Seed Grants

The Steinbrenner Institute provides initial support for environmental projects on campus.

2008 Seed Award Winners:

• Mark Fuge (undergraduate student), Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering—Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash Team (overview, presentation)
• Melissa Cicozi, College of Fine Arts, School of Design—C0₂ Reduction Posters: How one person can make a difference in global warming
• Robert Cavalier, College of Humanities and Social Science, Department of Philosophy—A Deliberative Poll on Climate Change
• John Soluri, College of Humanities and Social Science, Department of History—A Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of U.S. Market Structures and Preferences on the Ecology of Salmon Farming in Southern Chile
• Deanna Matthews, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering—The Green Design Apprenticeship
• Vanessa Schweizer (graduate student), Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Engineering and Public Policy—Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America (report, presentation)
• Scott Matthews, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering—Enabling International Expansion and Education of EIO-LCA
• Mike Griffin, Tepper School of Business and Carnegie Institute of Technology, Engineering and Public Policy—Biofuel Crop Production on Abandoned Mine Land: A Scoping Analysis (summary, presentation)

2007 Seed Award Winners:

• Green Design Apprenticeship—The Apprenticeship Program brings a cohort of 15 high school students from Allegheny County to experience the work of engineers, with a focus on environmental issues. Over five days, students participate in hands-on activities and work with researchers  in the Green Design Institute to investigate how environmental impacts pervade engineering work.
• Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash—Fifteen team members will use Steinbrenner funds in the construction of their solar/electric boat for entry into Solar Splash competition of the World Championship of Intercollegiate Boating. In their inaugural 2006 year, Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash earned the distinction of “Notable Performance by a Rookie Team.”
• Corporations and Environmental Responsibility: An Immersion Course—Envisioned by Peter Madsen, following his weekend immersion course in environmental justice, this course will bring local and national experts to explore the impact of corporations on the environment.
• Solar Decathlon—The Solar Decathlon Team will purchase and install a High Efficiency Photovoltaic System for the 2007 Solar Decathlon house that is estimated to increase overall system efficiency from 11% to 18%.
• Rain Water Garden—Students will purchase native perennials to plant on the west side of the Solar Decathlon House on campus to implement a pilot rain garden, which they designed in Fine Arts Professor Bob Bingham’s Ecoart class.