Sustainable Obtainable Symposium
The Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association (MAREA) has announced the student authors selected to present their research at the 1st Annual Sustainable Obtainable Symposium to be held on September 16th in Kempton, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Festival the organization hosts each September.
Winning papers
(alphabetical)
Nutrient Removal by Various Microalgal
Species from Different Municipal Wastewater
Treatment Plants
Sarah Bauer, Rowan University
Vacant Land: A Potential Environmental
Resource Hidden in Plain Sight
Megan Heckert, Temple University
Sustainable Olympics: Environmentally
Progressive Technology Usage in One of
the World's Largest Sporting Events
Erica Pincus, Georgetown University
Honorable Mention
Enzyme Enhanced Microbial Fuel Cells
Tracie Ervin, University of Delaware
Bauer, a Junior in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan with Minors in Mathematics and Honor Studies, became interested in using wastewater as an algal growth medium after an Engineering Clinic class in the Spring of 2011 focused on conducting experiments growing algae under different nutrient conditions in hopes to produce viable lipids to make biofuel.
Heckert, who is working toward a Doctorate in Urban Studies at Temple, has been interested in green approaches to urban revitalization since she spent time as a US Peace Corps volunteer looking at the intersection of the environment, economy and quality of life in poor communities.
Pincus, a Junior in Science, Technology, and International Affairs in Georgetown's School of Foreign Service whose interest in the Olympics took her to Beijing in 2008, believes that the event's unique global platform can be used to increase the interest in and implementation of innovative sustainable technologies.
Ervin, a Senior in Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware, with a concentration in Water Resources and Water Quality, has been studying microbial fuel cell technology as part of her Senior Thesis project. The technology turns organic matter into fuel using the catalytic reactions of bacteria and other microorganisms found in many sources including wasterwater.
The organizers of the Sustainable Obtainable Symposium had students like these in mind when they initiated the Call for Papers. "We thought that one great place to look for fresh out-of-the-box ideas was from the bold and creative minds at our colleges and universities," explains Dr. Vera Cole, MAREA's Vice-President and one of the Symposium's founders.
The students will deliver their papers on September 16th at 10 a.m. at the Kempton Community Center in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The Symposium will continue at 11 a.m. with "21st Century Automotive Challenge", a talk by Joel Anstrom,
Director of the Hybrid and Hydrogen Vehicle Research Laboratory at Penn State University, who will explain the "Challenge," a PSU-hosted program to research, build, test and evaluate vehicles for meeting the needs of the modern sustainable lifestyle. Kerri Gardi, Director of Career Development at Kutztown University, will close the program with a talk on career planning at 1 p.m.
each year and we would like to offer you the opportunity to display your invention or idea and present it to the public.
fuels improving our other options. We will again have an entire section of the festival dedicated to alternative transportation, showcasing some of the most efficient vehicles on the market and coming soon, like the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and electric version of the Smart Car. We will also have presentations about how to convert your current car to electric power, your diesel to vegetable oil fuel and the coming hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. We present practical means to improve your car's current gas mileage and how you can even go car-free. The alternative transportation area will present many options to reduce your environmental footprint through your transportation choices. 
Start your Saturday and Sunday of the festival with yoga at 9:15 at the tennis courts. Mats will be available. All levels welcome. Taught by a local certified teacher.
raffle item.
The Learning Zone will be filled with lots of activities for all ages. Clayote will be joining the festival again this year with clay to mold into your own creation or for a small fee you can learn how throw clay on a wheel and make your own creation. 
