Local students invent solar vaccine storage system for Sub-Saharan locales, becoming national competition finalists

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – A team of four SUNY Orange engineering sciences students is among a dozen teams announced as finalists Wednesday (April 27) for the 2022 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) organized by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The CCIC is a national competition where community college student teams use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems.

The SUNY Orange team consists of Jakob Baumgartner (West Point, N.Y.), Enrique Cardoso-Najera (New Windsor, N.Y.), Selina Dziewic (Goshen, N.Y.) and Tyler Miller (Central Valley, N.Y.). They have been mentored by John Wolbeck, chair of the College’s Science, Engineering and Architecture Department. The students have designed a solar-powered absorption refrigeration (SPAR) system and will attend the Innovation Challenge Boot Camp June 13-16 at the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, Va., where they will present their project proposal.

To facilitate safe storage of medicines in remote sub-Saharan areas where electrical instabilities are common, the SUNY Orange team conceptualized a SPAR system capable of storing vaccines and medicines at a safe temperature. By harnessing the power of the sun, an abundant renewable resource, the goal of the project is to improve the quality of life for millions of individuals.

The Boot Camp will give the team the opportunity to be coached in building communication and entrepreneurial skills relevant to supporting innovation in both the private and public sectors. Sessions will include information applicable to commercializing ideas, using technology for social applications, communicating with stakeholders, refining a pitch, and more.

According to Wolbeck, the refrigeration unit will be well-insulated with compressed Styrofoam but should also be kept in a shaded area or placed in a hole dug in the ground to protect it from heat exposure. “Africa, for example, receives approximately six hours of peak sunlight per day, making it an ideal location for solar power. Using two 300-watt solar panels and a small battery, the refrigeration unit should receive adequate power to continuously run--especially since there is no freezing requirement--and allow the unit to stay cold overnight.”

SUNY Orange’s engineering science program is among seven degrees included in the College’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) academic community. The other STEM degrees include: architectural technology, computer networking, computer science, cyber security, liberal arts: mathematics and natural science (with registered tracks in chemistry and mathematics), and web development (new for Fall 2022).

For more information, contact the SUNY Orange Admissions Office by phone at (845) 341-4030, via email at apply@sunyorange.edu or visit www.sunyorange.edu/getstarted.

To learn more about the CCIC, visit www.aaccinnovationchallenge.com.

www.sunyorange.edu

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A team of four SUNY Orange engineering sciences students is among a dozen teams announced as national finalists for the 2022 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). The CCIC is a national competition where community college student teams use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to innovate solutions to real-world problems. The students designed a solar-powered absorption refrigeration (SPAR) system and will present their project proposal at the Innovation Challenge Boot Camp June 13-16 in Arlington in Arlington, Va.

Mike Albright

Executive Director for Communications

SUNY Orange

115 South Street

Middletown, NY 10940

(845) 341-4728