Idaho Undergraduates Win Design Contest Awards

A team of eight University of Idaho undergraduates, sponsored by the UI Center for Hazardous Waste Remediation Research, earned first and third-place awards at the International Environmental Design Contest. The contest was held April 17-21 at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M. The event drew teams from 25 colleges in the United States and Mexico.

The competition required students to design solutions for two environmental problems - devising an improved method of removing radioactive waste from underground storage tanks, and purifying a large volume of hazardous pond sludge contaminated by toxic compounds. Prior to the competition, the students had to write a design proposal, test their proposal and prepare a comprehensive report.

The UI team took first place for its poster presentation and third place for its plan to remediate hazardous pond sludge by using an inexpensive waste product from fish bones to treat the heavy metals and salts.

UI team members include: Brent Bailey, Cathleen McHugh, Paul Holick, Deborah Rice, Heather Johnson, Jennifer Meehan, Howard Simon and John Wells.

Faculty advisers for the team are Wudneh Admassu, Tom Hess and Ron Crawford. This is the second year UI has been represented at the international competition.

Washington State University’s College of Engineering and Architecture announced the appointment of David Hutton, mechanical engineering professor, as the first Boeing Professor of Manufacturing. He came to WSU in 1981 and will serve a three-year term.

VNA Home Health Care Services, also known as the Spokane Visiting Nurse Association, presented the following awards at a recognition breakfast:

Elizabeth Welty received the Lifetime Support of VNA Award. She is a retired physician and has been on the board of directors for six years.

Franklin Browne, an internist with Physicians Clinic of Spokane, was selected for the VNA Physician Partner Award. He has served as VNA’s Medical Consultant for 10 years.

Dee Jamison, certified diabetes educator at Sacred Heart Medical Center, received the VNA Supporter of the Year award. Jamison is instrumental in evaluating the needs of hospital patients with diabetes for home care follow-up.

xxxx