Tom Huang, assistant managing editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he leads The News’ community-funded journalism initiative;
  • Keri Mitchell, executive director at Dallas Free Press, a non-profit she launched in early 2020 with the belief that all neighborhoods deserve reporting and storytelling that values their community and holds leaders accountable;
  • Stephanie Drenka, editor of Visible Magazine, Public Voices Fellow at The OpEd Project and communications director for Dallas Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation; and
  • Bernice Butler, publisher of Natural Awakenings Magazine, DFW’s premier green, healthy, and sustainable living publication, and executive producer of Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio.

In their discussion, panelists shared various ways in which we can leverage the media to address systemic problems while also giving more power to the people through civic journalism. A Q&A led by Hunt Institute Senior Fellow Chris Kelly followed the panel.

Dr. Eva Csaky, executive director of the Hunt Institute and co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium asked Stephanie Drenka how she sources the voices she features in her online magazine.  “A lot of it has been word of mouth,” said Stephanie.  “People who have not been given a traditional platform don’t always realize the influence they already have. So, when they share the post, it circulates more widely than they might have thought — and those readers see there is a space for their story, too.”

Stephanie added that she partners with organizations working in similar areas, underscoring the theme of media collaboration.

“The need to collaborate is more around the city’s most complex civic issues — the ones we have been talking about for 20, 30 years and haven’t seen the needle move much,” said Keri. “The Solutions Journalism Network describes it as 10 or 20 flashlights instead of one. A group of journalists focused in one direction and working in tandem can do exponentially more than one publication.”

After the event, Dr. Candice Bledsoe said that her favorite moment was when Keri Mitchell called social media an “equalizer” because organizations can leverage it for “more equitable exposure and influence.” Attendee Richard Dushl said it was “a wonderful panel about civic journalism and the coverage of local  ‘on the ground’ issues. Very motivating.”

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ImpactNights™ is the physical manifestation of the Inclusive Economy Consortium where we connect, share, and act. This event is about like-minded people coming together to share experiences and knowledge from the local, national, and international community within the Consortium to share their best practices and expertise. Monthly discussions are around pressing social issues facing our society. All of this is designed to get collective action for a more inclusive economy. Follow us on Eventbrite to be the first to know when event details are published so you can register to join the conversation.

This event is generously sponsored by Target Corporation and hosted by the Inclusive Economy Consortium, an initiative of Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity located in Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.

Join us next time to be a part of the conversation to CONNECT – SHARE – ACT!

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedInFacebookTwitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.