CANR students tapped for Clinton Global Initiative University meeting

Three CANR students are among 10 Spartans planning to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University annual meeting in California next month based on their ambitious plans to address areas such as education, poverty and the environment.

Kirsten West

Three CANR students are among 10 Spartans planning to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University annual meeting in California next month based on their ambitious plans to address areas such as education, poverty and the environment.

Former President Bill Clinton launched the CGI U to engage a growing network of young leaders who are developing innovative solutions to pressing world challenges. Students are selected to attend the annual meeting based on their Commitment to Action: a new, specific and measurable plan that addresses an issue on their campus, in their local community or around the world.“The projects from this diverse and impressive group of Michigan State University undergraduate students demonstrates that entrepreneurial thinking applies to social ventures and can be harnessed to bring significant change to the world,” said Neil Kane, MSU’s director of undergraduate entrepreneurship.

The CGI U Network is a consortium of colleges and universities that support, mentor and provide seed funding to leading student innovators and entrepreneurs. MSU joined the network in 2015 through the sponsorship of the Office of the Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship.

Students attending this year’s meeting – April 1-3 at the University of California, Berkeley – are receiving financial and technical support from MSU to attend in addition to receiving seed funding to begin their projects.

Funding has been provided by many MSU entities including the Office of the Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship, Spartan Innovations and the Honors College as well as each college and department represented by the students.

The CGI U CANR students (bold), their counterparts and commitments include:

Garden Buddies: Eamon Devlin, Haley Fulco, Bethany Kogut

Devlin is a junior in the Honors College studying environmental studies and sustainability, Fulco is a freshman in the Honors College studying zoology and Kogut is a sophomore in the Honors College studying elementary education. All three are members of RISE. Their Garden Buddies Commitment to Action is applying traditional horticultural knowledge in an innovative way to support families who want to grow nutritious food. By providing needy families with hands-on training and support, students will help them extend the growing season and produce high-quality nutritious food with minimal inputs. They will partner residents in the Lansing community who are battling hunger with students who are excited to share their expertise in cultivating food through an extended growing season.

Meals for Mealworms: Mathew Huber, Lindsay Mensch, Kirsten West

Huber is a freshman environmental science major, Mensch is a freshman in the Honors College studying English and West is a freshman with plans to study the environmental sciences. All three are active in RISE. Their Meals for Mealworms Commitment to Action is to research the ability of mealworms to decompose polystyrene (Styrofoam) waste and to educate students at MSU about the harmful effects of polystyrene. Mealworms can digest polystyrene and break it down into nontoxic organic matter. This discovery could be the solution to diverting toxic waste.

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