UIUC students Margot O'Malley, Tom George, and Jasper Nord presented a project using coffee grounds to grow nutritious oyster mushrooms. They analyzed environmental challenges related to sending coffee grounds to landfills in terms of emitting greenhouse gases and contaminating groundwater and soil.
This team recognized the interrelated problems of food insecurity and human health, and the students piloted the solution and presented plans to expand the scope of their initiative.
Their presentation won the $2,000 grand prize.