A team of Cornell students won third place in the Green Challenge, an annual competition held at Technical University of Denmark (DTU) that encourages future engineers to prioritize sustainability in their work.

The team is made up of College of Engineering students Miranda "PJ" Brunette ’26 (Materials Science and Engineering), Moho Goswami ’26 (Chemical Engineering), and Gavin McCarthy ’26 (Chemical Engineering), who are also members of the Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) student project team at Cornell. 

Their project, "Ammonium phosphate biochar: A promising alternative to traditional fertilizers," was one of 16 projects presented on the DTU campus in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June.

An Alternative to Traditional Fertilizers

Agricultural land introduces excess nutrients to the surrounding environment, often due to conventional fertilizers that impact the health of waterways. The Cornell team didn't need to look far to see this dynamic play out. 

"In Cornell's Alma Mater, our campus is defined by its location 'high above Cayuga's waters.' Like other lakes worldwide, Cayuga Lake is surrounded by agricultural land that introduces excess nutrients and often plagues the lake with harmful algal blooms (HABs). 

These HABs ravage ecosystems and debilitate communities that rely on these bodies of water for food, sanitation, and drinking water. The development of a practical substitute for conventional fertilizers will safeguard both the health of waterways and the communities that depend on them."

In the Cornell team's abstract, poster, and presentation to a panel of judges, they outline a potential solution: slow-release fertilizers like ammonium phosphate biochar that can nourish plants while retaining nutrients.

Although their inspiration was local, their work could have an impact on bodies of water all around the world that are facing similar problems. 

Their next steps include further research editing and testing samples to compare traditional fertilizers to slow-release fertilizers like ammonium phosphate biochar.

Three Days in Copenhagen 

The students' time in Denmark included two additional days for exploring Copenhagen and the DTU campus in Lyngby, and to meet and network with over 50 other students from around the world. 

Participating in the DTU green challenge allowed me to go places I wouldn’t have gotten to go and meet people I wouldn’t have gotten to meet otherwise. From talking about our lives and schools to learning about each other’s projects, getting the opportunity to collaborate with students from so many different backgrounds has inspired me in so many ways. Though we all came from such varied backgrounds, we had so much in common, not the least of which is our passion for environmental innovation!

-Miranda "PJ" Brunette ’26

The group was accompanied by Lauren Stulgis, Swanson Director of Student Project Teams in Cornell Engineering. Stulgis met with campus staff at DTU and served as a judge during the Green Challenge competition. 

"Visiting DTU for the Green Challenge provided an incredible opportunity for connection with global colleagues. During the Green Challenge, I was not only able to support and witness PJ, Moho, and Gavin’s experience directly, but I was also invited to serve as a judge, giving me the chance to connect with DTU faculty and students, as well as industry professionals, while learning about some incredible master’s level projects. I am excited to build on this experience and explore more opportunities in partnership with DTU moving forward.”

-Lauren Stulgis