Four projects shared $32,500 in prize money at the first Climate Change and Health Solutions Challenge on Feb. 26 at the BioVentures Center at IOWA Research Park.

The top three teams received $10,000 each — Project Refill, Earthmind, and Team Bike Commuting. UI Rooftop Solar Panels received $2,500.

• Project Refill (founders are Emma Jean Roling, Lucas Johnson, Xavier Uhrmacher, Ishan Dhanani, Kailey Elliott, Joey Valley, and Leslie Flynn) is a vending system for dispensing and refilling reuseable containers with consumer products such as shampoo and soap.
• Earthmind (Fred Meyer, Jen Kardos, and Trisha Welter) is a student mental wellness program to relieve stress and climate anxiety using outdoor activities and programming in natural settings.
• Team Bike Commuting (Jenna McCoy, Angie Smith, and Rion Wendland) is a program to expand safe bicycle commuting to the University of Iowa campus.
• UI Rooftop Solar Panels (Hannah Cargo) encourages the adoption of and education around solar installations on University of Iowa residential-style buildings such as cultural centers. The teams will now move to the implementation phase of their solution.

This Climate Change and Health Challenge is supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, a generous gift from Don Diebel, MD, PhD, and Cindy Diebel, made through the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, as well as funding from the University of Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research.  

Peter Thorne, UI Distinguished Chair and professor of occupational and environmental health in the College of Public Health, is the principal investigator of the Climate Change and Human Health seed grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

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The following lists the winning team members’ college or organization:

Project Refill
Ishan Dhanani, Undergraduate, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Kailey Elliott, Undergraduate, College of Engineering
Leslie Flynn, Clinical Associate Professor, Tippie College of Business
Lucas Johnson, Undergraduate, Tippie College of Business
Emma Jean Roling, Undergraduate, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Xavier Uhrmacher, Undergraduate, College of Engineering
Joey Valley, Undergraduate, College of Engineering

Earthmind
Jen Kardos, Wellness Director, Backyard Abundance
Fred Meyer, Adjunct Instructor, Recreational Services; and Director, Backyard Abundance
Trisha Welter, Associate Director, Student Wellness

Team Bike Commuting
Jenna McCoy, Carver College of Medicine
Angie Smith, Clinical Psychologist, University of Iowa Health Care
Rion Wendland, Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering

UI Rooftop Solar Panels
Hannah Cargo, Undergraduate, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences