Urbana, Illinois – The Center for Global Studies (CGS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proudly celebrated the achievements of students from around the world during the 5th annual Reimagine Our Future sustainability competition held on December 6, 2025. CGS has supported the competition since its inception, advancing its mission to foster global perspectives on sustainability, climate resilience, and interdisciplinary innovation.
This year, 313 students from 12 institutions across 9 countries participated, submitting original ideas that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Thirteen finalist teams presented their projects at an online awards ceremony attended by more than 70 participants.
A highlight of the event was the Climate Change Award, presented by Professor Donna Tonini on behalf of CGS. The winning project, Heat to Harmony, created by UIUC students Ayush Thaker, Vidipta Roy, Saarthak Jain, and Marcus Lam, proposes living, self-healing “cool tiles” that combat urban overheating and reduce carbon-intensive infrastructure waste. Using microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP), the tiles reflect heat, repair cracks autonomously, neutralize acidic runoff, and can be manufactured using low-energy processes. The concept offers a regenerative building material that supports cleaner waterways, cooler neighborhoods, and long-term climate resilience.
Students from UIUC and the University of Birmingham made a particularly strong showing across categories, reflecting growing international collaboration between the institutions, including shared efforts through the BRIDGE partnership.
Professor Warren Lavey, competition co-founder, emphasized the importance of global cooperation in addressing climate challenges and reaffirmed the vision of the late Professor Robert McKim, whose words continue to guide the competition’s mission: “We have all contributed to causing the problems and we therefore all have an obligation to contribute to finding and pursuing solutions.”
Professor Leon Liebenberg, co-founder and coordinator of the competition, faculty member in UIUC’s Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering, and member of the CGS Advisory Committee, emphasized the importance of giving students a platform to think systemically, innovate boldly, and envision how their solutions could take root in real-world communities.
Further information, including winning fact sheets, appears on the competition website.
