LPDP-Jadwal-Seleksi-Beasiswa-2015 (1).pdf

2009-2011Alumni

2009-2012Alumni

2009-2012

Federal Minister of Educationand Research Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan,patron of the Green Talents Forum

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GreetingHow do we protect the basis of life for future generations? How do we ensure a fair distribution of goods and resources? Germany is well aware of its responsibility to find answers to the pressing questions of our time. The Federal Government in-tensively supports sustainable development and green growth in order to successfully meet global challenges such as climate change, energy shortage, and environmental pollution. In doing so, our country depends on international cooperation.

This is why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) annually invites excellent young scientists from all over the world to apply to the “Green Talents – International Fo-rum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development”. They are given the opportunity to establish networks with distinguished German institutions in the field of sustainability research. In the year following the Forum, they can gather further experi-ence and strengthen existing contacts during a research stay in Germany lasting up to three months.

I am glad about the great response: since the start of the Green Talents competition in 2009, we have noticed a con-

stant increase in applications and participating countries. It is significantly important to strengthen research networks – par-ticularly between industrialised countries and emerging mar-kets and developing countries. They lay the foundations for long-standing cooperations between excellent young scientists and renowned German institutions and researchers.

I would like to thank all those making their contribution year after year to the success of the Green Talents competition for their commitment. And I wish all researchers in the field of sustainability an inspiring exchange of ideas and many new contacts.

Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan, MdBFederal Minister of Education and Research

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© 2010, FONA - Research for Sustainability.

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ForewordWhat makes a Green Talent?

Over the past two decades the idea of sustainability has moved from the minds of a few scientists to the centre of the political and public discussion. But what is required to transform the idea into a practical concept? Who could provide the crucial innovative-ness and creativity?

As no single discipline and no single country can offer the ultimate solution, it needs the cooperation of bright minds from around the globe representing the whole scientific spectrum of sustainability. To indentify and connect such high-potentials, the BMBF created the Green Talents Competition. The initiative supports these young scientists and links them to the German research landscape - one of the most renowned in the field of sustainability research.

These networks were even strengthened during the first Green Talents-Alumni meeting 2012 in the context of the BMBF science year “Project EARTH: Our future”. By now, many promising col-laborations with German facilities were established and some of the young scientists were offered positions in industry and academia.

In spite of their different cultural academic backgrounds they share a common goal: to care and to act for the world of tomorrow. This dedication as well as their scientific excellence makes them GREEN TALENTS.

If you are interested in becoming a part of a network of exceptional scientists and renowned institutions and to act as an ambassador for the idea of sustainable development, you are invited to apply for this prestigious competition.

www.greentalents.de

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Alumni2009

Juliana ARISTÉIA DE LIMA (34, Brazil)PhD in ChemistryResearch focus: Sustainable management in the chemical industry

The world’s love affair with plastics is starting to show its ugly side: Each year an estimated 10 million tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into our rivers and oceans, killing millions of land and marine animals and blanketing vast spans of ocean in in-creasingly toxic debris. Juliana Aristéia de Lima from Brazil is applying her expertise in polymers to mitigate this mounting trend by enhancing the degradability of polymer nanocomposites.

“Polymers are everywhere we look – from toys and automobile interiors to clothing and packaging,” explains Aristéia de Lima, who holds a PhD in Chemistry and is now conducting postdoctoral research at the Federal University of ABC in Brazil’s south-eastern state of São Paulo. “That is why it is absolutely essential that we find a way for them to degrade the way natural materials do, such as paper or food.”

Aristéia de Lima’s search for sustainable solutions to the world’s plastic problem not only caught the attention of the Green Talents’ jury back in 2009 but also took her to the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, in 2010, where she explored the use of microemulsion to create biodegradable polymer blends known as biopolymers.

“The contacts I made with scholars and industry experts in Germany enriched my research in sustainable management practices,” Aristéia de Lima says. “That’s why I’d like to return to Germany for a year of postdoctoral research.” Graduated: 2008, Universidade Estadual

de Campinas, BrazilResearch stay in Germany: 09/2010 – 12/2010 at: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz

Green Talents • Alumni 2009

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Applications total

156Application countries

43Winners

15Akintunde BABATUNDE (33, Nigeria)PhD in Civil Engineering Research focus: Sustainable Water Engineering

Designed to mimic the natural filtration processes in natural wetlands, engineered wetland systems are used to remove contaminants from all kinds of wastewater – from municipal and agricultural wastewater to airport run-off and landfill leachate. One of the innovators in the field just happens to be 2009 Green Talents winner Akintunde Babatunde.

What began as a series of experimental investigations as part of Babatunde’s PhD work is now a recognised system for decentralised wastewater treatment. His tech-nology, a novel tidal vertical-flow constructed wetland system that cleans water using the widely available industrial by-product alum sludge, not only enhances the per-formance of engineered wetlands but does it in a way that is sustainable and cost-effective.

Babatunde’s innovative system is now on demonstration in Ireland and has been the focus of numerous collaborations and publications. “It reduces energy consumption and emissions, reuses valuable products from waste, decreases material inputs and is inexpensive and clean,” he explains. “This makes it a promising technology for waste-water treatment and pollution control for developed and developing countries alike.”

Currently a lecturer in Civil Engineering at the Cardiff University School of Engineer- ing, Babatunde impressed the Green Talents jury with his wide range of scientific activities and interests. His most recent honours include the prestigious IRCSET Marie Curie Fellowship and in 2012, he was selected for Welsh Crucible.

Graduated: 2007, UniversityCollege Dublin, Ireland

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Saumita BANERJEE (27, India)PhD in Biotechnology Research focus: Biotechnology for the use of biomass as a renewable energy source

In the search for renewable energies, many are turning to biofuels, seeing in them not only an answer to the world’s rising energy needs and troubling fossil fuel dependen-cy, but as a way to curb global warming. One of the more promising raw materials for biofuel is lignocellulosic biomass. This multi-syllabic mouthful, which refers to plant matter such as agricultural residues, wood residues and energy crops, is the current research focus of biotechnologist and 2009 Green Talents winner Saumita Banerjee.

Banerjee, who has just finished extensive PhD research on the production of bioetha-nol from lignocellulosic biomass at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur in central India, says she gained important insights into the future trends in her field during her research stay at RWTH Aachen University.

“I was able to apply what I learned in Germany about the newest technologies in environmental engineering to my own research,” Banerjee says. “What’s exciting about producing bioethanol from lignocellulosic resources is that the feedstock comes in a variety of forms – from switch grasses and weeds to municipal paper waste and sawmill discards – and is readily available at low cost.” For Banerjee, biomass is not only an answer to the world’s energy problem but a viable solution for waste disposal.

The Green Talents jury recognized Banerjee for her clear commitment to renewable energies and the potential shown as an up-and-coming scientist in her field.

Graduated: 2012, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, IndiaResearch stay in Germany: 08/2010 – 09/2010 at: Aachener Verfahrens Technik at RWTH Aachen University

Antonio Carlos CAETANO DE SOUZA (32, Brazil)Master in Mechanical EngineeringResearch focus: Fuel cells and the use of biomass as a renewable energy source

The production of biodiesel generates the by-product glycerol in huge quantities – so much of it, in fact, that its re-use and/or disposal is a major issue for the bio-fuels industry. 2009 Green Talents winner and Mechanical Engineering professor Antonio Carlos Caetano de Souza is researching ways to re-use this glycerol to generate an even cleaner-burning fuel: hydrogen, the power source for fuel cells.

“For my home country Brazil, being able to re-use the glycerol in this way would great-ly increase the viability and sustainability of the bio-fuel industry, already a major economic driver in Brazil,” says de Souza. “Currently we are determining how much potential there is for generating fuels such as hydrogen, biogas and other bio-fuels.”

Caetano de Souza and his students at the Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados have also launched a detailed study of the use of unconventional sources for biodiesel and glycerol production. Those sources include bio-oils from nuts and fruits commonly found on the Brazilian savannah, along with residues from the livestock industry such as swine, poultry and cattle greases.

In addition to his energy research, the jury was impressed with de Souza’s work teaching geography to disadvantaged young people and introducing them to issues of international resource conflict and sustainability.

Graduated: 2005, São Paulo State University at Guaratinguetá (UNESP), Brazil

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Nuwong CHOLLACOOP (35, Thailand)PhD in Material Science and EngineeringResearch focus: Biofuels, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Transportation

After earning his PhD in Material Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Insti-tute of Technology (USA), 2009 Green Talents winner Nuwong Chollacoop turned his attention to a major challenge facing his native Thailand: sustainable energy to fuel the transportation boom.

“I chose road transportation as my focus because approximately one-third of Thailand‘s energy consumption is in the transportation sector,” explains Chollacoop, “and since diesel consumption in Thailand is approximately twice as high as that of regular gasoline, I made biodiesel and other renewable fuel research my priority.”

Today, Chollacoop heads the Bioenergy Laboratory at the National Metal and Mate-rials Technology Center of Thailand’s Ministry of Science and Technology, where his research includes environmentally friendly biodiesel processing, biodiesel test kits, and engine testing, as well as various aspects on diesohol, ethanol for diesel engines, and synthetic diesel.

In 2009, Chollacoop had already impressed the Green Talents jury with his partici-pation in numerous top-class research projects in the Asia Pacific region. Since then he has been recognized for his contributions to biofuel benchmarking and the har-monisation of EAS (East Asia Summit) biodiesel standards. His bioenergy laboratory was chosen to represent Thailand in the 7th Framework Project (EU-FP7) BIOREMA and, more recently, he was involved in the aviation biofuel initiative that helped Thai Airways become the first airline in Thailand and South-East Asia to operate a flight using bio jet fuels. Currently he is involved in a long-term bilateral bio-oil collaboration between Japan and Thailand.

Graduated: 2004, MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT), USA Research Stay in Germany: 06/2010 – 08/2010 at: RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Combustion Engines (VKA)

Caetano DOREA (34, Brazil)PhD in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Water and Environmental Engineering

In 2009, Caetano Dorea impressed the Green Talents jury with his remarkable ded-ication to numerous water and sanitation projects in developing countries. Dorea, a native of Brazil, is passionate about applying his engineering know-how in parts of the world where water quality issues remain such a fundamental impediment to progress.

Dorea is also a dedicated teacher. Currently, as an Assistant Professor at the Uni-versité Laval in Québec, he is working to expand the international research and teaching activities of the university’s Water Engineering programme. “I really value my experience working with young scientists in Canada, the UK and other countries,” says Dorea. “They are determined to make a difference and are intellectually curious, so it’s a great way to combine development issues with innovative technologies.” His research group is developing and evaluating novel technologies for water and sanitation applications in developing countries in addition to conventional water and wastewater treatment.

One of these innovations is a sustainable urban drainage system, which seeks to overcome the many problems associated with conventional drainage by moderating flow and improving the quantity and quality of run-off from urban and suburban developments. His team is also looking at novel applications for microbial fuel cells – bioelectrochemical devices that are capable of harvesting power directly from the environment. “There are so many exciting ways to use the power of nature to our advantage,” says Dorea.

Graduated: 2005, University of Surrey, UK

© 2010, FONA - Research for Sustainability

Natalia Konstantinovna FISHER (30, Russia)PhD in Ecology Research focus: Subsurface groundwater treatment. Surface water and groundwater quality.

Subsurface groundwater treatment is a money-saving, risk-reducing way to groundwa-ter treatment for drinking purposes without having to pump the water above ground for treatment. One of the components of such method is called biotransformation, which takes advantage of bacteria’s natural ability to transform certain contaminants into harmless substances.

2009 Green Talents winner Natalia Fisher currently works as a staff scientist for the environmental biotechnology lab at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Wa-ter and Ecological Problems in Khabarovsk in eastern Russia. Khabarovsk has very real water supply concerns, since the current source of potable water is the highly polluted Amur River. Groundwater from the Tungus water deposit offers an alternative source, but this water contains high concentrations of iron and manganese. Fisher is investigating ways to apply in-situ biotransformation to remove manganese from the water inside the aquifer.

“We can create aerobic conditions around each well to stimulate the activity of bacte-ria which oxidize the manganese, but unfavourable conditions in the Tungus ground-water mean that these bacteria grow very slowly,” explains Fisher. “I am currently developing biotechnology – using indigenous bacteria – that should greatly reduce the time required for the oxidation of manganese inside the aquifer.”

The Green Talents jury was most impressed with Fisher’s consistent focus and com-mitment to water issues through the course of her undergraduate, doctoral and professional work.

Graduated: 2005, Far Eastern State Transport University, RussiaResearch stay in Germany: 12/2010 – 02/2011 at: Groundwater Research Centre (GWZ) Dresden

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Kerem GÜNGÖR (36, Turkey)PhD in Biological Systems EngineeringResearch focus: Environmental Engineering

Phosphorous, an important dietary nutrient, is often fed in excess to livestock. As a result, cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens around the world deliver huge amounts of it in their manure. From there, it binds to soil particles and runs off into surrounding surface waters causing algae to bloom, robbing lakes and rivers of oxygen. It’s an essential nutrient, but also a major pollutant and threat to aquatic life.

Kerem Güngör is an expert in the area of agricultural waste management, in particu-lar the dynamics of phosphorous in the environment. After impressing the Green Tal-ents jury with his extensive international research experience, Güngör was awarded a grant by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey to research the phosphorous budget of a eutrophic lake. Currently Assistant Professor in the En-vironmental Engineering Department at Abant Izzet Baysal University in Turkey and Honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, he has devoted nearly all of his time and effort to this project since its launch in 2011.

“We are identifying the various sources of the phosphorus load throughout the wa-tershed of Lake Yeniça a here in Turkey,” he explains. “This includes monitoring phos-phorous in the lake water column and lake bottom as well as extensive watershed soil sampling to determine erosion and runoff potential.” Güngör will be creating a new “phosphorous index” risk assessment tool, which will be instrumental for develop-ing mitigation measures, and implementing best-management practices at the critical source points.

Graduated: 2006, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

MA Xingmao (Samuel) (37, USA) PhD in Civil Engineering (with specialization in Environmental Engineering)Research focus: Remediation in the context of bio and nanotechnology, environmental nanotechnology, and plant-based remediation and ecosystem restoration

As with most engineered products or technologies, great benefits are often accompa-nied by unknown risks and negative side-effects. Nanotechnology is no different. As the role of nanotechnology in industrial, consumer and medical products continues to grow, scientists are now investigating the risks associated with these particles.

2009 Green Talents winner Xingmao Ma is working on both the potential applica-tions and implications of nanotechnology in environmental cleanup efforts. Currently an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Southern Illinois University, USA, Ma is also researching the uptake, transport and accumulation of ENPs in various food crops as well as their long-term impacts on plant health.

“As in many fields, nanotechnology offers some exciting possibilities, but also many challenges, in the area of environmental management, particularly soil and water re-mediation, so it’s important to understand the risks associated with their application,” says Ma. “One of my goals is to understand the toxicity, accumulation and bioavail-ability of ENPs to human beings through the consumption of edible plant tissues.”

Ma has also investigated the role of plants in enhancing contaminant removal from soil and groundwater and the use of plants to monitor underground contaminant plumes and restore compromised ecosystems. The author of many published articles (>25 by now) and recipient of numerous awards, Ma impressed the Green Talents jury with his notably broad range of research activities.

Graduated: 2004, University of Missouri Rolla (now Missouri University of Science & Technology), USAResearch stay in Germany: 09/2010 – 11/2010 at: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig

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Carlos Alberto MARTÍNEZ-HUITLE (34, Mexico)PhD in Chemical SciencesResearch focus: Wastewater treatment and electrochemistry for environment

Modern industry requires prodigious amounts of water and conventional biological or liquid-chemical treatment systems have not always kept pace with the flood of industrial wastewater. This has created demand for newer electrochemical treatment methods, which are often cleaner, safer, more energy efficient, and more effective when it comes to water recovery, recycling and re-use.

Carlos Alberto Martínez-Huitle, currently an associate professor at Brazil’s Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), has worked for several years on applica-tions for electrochemical water treatment and soil remediation. He has collaborated with the Brazilian petroleum industry to develop electrochemical oxidation processes to remove organic pollutants from soil and water. His most recent research has led to advances in the depuration of textile industrial effluents.

“The results of our research over the last year have contributed to electrochemical technology now being piloted at two real effluent points – one in the textile industry and the other at UFRN’s own water treatment plant,” reports Martínez-Huitle. These applications were recognized by the International Society of Electrochemistry and earned Martínez-Huitle the “Oronzio and Niccolò De Nora Foundation Prize on Envi-ronmental Electrochemistry” in 2010.

Martínez-Huitle, who has studied and worked in Mexico, conducted research in Swit-zerland and both taught and researched in Italy and Brazil, impressed the Green Talents jury with his extensive international experience.

Graduated: 2005, University of Ferrara, Italy

Aluwani NEMUKULA (30, South Africa)PhD in BiotechnologyResearch focus: Use of microalgae as a renewable energy source

Unicellular and simple multi-cellular microorganisms – a.k.a. microalgae – are an exciting alternative to oilseed crops for generating bio-fuels. The advantages of oil productivity from microalgae are many: algae cultures grow rapidly and year-round, they require less water and far less land than conventional crops, they can bind waste CO2 and can be fed using agri-industry waste products. But as with most new tech-nologies, there are still techno-economic challenges to making it commercially viable on a large scale.

2009 Green Talents winner Aluwani Nemukula is intent on overcoming these last hurdles. With a Master’s degree in biochemistry and currently completing his PhD in Biotechnology at the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa, Nemukula is working on ways to make algae biomass more commercially viable as a renewable energy source, including the extraction of high-value metabolites, as well as CO2 sequestration.

“During my Green Talents research stay at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, I investigated a specific type of South African microalgae with the goal of developing an integrated process for sustainable and energy efficient production of renewable metabolites,” says Nemukula. “Energy efficiency in the extraction process is key to making this economically viable.”

The Green Talents jury was impressed with Nemukula‘s entrepreneurialism and clear orientation towards the commercial applications of his research work.

Graduated: 2012, Durban University of Technology, South Africa Research stay in Germany: 10/2010 – 12/2010 at: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

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Nihar Ranjan SAMAL (37, India)PhD in EngineeringResearch focus: Hydrology, hydrodynamics and climate change modelling

New York City, known for its good quality drinking water, relies on 19 reservoirs to supply it with 1 billion gallons of drinking water on a daily basis. Because climate change may have a significant impact on these reservoirs, understanding how the lakes will respond to new weather patterns becomes a much more pressing issue for the 9 million people that depend on this water each day.

Fortunately there are experienced hydrologists, water engineers and numerical mod-ellers ready to respond to the call. One of them is 2009 Green Talents winner Nihar Samal, who has worked on water supply issues in his native India (particularly, eco-technical restoration of urban and rural lakes for water supply, design and imple-mentation of low-cost water treatment units in arsenic-affected areas in rural India) for many years and is today conducting extensive modelling research on the impact of climate change on New York City’s reservoirs in particular and on the interaction between fluid transport and mixing processes with water quality in natural and engi-neered systems in general.

Samal is a post-doctoral Research Associate at the Institute for Sustainable Cities at the City University of New York (CUNY-ISC) and is working together with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC-DEP). “We are collaborating with climate scientists to improve regional climate change projections and quantify-ing potential climate change impacts on the city’s water systems,” says Samal. “Our goal is to identify and implement any adjustments that need to be made to the water systems.”

Samal, who “loves teaching and research”, impressed the jury in particular with his many academic awards and grants as well as his numerous publications in national and international journals.

Graduated: 2006, School of WaterResources Engineering, Jadavpur University, India

Sharifah Rafidah Binti WAN ALWI (31, Malaysia)PhD in Chemical EngineeringResearch focus: System Analysis

An engineer, entrepreneur, educator, editor, author, consultant and ambassador for her field, Assoc. Prof. Sharifah Wan Alwi is one of Southeast Asia’s outstanding young scientists in the area of systems engineering and its applications to resources (e.g. water and energy) conservation. She received her PhD from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) at the age of 26 – making her one of the two youngest PhD holders in Malaysia at that time – and has since received numerous national and international awards for her work. Today, in her role as Director of the Process Systems Engineering Centre at UTM, Wan Alwi acts as an interface between science and the business of resource conservation.

“Process systems engineering is such a powerful tool for reducing resources such as water and energy consumption,” says Wan Alwi. “So it’s natural that I’m involved in such a wide range of projects across academics, the public and private sectors. It really is a huge field with still a great deal of growth potential.” While grounded in academics, Wan Alwi’s work focuses on practical and market-able environmental management solutions. She has participated in seven consultan-cy projects for various companies and government agencies, has trained engineers from more than 50 companies in energy and water minimisation techniques and is a certified Energy Manager Trainer and Energy Professional under Green Technology Malaysia (GTM). She has also developed energy audit and resource integration soft-ware, which is now in the process of commercialisation.

The jury was most impressed by the range and diversity of Wan Alwi’s work in the environmental field.

Graduated: 2007, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia

YANG Bo (36, China)PhD in Environmental Science Research focus: Water Technologies

The first of five special economic zones designated by the Chinese government in 1979, Shenzhen has rapidly grown to become an industrial and financial power-house and China’s second largest port city behind Shanghai. If there was ever a need for industrial wastewater treatment, it’s in this southern Chinese manufacturing centre.

As Associate Professor at Shenzhen University’s Department of Environmental Science and Technology, 2009 Green Talents winner Yang Bo is making an important contri-bution to minimizing the environmental impact of China’s economic miracle. “There is obviously a great need for the work we are doing here,” says Yang. “The control techniques that we are developing for organic pollutants in water, such as chemical reduction, UV oxidation and electrochemical technology, can have a significant im-pact on the environmental quality and long-term success of this economic region.”

Yang has been recognized by the Chinese government for his contributions so far, receiving the National Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award Nomination from the Ministry of Education in 2009 and the Beijing Distinguished Doctor Degree Dis-sertation award from Beijing Municipal Education Committee in 2008. He has also published more than 40 papers in the environmental field.

The jury was impressed with Yang’s broad range of interest in environmental technol-ogies. Along with water issues, Yang is also interested in renewable energies, land management for contaminated areas and environmental remediation.

Graduated: 2007, TsinghuaUniversity, China

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ZHOU Minghua (36, China)PhD in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Water and environmental engineering

Today’s energy crunch and concern over global warming have researchers in high gear. One researcher at the green technologies forefront is environmental engineering professor and Green Talents winner Minghua Zhou, whose focus is pollution control technologies for water and wastewater.

“An inordinate amount of energy goes into serving the water and wastewater indus-try,” says Zhou, who devotes his work to optimising the degradation processes used to remove contaminants, called advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). “Optimis- ing these processes, such as photocatalysis and ozonation, can bring about water resource savings.” Zhou’s methods to enhance electrochemical treatment efficiency, which also include microbial fuels cells (MFCs) that simultaneously generate electrical energy, have done much to enrich current technologies and their use in environmental remediation.

Zhou has established himself as a prolific voice in his field, having authored three books and over 100 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. His work has been cited over 1,300 times. Zhou also holds over 30 Chinese patents. As one might ex-pect, Zhou has received both national and international recognition for his research, including China’s Natural Science Award of Chinese Universities and ISE’s Oronzio and Niccolò De Nora Foundation Prize for Environmental Electrochemistry.

The fact that Zhou had established himself as a professor by the age of 34, together with the excellent quality of his work, caught the attention of the 2009 Green Talents jury. Graduated: 2003, College of Environment

and Resource, Zhejiang University, China

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Applications total


56Winners

20Janaína ACCORDI JUNKES (33, Brazil)PhD in Materials Science and Engineering Research focus: Waste management – reuse of mineral waste

The growth of the recycling industry is as good an indication as any that sustainability makes economic as well as environmental sense. In the manufacturing sector companies are taking a closer look at the materials they have traditionally discarded and finding value in them. Even sludge, it seems, is worth another look.

From her time as an undergraduate, 2010 Green Talents winner Janaína Accordi Junkes has been interested in the possibility of reusing mineral wastes from industrial processes. Junkes sums up the logic of reuse rather succinctly: “Some wastes are in fact similar in composition to the original raw materials.” When pursuing a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in her native Brazil, Accordi Junkes has found that sludge from various industrial processes is an attractive and renewable source of raw materials for ceramics. “Reusing waste ma-terial in this way conserves resources, while also providing a solution to the problem of waste disposal,” says Accordi Junkes. It’s the logic of sustainability in a nutshell: turning problems into solutions, saving money and saving the environment at the same time.

After winning the Green Talents competition, Accordi Junkes joined the Friedrich-Alex-ander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, where she did her Post-doctoral developing ad-vanced ceramic materials using fewer raw materials. Currently she conducts her second post-doctoral back at the Federal University of Santa Catarina developing a ceramic process to be more concerning in energy saving.

Accordi Junkes impressed the Green Talents jury with her extensive research work, her numerous scientific publications and especially her work on water treatment sludge as a source of raw materials for the ceramics industry. She devoted her research stay in Germany to developing advanced ceramic materials.

Graduated: 2011, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil

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Alumni2010

Tirthankar BANERJEE (30, India)PhD in Environmental ScienceResearch focus: Environmental modelling

Tirthankar Banerjee is presently affiliated as an assistant professor at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Banaras Hindu University in Vara-nasi, India. Parallel to his teaching responsibilities, Banerjee continues to explore the critical scientific issues related to sustainable development through guided research and various outreach activities with NGOs.

Banerjee draws from a uniquely broad spectrum of scientific and academic exper-tise – from atmospheric modelling to soil decontamination technologies – for both his classroom work and research. It is this breadth of expertise, along with his holistic approach to the challenges of sustainability, that caught the attention of the Green Talents jury back in 2010. “My Master’s focused on optimising a process for deriving biodiesel from Jatropha curcas seeds. For my PhD I applied air pollution dispersion models to map the spatial and temporal extent of environmental impacts and simulta-neously involved in a project to assess ambient air quality, water quality, and regional biodiversity,” he says, reviewing his academic path, which also happens to include a degree in environmental law. His current research interests include air pollution dis-persion modelling; modelling meteorology-air pollutant interactions; characterization of tropospheric aerosols; aerosol and atmospheric chemistry; regional air quality-climate change interactions; climate change adaptation.

Banerjee has more than 11 publications in peer-reviewed journals and advises on policy issues as an active member of the IUCN’s Commission of Ecosystem Manage-ment.

Graduated: 2010, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, India

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Sukalyan BHADRA (28, India)PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry Research focus: Development of sustainable catalyst systems and investigation of waste-free organic transformations

In 2009, organic chemist and 2010 Green Talents winner Sukalyan Bhadra had the opportunity to “talk shop” with Nobel Laureates in his field at the 59th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. For Bhadra green chemistry is the stuff of “shop talk” – and the driving force behind his research work, both past and present.

“A typical chemical process generates product and waste,” Bhadra explains. “I can reduce and even prevent waste by designing and developing catalysts that are recy-clable, creating environmentally and economically friendly reactions.” The catalysts developed by Bhadra during his PhD work at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Kolkata, India are now being used to combat environmental pollution.

Bhadra’s search for innovative and greener alternatives to traditional protocols has taken him to Germany, a country he considers “the land of ideas in science and a key location for the fundamental research in synthetic organic chemistry and its appli-cations”. As a postdoctoral research fellow at the Technische Universität (TU) Kaisers-lautern, Bhadra is currently exploring ways to replace the ecologically questionable organyl halides with carboxylic acids, which are inexpensive, broadly available and waste-free substrates for cross-coupling reactions.

The Green Talents jury was impressed by Bhadra’s clear expertise in using chemical-catalytic processes to prevent environmental pollution, which is documented by an imposing list of scientific publications, with articles ranging from pure research topics to applied solutions.

Graduated: 2011, Indian Association for the Cultivation of ScienceResearch stay in Germany: 05/2011 – 07/2011 at: TU Kaiserslautern

Jeanne Yvonne DE WAAL (29, South Africa)PhD Agric (Entomology)Research focus: Sustainable Agriculture

2010 Green Talents winner Jeanne de Waal focuses on environmentally friendly approaches to pest management in commercial agriculture. She investigates ways in which cultural practices can be combined with biologically intensive pest control methods and selective green chemistry to effectively manage pest insects in a sus-tainable and environmentally friendly manner. De Waal’s doctoral work focused on entomopathogenic nematodes (roundworms that feed on insects) as a biological pest management tool. “This is a natural way for growers to control invasive insect pest species and reduce their use of environmentally harmful insecticides,” says de Waal.

The Green Talents jury was impressed by de Waal’s broad spectrum of entomolog-ical knowledge, her experience applying a wide range of analytical methods, as well as the numerous research papers she has published in accredited peer-reviewed journals.

De Waal has impressed many others as well, boasting a long list of honours and awards. She was recipient of the L’ORÉAL/UNESCO Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa fellowship for 2011/2012 and named among the top ten Women in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is also winner of South Africa’s National Department of Trade and Industry’s Student Technology Award, Stellenbosch Golden Key’s Chapter Award for academic excellence and has received several scholarships to present her work at conferences. Currently she is a Technical Sales Manager for Dow AgroScienc-es in South Africa, specializing in sustainable solutions related to pest management in commercial vineyards and vegetable fields.

Graduated: 2011, University ofStellenbosch, South Africa

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Alexander GUSEV (28, Russia)PhD in Political Science Research focus: Energy policy

Alexander Gusev has long been investigating differences between energy policies and attitudes in Russia and in the EU. In 2012, Alexander Gusev was awarded the German Chancellor Fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation. He undertakes his research at SWP. He aspires to consider the German-Russian cooperation on energy efficiency and to analyse the strong and weak points of current pilot projects. His research will include numerous interviews as well as field work. His most recent work explores the impact of the Medvedev presidency on the Russian energy sector. For Gusev, the changes under Medvedev – including the termination of Russia’s participa-tion in the European-initiated Energy Charter Treaty – are examples of fundamental differences that still exist between Russia and the EU.

But despite the differences, Gusev has found common ground between Russia and Germany in the area of energy efficiency. “Russia is interested in learning from Germany’s experience in developing requirements and programs designed to stimu-late the development and implementation of energy efficient technologies,“ says Gu-sev, who points to collaborations between the German Energy Agency (DENA) and the Russian-German Energy Agency (RUDEA) to implement energy efficiency projects in Russia and promote the use of alternative energy sources.

Members of the jury noted Gusev’s scientific work on the interaction between the Russian Federation and Western European countries, the broad range of subjects he has tackled and the stringency with which he compares different political systems. According to the jury, Gusev’s work lays an important foundation for international dialogue on sustainability.

Graduated: 2009, Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University, RussiaResearch stay in Germany: 07/2011 – 09/2011 at: German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin

Indumathi JEYACHANDRAN (31, India)PhD in Water Resources EngineeringResearch focus: Urban systems sustainability

2010 Green Talents winner Indumathi Jeyachandran is quick to point out the benefits of green roofs in cities: “They help reduce the ‘urban heat island’ effect, regulate wa-ter runoff volume, improve the quality of runoff by filtering bacteria and fungi in water, reduce the cost of summer air-conditioning, provide sound insulation and increase evapotranspiration for an improved urban microclimate,” she says.

Jeyachandran’s field is urban systems sustainability, which seeks to mitigate the im-pact of urban centres on the surrounding environment, as well as improve energy efficiency in buildings, urban air quality, and overall quality of life for urban dwellers. The Green Talents jury was impressed by the broad spectrum of her work, which ranges from ground-based analysis to the use of satellite information, as well as the potential contribution of her work to creating lower-impact, higher-density sustainable cities – regarded by many experts as the key to a greener future.

Born in India, Jeyachandran earned her PhD in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Utah, USA and now works as a researcher in California, where she is also a LEED Accredited Professional specializing in building design and construction. As a Green Talents winner, she completed a research stay in 2011 at the Institute for Energy Economics and the Rational Use of Energy (University of Stuttgart), where she analyzed the impacts of land use change on energy demand and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

Graduated: 2009, University of Utah, USAResearch stay in Germany: 07/2011 – 09/2011 at: Institute for Energy Economics and the Rational Use of Energy (IER), University of Stuttgart

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© 2010, FONA - Research for Sustainability.

Paul William JORGENSEN (25, South Africa)MSc in Environmental Science Research focus: Linking ecosystem goods and services to sustainability risks and opportunities

A high GDP, which is a measure of a country’s economic activity, is generally consid-ered a good thing. But as soon as we consider the negative impacts of economic growth – such as the depletion of natural resources, pollution and waste – then an increasing GDP loses its lustre as an indicator of a country’s well-being. Part of the problem is that the direct and intrinsic value of natural resources like fresh air and clean water has yet to be quantified in macro-economic policies.

2010 Green Talents winner Paul Jorgensen wants to help change this. “We need to find a way to give the environment a voice, so that developmental decisions are based on environmental parameters not just economic ones,” says Jorgensen, who earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 2012. Jorgensen is interested in the value of ecosys-tem goods and services (EGS), which include clean air and water, but also the aes-thetic beauty of a landscape or the raw materials it provides. He is working on ways enabling local governments to quantify EGS, quantify the risk that human economic activity poses to EGS and quantify the resulting vulnerability of societies. Jorgensen hopes that a clearer understanding of the risks of losing EGS and the opportunities of enhancing EGS can result in improved environmental management, land use policy, and ultimately lead to a more sustainable way of living.

Members of the jury were impressed with Jorgensen’s excellent academic credentials and his strong focus and commitment to EGS, which they consider of great relevance in the context of climate change.

Graduated: 2012, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Research stay in Germany: 10/2011 – 01/2012 at: United Nations UniversityInstitute of Environment and Human Security, Bonn

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Tonni KURNIAWAN (36, Indonesia)PhD in Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Research focus: Wastewater treatment/Water purification

An undisputed leader in the science of water remediation, 2010 Green Talents winner Tonni Kurniawan has been identified by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as one of most cited scientists in the field of engineering. According to the ISI, five of his articles have been cited over 100 times, including one published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials (2003), which is the publication’s single most cited article since its launch in 1975.

The fact that so many people are referring to Kurniawan’s work is not only a sign of his scientific prowess, but also a sign that water remediation has become a very important issue for very many people around the world. “My work is inspired by the urgency we face to tackle global water pollution problems and the need to create sustainable solutions for water treatment using environmentally compatible materials,” says Kurniawan.

Kurniawan, who earned his PhD in Applied Biology and Chemical Technology from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and subsequently conducted postdoctoral re-search as a Marie Curie Experienced Researcher in Finland, says that his contribution to sustainability is in the materials that he uses. “I apply materials that not only mini-mize the generation of secondary waste, but also reduce energy consumption while improving the quality of treated effluents,” he explains. The Green Talents jury noted Kurniawan’s publishing success, his collaboration on numerous international projects and his innovative use of nanomaterials.

Currently Kurniawan undertakes his research at the UNU (Japan) to promote integrat-ed solid waste management at community level in the Southeast Asia region through a Co-benefit Project initiated by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

Graduated: 2008, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, ChinaResearch stay in Germany: 06/2011 – 09/2011 at: Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences

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Adriana Patricia LÓPEZ VALENCIA (28, Colombia)MRes in UrbanismResearch focus: Sustainability of human settlements

Architect, urban planner, environmentalist and 2010 Green Talents winner Adriana López Valencia first turned her attention to the challenges of sustainable development as an undergraduate student of architecture in her native Colombia. “I began to see that urban problems are rooted in social, economic, environmental and political fac-tors and that sustainable urban planning can only be based on a more complex view of the urban landscape,” says López Valencia. “We have to think holistically and be willing to grapple with greater complexity.”

With a Bachelor’s in Architecture and a Master´s degree in Urbanism, López Valencia is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science at the Universidad del Valle in Colombia. Her work there involves the use of geographical information systems (GIS) to develop spatial simulation models which can measure sustainability in urban areas and propose eco-neighborhoods adapted to their contexts. “It’s a great tool to help explore and understand the complexity of a territory,” she explains. Members of the Green Talents jury were impressed with López Valencia‘s innovative use of GIS and her interdisciplinary approach, which they considered ideally suited for sustainable urban planning in the future.

López Valencia plans to expand her research to air flow patterns and the movement of pollut-ants from fixed and mobile emission sources in industrial towns. She is very interested in developing urban design solutions to mitigate pollutant dispersion and deposition in urban areas.

Graduated: 2011, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, ColombiaResearch stay in Germany: 12/2011 – 06/2012 at: United Nations University,Institute of Environment and Human Security, Bonn

Bee Ting LOW (29, Singapore)PhD in Chemical Engineering Research focus: Membranes for CO2 capture

Along with the increased use of cleaner burning fuels, technologies that can capture and sequester the CO2 emitted by fossil-burning power plants and industrial facilities will play a big role in controlling global carbon emissions. Membrane gas separation is one such technology. Chemical engineer and 2010 Green Talents winner Bee Ting Low is passionate about environmental issues and has been focused on membrane technology throughout her young academic and professional career. “This is an ener-gy-efficient, modular, scalable and easy-to-maintain technology that can be used for pre- and post-combustion carbon capture at major emissions source points,” explains Low, “so it provides a pretty big lever in the fight against global warming.”

Low, who has co-authored 11 publications and presented her work at international conferences in Asia, Europe and the United States, earned her PhD in Chemical En-gineering from the National University of Singapore in 2010. The Green Talents jury noted Low’s impressive basic research in the field of polymeric membrane technolo-gies and her numerous awards and contributions to the literature.

Since late 2010, Low has been Senior Research Engineer at Membrane Technology and Research (MTR) in the US, where she has worked on developing energy-efficient membrane systems for building applications. Currently she is working with MTR’s research teams on developing and optimizing membranes for oxygen enrichment, natural gas purification and post-combustion carbon capture.

Graduated: 2010, National University of Singapore, Singapore Research stay in Germany:10/2011 at: Forschungszentrum Jülich

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Andrew MARCH (25, USA)MSc in Pollution Chemistry and Environmental Risks Research focus: Environmental hazards to urban centres

Modelling dynamic and steady state behaviour of a gas-cooled reactor, creating algorithms for possible mechanical faults of aircraft systems, assessing the impact of the use of solar cookers on the deforestation rate in Madagascar, identifying drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in densely populated urban centres, performing a full energy audit of three assembly lines for Honda France Manufacturing, conducting an exhaustive study of the production, supply, and consumption of all energy sources in all 27 European Union states.

Only 23 years of age at the time he received the 2010 Green Talents award, Andrew March impressed the jury with his broad spectrum of scientific skills, ranging from biochemical analysis to computer modelling. With a B.S. in Environmental Engineer-ing, a Master’s in Pollution Chemistry and Environmental Risks and international ex-perience under his belt, March is interested in real-world solutions that respond to the specific conditions in a given country or community. “An intimate knowledge of the culture will allow you to better predict a cultural response and implement your project in accordance with people’s priorities,” says March.

As a Green Talents winner, U.S. native March spent 3 months at Siemens AG in Ber-lin, where he performed a life cycle analysis of a solar power plant control system and researched sustainability within Siemens’ corporate supply chain. Today, at 25, he is employed full time at Siemens in Berlin.

Graduated: 2011, Université d‘Orléans, FranceResearch stay in Germany: 10/2011 – 01/2012 at: Siemens AG, Berlin

Daniela MORAIS LEME (31, Brazil)PhD in Biological Sciences Research focus: Environmental impact of biodiesels

Biodiesel is largely considered a plus for the environment. In its pure form it is as biodegradable as sugar and less toxic than table salt, but can still power a city bus. If blended with regular fossil diesel – its most common application – it can help reduce carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and particulate emissions. Too good to be true? Biol-ogist and 2010 Green Talents winner Daniela Morais Leme wants to make sure it’s not harming the environment in some unexpected way.

“Very few studies have investigated the impact of biodiesel on living organisms,” says Morais Leme. While pursuing her PhD in Biological Sciences at the Universidade Estadual Paulista in São Paulo, Brazil, Morais Leme’s research indicated that biodiesel – when it contaminates water and soil – can have adverse effects on living organisms. “This could very well be due to impurities in biodiesel feedstocks,” she points out. “But one thing is certain: detecting and removing these impurities from market biodiesel should be a governmental concern.” The 2010 Green Talents jury felt that Morais Leme’s work has made a vital contribution to assessing the environmental impact of diesel and biodiesel contamination in water and soil.

Currently conducting postdoctoral research at the Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuti-cas de Ribeirão Preto in Brazil, Morais Leme is applying her knowledge of genotoxins to the study of textile dyes and assessing their potential to induce DNA damage in human skin.Graduated: 2005, Universidade Estadual

Paulista (UNESP), BrazilResearch stay in Germany: 07/2011 – 12/2011 at: BASF – The ChemicalCompany / Experimental Toxicology &Ecology, Ludwigshafen

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Julia NIKITCHENKO (28, Ukraine)MSc in Ecology Research focus: Sustainable scrap tyres management; use of tyre-derived products in industry; effluents treatment from carbon pyrolysis industries

Let’s talk tyres: Once discarded, their most desired property – durability – makes their disposal and reprocessing a huge challenge. To address this, ecologist and chem-motologist Julia Nikitchenko has focused on finding a sustainable solution to scrap tyre management and waste conversion – from life-cycle tracking and flow control to optimising tyre treatment technologies for increased effectiveness and environmental safety.

“I’ve been able to develop a model that maps the entire ‘production-consumption-recycling’ chain while accounting for regional socio-economic realities,” says Nikit-chenko, who is also the founder of the Scientific and Technical Association of Chem-motologists. Her model, which offers a system for centralised collection and treatment, helps reduce the accumulation of tyre waste in the environment.

No stranger to laboratory research, Nikitchenko has also recommended various tech-nological improvements to the pyrolytic reprocessing of tyres that not only prevent process-related air pollution and improve process efficiencies, but ultimately improve the quality of tyre-derived end products, such as pyrolysis oil, a cost-effective synthetic alternative to petroleum. Her most recent research interest and topic of her PhD is pyroil-based sulfonate surfactants, which are useful in extracting hard-to-access oil reserves or cleaning up oil-polluted soil.

Julia Nikitchenko impressed the jury with her multi-disciplinary and sustainable ap-proach to resource management and raw material recuperation.

Graduated: 2007, National Aviation Univer-sity, UkraineResearch stay in Germany: 10/2011 – 12/2011 at: Helmholtz Centre forEnvironmental Research (UFZ) / Dept. of Environmental Biotechnology, Leipzig

Mike OTIENO (31, Kenya)MSc in Civil Engineering Research focus: Sustainable cement and concrete materials

Not often talked about in the context of resource-use and sustainability, concrete is a relatively simple composite building material that has been around for a long time. It is everywhere, literally forming the foundation of the world’s man-made environment. After water, concrete is the most widely used material in the world.

2010 Green Talents winner Mike Otieno recognized early that concrete has a critical role to play in the future success of sustainable development. “Traditionally, only tech-nical and economic aspects were considered in the design of concrete construction, but construction projects are often energy intensive, environmentally destructive and ignore societal demands,” explains Otieno. “I want to remedy this by creating clear guidelines which take these factors into account and can then be used by design engineers.”

Currently a civil engineering PhD candidate in the Concrete Materials and Structural Integrity Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Otieno is devel-oping a model that will help engineers predict the rate of corrosion-induced deterio-ration in reinforced concrete structures. “This will allow them to develop effective and sustainable maintenance and repair strategies,” says Otieno.

The Green Talents jury noted the importance of Otieno’s research in the field of sustain-able economics, since long-term usability and curbing the CO2 emissions associated with the production of concrete are key to climate-friendly and sustainable resource management.

Graduated: 2008, University of Cape Town, South AfricaResearch stay in Germany: 01/2012 – 03/2012 at: RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Building Materials Research (ibac)

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PHAN Vu Xuan Hung (28, Vietnam)MSc in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Water and wastewater treatment – desalination and photovoltaic

At the time of the 2010 Green Talents competition, Phan Hung had been working for several years on seawater reverse osmosis desalination (SWRO) – a major contribu-tor to assuring a sustainable municipal and industrial water supply in some parts of the world. The jury noted his scientific achievements in the development of a SWRO process for boron removal, his combined use of chemical-analytical and model-based approaches, and his interest in energy-efficiency in the desalination process.

After several years working on SWRO challenges such as boron removal and organic fouling, Phan shifted his research focus towards solar energy. “I realized that the high energy requirement of SWRO – in the form of electricity – is one of the biggest obsta-cles to its widespread application,” says Phan. “This, together with my longstanding interest in solar cells and the energy crisis in Vietnam, led me to pursue solar energy research for my PhD work.”

Currently Hung is a PhD candidate in Material Chemistry in the Department of Chem-istry and Biochemistry at the University of California Santa Barbara (USA) under the supervision of Prof. Quyen Nguyen, an expert in organic photovoltaics characteriza-tion. His present research focuses on characterizing the interface of inorganic and organic materials and its effects on hybrid solar cells. “I see a lot of opportunities to cooperate with German scientists on this topic,” says Phan, “for instance with researchers from the University of Potsdam.”

Graduated: 2009, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea

Binita SHAH (29, India)MSc in Environmental Science Research focus: Holistic sustainable development frameworks

Binita Shah is fascinated by the clash between economic and environmental concerns around the world, particularly in India. Dismayed by what she calls “apathy towards the current environmental challenges and issues”, Shah decided to become a change agent and contribute whatever she can for the betterment of the environment.

After earning her M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and completing a postgraduate program in geographic information systems (GIS), Shah began work as an environ-mental consultant, gaining valuable experience with Environmental Impact Assess-ments (EIA) and green building certification. Her expertise in EIA and innovative use of GIS was what most impressed the 2010 Green Talents jury.

Currently enrolled in the Doctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Industrial En-gineering in Mumbai, Shah says that current mechanisms such as EIA, green building certification systems or carbon credit systems are “too shallow in their definition of sustainable development and therefore fundamentally flawed.” In response, she is developing her own more comprehensive sustainable development model, which she has named the Holistic Sustainable Development Model (HSDM).

Shah’s HSDM seeks to integrate various environmental factors ranging from the micro to the macro-level. Her goal is to develop a HSDM for the thermal power industry in India, including a life-cycle model for electricity, which she believes can “significantly impact the quality of power produced in India’s thermal power industry.”Graduated: 2005, Bharati Vidyapeeth Univer-

sity, IndiaResearch stay in Germany: 09/2011 – 12/2011 at: United Nations University, Institute of Environment and Human Security, Bonn

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Mercedes VALDERRAMA-VERNAZA (30, Colombia)Diploma in Biology Research focus: Ecosystem research and sustainable land use

Mercedes Valderrama-Vernaza, both biologist and activist, is devoted to protecting endangered species and the environment. And she is committed to doing her part through scientific field research. The Green Talents jury was highly impressed with her clarity and sense of purpose as a young scientist.

“In Colombia, research in the area of species preservation has been focused mainly on taxonomy,” says Valderrama-Vernaza. “I try to focus on ecology and habitat is-sues, and consider not only what is found in each region, but how a given species interacts with the environment and with other species, including humans.”

Valderrama-Vernaza is especially interested in interdisciplinary ecosystem research and the relationship between human economic activities and endangered species. A good example of this is her work investigating the conflict between the Andean Bear and cattle ranchers in the Colombian mountains. For Valderrama-Vernaza, research is the key to understanding and resolving the conflict. “We still lack information on habitat fragmentation and whether the Andean forests are providing the bear with the food they need,” she explains. “Has the bear had a shift in diet or is it just opportunis-tically preying on these cattle? This is important to know.”

The Green Talents Forum was a chance for Valderrama-Vernaza to investigate the human impact on blackbird populations in Germany. “A great example of human-wildlife interaction,” she says, “and a valuable experience for my work back home.” Graduated: 2007, Universidad Industrial de

Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia Research stay in Germany: 08/2011 – 11/2011 at: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig

WANG Chao (32, China)MSc in Mechanical Engineering Research focus: Solid waste treatment methods

Few countries can match China’s annual GDP growth. Not surprisingly, China’s trash production is growing roughly as fast as the economy – between 8 and 10 percent annually – and presents a complex environmental and social challenge. 2010 Green Talents winner Wang Chao sees it as an opportunity. “The opportunity lies in the trash itself,” says Wang, “since waste can also be a valuable source of raw materials if re-cycled efficiently.” Wang is designing industrial processes to treat and recycle waste.

After receiving his Master’s degree from Beijing Institute of Machinery, Wang has worked as an assistant research fellow at the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing Union University since 2005. His research focuses on municipal solid waste treatment methods as well as energy savings and emissions reduction applications. Wang has published numerous papers on environmental and mechan-ical engineering and his work has resulted in ten patents issued by China’s State Intellectual Property Office. Wang was also among the award winners at the 2011 University Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Competition sponsored by China’s Ministry of Education.

The Green Talents jury was impressed with the success of Wang’s research and its rel-evance to the environment in China. Indeed, establishing a waste treatment infrastruc-ture is a major concern in China with its energy-saving and environmental protection industries growing rapidly. “In the right place at the right time,” says Wang.

Graduated: 2005, Beijing Institute ofMachinery, China

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ZHAO Dewei (31, China)PhD in Electrical EngineeringResearch focus: Organic electronics, especially on organic solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology makes it possible to produce solar cells thin enough to wrap around a human hair. This is exciting – not only for novel applications such as electronic textiles, synthetic skin and robotics – but also because OPV cells, which are lighter, more flexible and cheaper to produce than traditional silicon-based solar cells, could open up a much wider range of applications.

2010 Green Talents winner Zhao Dewei researches nanotechnology for clean and renewable energy conversion, with a focus on organic electronics such as organic solar cells. “There is no question that organic solar could play a key role in the future of sustainable energy technology,” says Zhao. “But we still need to increase the effi-ciency of organic cells, since their efficiency remains lower than conventional inorga-nic solar cells.”

Increasing the efficiency of organic solar cells is Zhao’s main goal. Currently a post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sci-ence at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the US, Zhao is working on organic solar cells with tandem and inverted structures. “The tandem design consists of two layers of cells,” explains Zhao. “This makes it possible to collect a broader light spec-trum, making the cells more efficient.”

The Green Talents jury was impressed with Zhao’s comprehensive expertise in organic electronics and with the 25 scientific papers he has already published, several of them in prestigious international peer-reviewed journals.

Graduated: 2011, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeResearch stay in Germany: 03/2011 – 06/2011 at: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Light Technology Institute

HE Zhen (Jason) (35, China)PhD in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Biological wastewater treatment

Bacteria have the God-given ability to convert organic compounds into carbon diox-ide, water and energy. Microbial fuel cells are capable of harvesting a portion of this microbial energy and generating electricity from almost any kind of organic matter, which means they can run on things like wastewater.

A 2010 Green Talents winner, and currently Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering & Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA, He Zhen has been re-searching bio-electrochemical systems for water and wastewater treatment and bioenergy production for several years. The goal of his research is to recover useful energy from waste, and to reduce energy requirements for water and wastewater treatment. “This principle can also be applied to the desalination process,” explains He, who talks about microbial desalination cells (MDCs) as an exciting alternative to today’s energy-intensive desalination technology.

The Green Talents jury was impressed with He’s numerous publications, patent ap-plications and collaborations with academic and industry partners. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in China, Master’s Degree in Denmark, PhD in Environmental Engi-neering in the US and spent two years as a postdoc in California, so his perspective is international. And he understands that collaboration is the key to unlocking the true potential of his work: “We need to actively communicate and collaborate with others in the field if we ever want to see the full scale application of the technology developed in the lab.”

Graduated: 2007, Washington University in St. Louis, USA

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Alumni2011

Ana Paula BORTOLETO (34, Brazil)PhD in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Environmental behaviour and waste prevention policies

Ana Paula Bortoleto has had her eye on solid waste management issues for nearly a decade now, studying the relationship between waste prevention behaviour and mu-nicipal waste management policies in a number of national and social contexts – from Brazilian waste management programmes that use former street pickers to promote recycling to waste prevention behaviour in the British city of Sheffield.

A Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship took Bortoleto, who received her PhD in Japan, to Sheffield in 2011. Bortoleto has devoted this stage of her post-doctoral research to comparing urban waste prevention behaviours in Sao Paolo and Sheffield. “Although I am an engineer by training, my goal is to get at the core behaviours and motivators behind waste prevention,” Bortoleto explains. “Interdiscip-linary research in this area is key to understanding people’s actions – and ultimately improving green policies.”

Bortoleto’s dedication to her topic has taken her around the globe. She is now work-ing with conservation researchers in both the UK and Germany who specialise in en-vironmental psychology and consumption practices. These most recent collaborations take Bortoleto into unchartered territory. “Combining these two areas is not only a promising but under-explored field of study,” she says, excited to be part of the vanguard.

The 2011 Green Talents jury was impressed by Bortoleto’s curiosity for new method-ologies, her strong research background as well as her international and comparative approach.

Graduated: 2009, University of Tokyo, JapanResearch stay in Germany: 05/2012 – 07/2012 at: Otto-von-Guericke University ofMagdeburg

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Applications total


58Winners

20Cristian Guillermo GEBHARDT (29, Argentina)PhD in Engineering Sciences Research focus: Numerical simulations of the aeroelastic behaviour of large-scale horizontal-axis wind turbines

Like many Green Talent winners Cristian Guillermo Gebhardt is applying his scientific expertise towards developing clean and sustainable energy solutions. His renewable energy of choice? Wind, presently touted as one of the most cost-effective green opportunities.

Wind turbine technology is advancing quickly, spurred on by the growing demand for wind energy and an ever-expanding wind market. Gebhardt, who recently joined the Department of Simulation and Assessment of Wind Turbines at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology in Bremerhaven, has positioned his research at the cutting edge of wind turbine technology. “There’s much about the aero-elastic behaviour of LHAWT that we do not understand,” says Gebhardt. “Simulations will provide insights into non-linear phenomena, such as dynamic buckling and post-critical behaviour under different wind conditions.”

With his numerical strategy, margins for instabilities such as flutter and divergence can be determined and factored into new, higher-performing turbine design. “My methodology has already proven accurate and reliable,” he says. “I am now working on expanding it so lighter, cheaper and more efficient turbines can be built.”

The Green Talents jury was impressed by Gebhardt’s contributions to optimising onshore and offshore wind technologies through modelling. Equally award-worthy is his impressive number of publications and conference appearances in his field.

Graduated: 2012, National University of Córdoba, Argentina

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GUAN Ting (25, China)Bachelors in Urban Planning Research focus: Environmental policy and governance

Watching her childhood playground disappear in the name of urban development left a lasting impression on Chinese Green Talents winner Guan Ting. So much in fact, that she set her young mind to designing eco-friendly cities. “Soon after launching my studies in Urban Planning I realised how easily eco-friendly ideas are foiled without adequate backing from equally eco-friendly governance,” recalls Guan, who is now homing in on environmental and energy policy issues in China as part of her PhD work at Zhejiang University.

Guan, who is determined not only to shape but to formulate an environmentally sus-tainable government policy for China, is a do-er. This fact was recognised not only by the 2011 Green Talents Jury but most recently by the Global Governance 2022 (GG2022) steering committee, which has invited Guan to join 23 other GG2022 fel-lows from Germany, China and the US, to explore future energy governance scenar-ios in a series of international, high-profile and work-intensive dialogue events.

Guan will be bringing experience to the table. Zhejiang Province, which already adopted one of Guan’s policy proposals, is now working with Guan through its Ener-gy and Quality Supervision Bureau to establish an energy conservation measurement standard. She is writing her dissertation – Climate Change Governance in China: The Case of Hangzhou – in cooperation with Copenhagen University, Denmark.

The jury lauded Guan’s understanding of the transformation process in China – a process she’s most likely to be a part of. Graduated: 2010, Zhejiang University, China

Research stay in Germany: 05/2012 – 07/2012 at: University of Duisburg-Essen

Owen HORWOOD (33, South Africa)PhD in Geography and Environment Research focus: Water policy and governance in South Africa

How can science contribute effectively to policy making? How is scientific data being used and managed? Does the information empower some stakeholders while mar-ginalizing others? Does the approach to research need to be different? For Owen Horwood, these are some of the key questions that should be asked and addressed if science wants to participate meaningfully in generating policy that truly solves prob-lems.. “Institutional mechanisms are what translate scientific knowledge into action and determine how the scientist’s work is applied to policy,” says Horwood. „I want to be a participant rather than a spectator and contribute to policymaking that reconciles the often competing priorities of growth and sustainability.“

A specialist in water governance, Horwood is focused on water sector reform in South Africa with an emphasis on stakeholder participation and institutional functionality. His PhD thesis addressed the challenges of implementing South Africa’s National Wa-ter Resource Strategy within the context of the new National Water Act. With a PhD and two Master’s degrees from Oxford University, Horwood has already received international recognition for his work, including numerous scientific and interdisciplinary publications. He presented at the 2012 Planet Under Pressure conference in London and is currently participating in the German-South African Year of Science.

The Green Talents jury highlighted Horwood’s outstanding academic credentials and his ability to address complex scientific problems with research focused on problem-solving.

Graduated: 2009, Oxford University, UK Research stay in Germany: 07/2012 – 08/2012 at: Heidelberg University

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Ricardo Andrés IBÁÑEZ GUTIÉRREZ (32, Colombia)Master in ArchitectureResearch focus: Eco-productive architecture

Ricardo Andrés Ibáñez Gutiérrez believes strongly that we can not only reduce the impact of cities on their environment, but design sustainable urban structures. He envisions buildings that are not only energy efficient, but capable of deliver-ing the kind of “ecosystem services” that we normally associate with nature. “By incorporating a wide range of eco-productive technologies such as biotecto-nics, photovoltaics and environmentally responsive materials, buildings can improve the environmental quality in urban areas by purifying air, managing water, absorbing noise, regulating climate and even creating habitat for biodiversity,” says Ibáñez Gutiérrez. “The human-built environment can even be designed to produce food and surplus energy from the sun.”

Ibáñez Gutiérrez is a pioneer in the area of vegetated architecture systems in Colombia and Latin America, where he has conducted award-winning research on living roof technology and served as a green building consultant for the public and private sectors. Currently a PhD candidate in Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, he is developing methods to assess buildings so that they can take part in ecosystem services trade-off schemes.

The jury was impressed with Ibáñez Gutiérrez broad scientific experience in eco-productive architecture, an area with tremendous potential given the rapid rise of megacities around the world. It also noted his numerous publications, awards and extensive teaching experience.

Graduated: 2009, National University of Colombia, ColombiaResearch stay in Germany: 05/2012 – 08/2012 at: Humboldt University, Department of Agriculture and Urban Ecology, Berlin

Nnaemeka Chidiebere IKEGWUONU (29, Nigeria)Master in Cooperation and Development Research focus: Communication on sustainable development practices for rural Nigerian farmers

The most effective argument for sustainability is that it makes economic sense. For multinational corporations or small rural farmers, applying sustainability principles means improved efficiency, greater economy and a better bottom line over time. The argument is sound and the benefits are real, but the challenge remains to communi-cate and educate.

2011 Green Talents winner Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu has hit upon an extremely effective technology for communicating the benefits of sustainability to farmers in his native Ni-geria: radio. Currently executive director of the Smallholders Foundation, Ikegwuonu reaches 250,000 subsistence farmers each day across south-eastern Nigeria with his daily radio programme. In the local Igbo language, he talks about issues such as soil degradation, livestock density management, farm safety, rainwater harvesting and techniques for increased crop production. “The methods I’ve introduced have contributed to increased agricultural production of various crops, including maize, cassava and yam,” reports Ikegwuonu. “Overall I have helped farmers improve their household income from 1 dollar to 1.50 dollar per day.” Identified as a “Young Lead-er” by the BMW Foundation in 2011, Ikegwuonu is providing a very strong example of the connection between sustainability, economy and improved livelihoods.

The jury highlighted the gains Ikegwuonu has made in fighting poverty while protect-ing the environment, and noted the large number of people he is able to reach with his educational radio programmes.

Graduated: 2009, University of Pavia, Italy

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LI Yangfan (34, China)PhD in Environmental ScienceResearch focus: Urban ecology

Gradual environmental degradation can be difficult to track and often does not re-ceive the attention of policy makers coping with more “immediate” crises. But once a critical mass of toxicity, species invasion or other form of ecosystem disruption has been reached, it becomes very difficult to turn the situation around. The problem be-comes not only immediate, but very large and costly.

2011 Green Talents winner Yangfan Li, a lecturer and researcher at Nanjing University’s School of Environment, develops early warning and resilience systems to mitigate the impact of urbanisation on coastal wetlands in his native China. The goal is to inform authorities and policy makers when certain ecological thresholds have been reached. “The consequences of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation are far reaching and are impacting local and regional ecological security,” says Li. “Ear-ly warning provides an opportunity to implement management decisions to prevent more serious environmental harm from occurring.”

With a PhD in Environmental Science, Li is currently a visiting fellow at Cornell Univer-sity, where he is involved in a US-Sino wetland restoration project. He has published more than 60 papers, two books and received numerous awards for outstanding research. Along with these achievements, the jury lauded Li‘s innovative and inter-disciplinary approach to sustainable urban development and the implementation of climate change monitoring technologies.

Graduated: 2007, Nanjing University, ChinaResearch stay in Germany: 12/2012 – 02/2013 at: Department of Geography,Humboldt University of Berlin

Rafael LUQUE (33, Spain)PhD in Organic ChemistryResearch focus: Biofuels and Valorisation of Biomass and Waste

Rafael Luque is passionate about science, sustainability and green living. With a PhD in Organic Chemistry and currently a Ramon y Cajal fellow at the University of Cordo-ba in Spain, he is an extremely active and vocal ambassador for green chemistry, which applies the power of chemistry to improving material and resource efficiency, developing alternative energy sources, and designing cleaner industrial processes.

Luque is focused on how to turn biomass residues and waste resources, such as food waste, into valuable feedstocks for the production of materials, chemicals and energy. He has also been actively involved in the area of advanced biofuels, designing ways to process waste feedstocks, such as waste frying oils, into fuels. “We need to change the perception of our current society that sees waste as a problem rather than as a resource,” says Luque.

The author of more than 140 papers in peer-reviewed journals and several edited books, Luque speaks regularly at conferences and institutions around the world on various aspects of chemistry and sustainability. He is also co-founder of a UK-based environmental solutions enterprise (Starbon Technologies Ltd.) as well as the company Green Applied Solutions S.L. in Spain, which does R&D, consultancy and education work in the areas of biomass valorisation and renewable energies.

The jury noted Luque’s invaluable contribution to the development of eco-friendly chemicals for material preparation, production and fuel use, as well his promotion of green chemistry applications to waste management.

Graduated: 2001, Universidad deCordoba, SpainResearch stay in Germany: 06/2012 – 08/2012 at: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Berlin

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Liudmila NAZARKINA (29, Russia)MSc in Strategic Management / MA in Management of Corporate Social Responsibility / PhD candidate in Strategy and ManagementResearch focus: Scaling up entrepreneurship for sustainable living

For entrepreneurs in the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) industry, choos-ing the optimal way to grow is a must if they want to make a positive and lasting con-tribution. But how do you grow your company and how effective are these growth me-chanisms to scale up positive social and environmental impacts? Liudmila Nazarkina’s research explores growth strategies for sustainability entrepreneurs. She wants to help them grow, better scale their social innovations and contribute effectively to a more sustainable world.

“It’s a complex landscape for sustainability entrepreneurs,” says Nazarkina. “When considering various growth strategies, they also have to consider their appropriate-ness.” As an example, some organisational stakeholders often view strategies such as equity sale to multinational corporations as a departure from sustainability values. Nazarkina’s research has revealed striking differences in entrepreneurs’ business models and attitudes towards growth. “Some companies put sustainability at the centre of their business models, emphasising their role in the local economy and community-building,” she says, “while others see sustainable lifestyles purely as a market oppor-tunity.”

The first results of Nazarkina‘s research have already been presented at internation-al conferences. She is also engaged in coordinating academic projects focused on developing high-quality teaching cases to bring sustainability to the classroom. A fellow at the oikos Foundation for Economy and Ecology and editor of the oikos Case Quarterly, Nazarkina impressed the jury with her all-around commitment to sustaina-ble business growth.

Graduated: 2006, State University – The Higher School of Economics, Russia /Université Paris XII – École Supérieure des Affaires, FranceResearch stay in Germany: 09/2012 – 11/2012 at: UNEP/Wuppertal InstituteCollaborating Centre on SustainableConsumption and Production (CSCP) GmbH, Wuppertal

Najwa OBEID (30, USA)Master in EngineeringResearch focus: Sustainable and Integrated Water Resource Management

Green stormwater infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to capture, store, drain and clean rainwater where it falls. It functions as water management, flood control and habitat and creates healthier cities, while reducing the environmental impact of cities on their surroundings.

2011 Green Talents winner Najwa Obeid is working to advance the use of green stormwater infrastructure in the world’s cities. Currently a PhD Candidate in Environ-mental Engineering and Sciences at the University of Illinois, USA, she understands the need for a multidisciplinary approach to getting new technologies implemented. “I am working to quantify the financial, environmental and social benefits of green roofs in a suburb of Chicago by applying economic theory to my findings,” says Obeid. Obeid’s work quantifying the hydrologic performance of green roofs has already been incorporated into a watershed model for a suburb of Chicago. Benefit transfer and economic theory of environmental policy will be used to maximize the cost-effectiveness of green roof intervention in watershed performance.

The jury highlighted Obeid‘s focus on green infrastructure and lauded her hydrologic-economic model as a valuable contribution to making the financial, ecological and social effects of development more measureable. Following her Green Talents intern-ship at the UN University in Germany, she will gain additional policy experience in Washington, D.C. as a National Sea Grant College Program Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in 2013.Graduated: 2005, Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, USA Research stay in Germany: 09/2012 – 11/2012 at: United Nations University –Environment and Human Security, Bonn

Pham Van QUAN (33, Vietnam)PhD in Urban Engineering Research focus: Energy-saving techniques to mitigate climate change

Vietnam provides a good example of the environmental “growing pains” associated with economic development in Asia. Its energy demand is expected to exceed sup-plies by 2015 and the government has already instituted rolling blackouts in rural areas to help meet urban demand. In Hanoi, the groundwater is contaminated with ammonium and arsenic, which means the city will have to rely more on the Hong river – already a source of hydroelectric power – for its fresh water. But what will be the impact of climate change on the river? Will extended dry periods force more blackouts and exacerbate water shortages?

2011 Green Talents winner Pham Van Quan is applying his expertise in energy efficiency and hydrology to develop integrated resource management strategies for cities such as Hanoi with an eye towards current and future climate scenarios. With a PhD in Urban Engineering, Quan is currently a lecturer in the Environmental Engineer-ing Department at Hanoi Architectural University. He focuses on energy conservation measures – such as home solar energy and environmental-friendly architecture – and is also developing a balanced urban water use system for Hanoi, which considers the availability of rainwater, groundwater and reclaimed water as well as surface waters. Quan is also involved in a Sustainable Water Management project for the Huong river and Hue City.

The jury was impressed with Quan‘s approach to cities as comprehensive units and his focus on the water-energy nexus.

Graduated: 2009, University of Tokyo, Japan

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Dyllon Garth RANDALL (28, South Africa)PhD in Chemical Engineering Research focus: Crystallization and precipitation to treat wastewater

“Zero waste” could be nature’s motto – and in the dawning age of sustainability, it is also the goal of scientists and engineers striving towards truly sustainable solutions. In 2011, chemical engineer and Green Talents winner Dyllon Randall published a paper in the journal Desalination entitled “A case study for treating a reverse osmosis brine using Eutectic Freeze Crystallization - Approaching a zero waste process”. Later named Research Paper of the Year by the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers, the paper was based on a groundbreaking brine treatment protocol that Randall had developed as a solution for industrial and mining wastewater. The EFC technology, which was also presented at the International Conference on Desalina-tion and Environment, requires comparatively low energy input and can achieve near 100% separation, recovery and reuse of pure water and salts. Almost zero waste.

“The generation of hypersaline brines emanating from industrial and mining opera-tions poses a major environmental problem globally as the volumes of these brines increase at an exponential rate,” says Randall, who earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town. “Combining water treatment and raw product recovery in this way is an environmental solution with clear economic benefits for industry as well.”

The jury praised Randall for his “highly promising” work, given the growing im-portance of wastewater treatment and urgent need to increase water use efficiency around the world. Graduated: 2010, University of Cape Town,

South AfricaResearch stay in Germany: 05/2012 – 06/2012 at: TU Darmstadt

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Alanna Jane REBELO (24, South Africa)MSc in Restoration, Conservation Ecology and Hydrology Research focus: Conservation Ecology

“Ecosystem services” is the term used to describe the vast palette of nature’s products (such as water, food, fuel, biochemicals) and nature’s services (such as soil formation, photosynthesis, air quality regulation and pollination) that enable and enhance life. It is an emerging field that seeks to integrate these “services” into more conventional value systems such as economics. Pioneering the field of ecosystem services is by nature a multidisciplinary endeavour, which makes it a good match for 2011 Green Talents winner Alanna Rebelo.

Currently a PhD candidate at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, Rebelo has fash- ioned her graduate studies to span the fields of hydrology, ecology and sociology as well as working collaboratively with economists. At 24, she already understands the power of an interdisciplinary approach to making change happen. As part of her work investigating the impact of land-use change on the flow of ecosystem goods and services in her native South Africa, she made it a priority to organise a stakeholder engagement project. “I want to bring the farmers on board to close the gap between science and practice,” says Rebelo.

Rebelo was selected to present her research findings at the International Association of Landscape Ecology Conference in Beijing in 2011 and invited to attend the Stock-holm +40 conference in April 2012 to help develop a proposal for the Rio+20 in June. She impressed the jury with her interdisciplinary approach to sustainability and efforts to balance factors such as biodiversity and human agricultural development. Graduated: 2012, Stellenbosch University,

South AfricaResearch stay in Germany: 09/2012 – 11/2012 at: German Aerospace Center (DLR), Munich

Victor SIM SIANG TZE (28, Singapore)PhD Candidate in Environmental and Water Resources Research focus: Desalination and water re-use

Technologies that tap nature’s power of osmosis depend entirely on the quality, strength and durability of the filtering membrane used. 2011 Green Talents winner Victor Sim focuses on improving these membranes to make desalination, water purifi-cation and even energy generation more economically viable.

One of his focus areas is fouling, which is a major cause of performance loss in mem-branes. Fouling results in maintenance costs as well as higher energy costs, as more pressure is required to force flow across blocked membranes. As a PhD candidate in Environmental and Water Resources at the Nanyang Technological University, Sim Siang Tze is developing innovative ultrasound technique to detect membrane biofoul-ing non-invasively and in real time. He and his team filed a US provisional patent in 2011 based on this work.

Most recently Sim Siang Tze has won two awards, including the 2012 Singa- pore--Netherlands Sustainability Award for his idea to use Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) as a hybrid solution for desalination, water recycling and renewable energy generation. Together with fellow researchers, he has also managed to resolve the problem of membrane deformation, which has long been perceived as hindering the commercialisation of PRO – a promising renewable energy technology.

The Green Talents jury was impressed with his sensor to monitor membrane fouling, which it said could have a big impact on membrane technology and make seawater desalination significantly more cost effective.

Graduated: 2008, National University of Singapore, Singapore Research stay in Germany: 10/2012 at: IWW Water Centre at the University of Duisburg-Essen


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Rajeev Pratap SINGH (34, India)PhD in BotanyResearch focus: Land application of sewage sludge

India is projected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country by 2025 and reach roughly 1.6 billion by 2050. In India’s case, population growth may indeed drive economic growth, especially considering its young demographic profile. But the prospect of a 30% increase in population also puts increased pressure on policy makers, business leaders and scientists to find creative solutions to the country’s long list of environmental challenges.

2011 Green Talents winner Rajeev Pratap Singh has devoted his career in science to solutions for sustainable waste management, an environmental challenge closely tied to India’s demographics. With eighteen publications in various international journals, Singh has become one of his country’s experts in land application methods for sewage sludge and agro-industry waste, as well as in composting.

Trained as a botanist and currently Assistant Professor at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development at Banaras Hindu University, Singh is interested in tech-nologies that extract useful plant nutrients from waste as a way to restore soil quality. “We are turning waste problems into agricultural solutions,” says Singh. More recently he has also turned his attention to waste-to-energy conversion technologies.

The jury noted Singh‘s important contribution to waste management, lauded his work on sewage sludge for fields and composting of biomasses, as well as his work in a wide variety of other sustainability-related areas.

Graduated: 2008, Banaras HinduUniversity, India

Yatendra SINGH CHAUDHARY (33, India)PhD in ChemistryResearch focus: Solar-radiation-driven generation of solar fuels

The gap between global energy consumption, the use of solar energy to supply this demand, and the enormous untapped potential of the sun is gaping. Researchers like Green Talents winner Yatendra Singh Chaudhary are working to close this gap by developing efficient systems for converting solar energy into chemical fuel, i.e. hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a clean and renewable energy carrier that can be produced from water at zero-emissions. “The need to exploit and store solar energy is therefore an obvious one,” says Singh Chaudhary, who has responded to this need by developing sustain-able photocatalytic water splitting systems for hydrogen fuel production. His most recent research as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford has led to the development of visible-light-active enzyme-semiconductor-based bio-photocatalysts for solar fuel production.

Dr. Singh Chaudhary, a scientist at the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR) and Assistant Professor at the Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, honed his skills in Materials Chemistry as a postdoctoral fellow at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Here he developed, among other things, a method for one-step assembly of noble metal nanoparticles on support surfaces.

The 2011 Green Talents jury lauded Singh Chaudhary‘s interdisciplinary research into functional hybrid nanostructures for photoelectrochemical water splitting and its role in closing the gap on clean fuels.

Graduated: 2004, Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, India

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XUE Bing (30, China)PhD in Human GeographyResearch focus: Regional industrial ecosystems

2011 Green Talents winner Xue Bing believes that man made systems and processes can be redesigned to reflect the efficiency of regenerative, cyclic living systems – that nature’s circular economy can be applied to improve human economies. Xue is applying this powerful idea to the gigantic task of cleaning up China’s environment.

Xue’s “think big” approach is grounded in pragmatism. With a PhD in Human Geog-raphyc and currently Associate Professor at the Institute of Applied Ecology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenyang City, China, he has been involved in more than 20 planning projects to apply circular economy principles to the design of industrial parks and provincial/municipal systems. This included a master plan for the Gansu province – approved by the Chinese government in December 2010 – which made Gansu the first national demonstration province in China for developing the circular economy.

“I consider Germany to be one of the leading locations in the world for the circular economy, since it has made manufacturers responsible for the entire life cycle of a product, from the moment its materials leave the ground to the time it is recycled,” says Xue. „While in Germany, I want to analyze the material flow at different levels and to seek the opinion of experts on developing the circular economy in China.“

Xue, who has published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers on circular economy, impressed the jury with the very real contributions he has made so far to balancing China‘s growth with sustainable development.

Graduated: 2009, Lanzhou University, ChinaResearch stay in Germany: 12/2012 – 02/2013 at: Institute of Applied Material Flow Management, University of Applied Sciences Trier, and Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy

Sandra Patricia ZAPATA PORRAS (36, Colombia)Diploma in Agroindustrial EngineeringResearch focus: Bioprocessing of natural products, with emphasis on food colourants

The Chocó region of Colombia – with its unique ecosystems, untapped natural resourc-es and tremendous biodiversity – is an example of how great natural wealth and so-cial poverty can exist side by side. And it points to one of the developing world’s most vexing challenges: how to integrate poor people into value chains so that they can share in the wealth generated by their country’s own natural resources?

2011 Green Talents winner Sandra Patricia Zapata Porras has a personal stake in the issue. A native of the Chocó region, she has often witnessed how the people in her hometown lack the resources and technology to grow their economy and improve their standard of living. But Zapata Porras is convinced that by harvesting and pro-cessing natural products in an environmentally and socially responsible way, she can help create tangible – and sustainable – economic value out of Colombian biodiver-sity and improve lives.

An Agro-Industrial Production Engineer and currently pursuing a PhD in Engineering, Zapata Porras and her team have already secured three international patents related to the extraction and processing of natural rainforest products. One of these is for a natural blue colorant derived from a rainforest fruit harvested by local communities.

Members of the jury were impressed with Zapata Porras‘ application of science to help the people of Colombia build their economy in a sustainable manner. They also noted her three patents and her 2009 L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award.Graduated: 1998, Universidad de La

Sabana, ColombiaResearch stay in Germany: 09/2012 – 11/2012 at: University of Hohenheim

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Maribel ZAPATER PEREYRA (28, Peru)MSc in Desert Studies Research focus: Sustainable water sanitation

The more wetlands disappear, the more we appreciate their benefits. A huge host for plants and microorganisms, they are extremely effective in filtering out both organic and inorganic pollutants from water.

2011 Green Talents winner Maribel Zapater Pereyra is interested in sustainable water sanitation and has chosen to focus her research on constructed wetlands. Man-made versions of nature’s biofilters, constructed wetlands recreate the mechanisms that oc-cur in natural wetlands for the purpose of wastewater treatment. “This technology could significantly increase the quantity and quality of available water resources and be used for providing basic sanitation – a human right that is often lacking in developing countries,” says Zapater Pereyra. “For a small community with limited funds for expanding or updating wastewater treatment plants, constructed wetlands are an attractive option.”

Currently pursuing a PhD in Water Management, Zapater Pereyra‘s goal after her studies is to combine her civil engineering interest with her expertise in water sanitation by designing and building wastewater treatment systems for the private/public sector. “I want to construct proper and simple sustainable sanitation systems while, at the same time, keep contributing to science with my work – by transferring my knowledge and expertise to researchers and by providing study sites with real-life applications for their investigations,” she says. The jury was impressed with Zapater Pereyra‘s dedica-tion to making sanitation more available around the world and considered her work with constructed wetlands an important contribution to this end.

Graduated: 2009, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

ZHOU Jin (28, China)MSc in Human Factor Engineering, ME and PhD in Environmental EngineeringResearch focus: Life cycle sustainability assessment models

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for evaluating the environmental impact of a product or industrial process. By analyzing all stages – from cradle to grave – it broadens the perspective on environmental impact and goes hand in hand with more sustainable approaches to management.

Zhou Jin is a big believer in the power of LCA, but also believes that it can be im-proved. With Master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering and Human Factor En-gineering, and currently pursuing a PhD at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, Zhou wants to expand the scope of LCAs to include environmental, economic and social factors – to create what she calls a “comprehensive sustainability assessment model”.

“One goal is to increase the feasibility of the LCA model by reducing the amount of data required for analyses,” says Zhou. “Especially LCA practitioners in Asia struggle to find databases that correspond to local geographical characteristics.” As a Green Talents winner, Zhou will devote her upcoming research stay at the University of Tue-bingen in Germany to developing a cost-effective way to support location-specific data needs. “Emphasizing the local context can really improve the reliability of local and regional studies,” she says.

The jury was impressed with Zhou‘s research work and publications, which illustrate the possibility of using complex models even where limited input is available. The jury also applauded Zhou‘s work to implement the models locally and incorporate local decision-making processes.

Graduated: 2013, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeResearch stay in Germany: 10/2012 – 12/2012 at: University of Tuebingen

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Applications total


69Winners

25Alina Mariana BALU (31, Romania)PhD in Fine ChemistryResearch focus: Green chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, biomass valorisation

Alina Mariana Balu grew up in rural Romania, where “no-waste” and “sustainability” were not new trends, but ancient practice. Maximising available resources, minimis-ing environmental impact and achieving more with less is, as a result, her natural approach to work and life. Today, she combines her ingrained sense of sustainability with a PhD in Fine Chemistry and an extremely strong academic record in analytical, physical and organic chemistry. Her work focuses on alternative and greener meth- odologies in chemistry, including novel technologies for materials preparation, the production of biofuels, and photocatalysis – a greener alternative for the production of chemicals and energy.

As part of her PhD thesis, Balu brought together three important disciplines – nanoma-terials, energy and environment – and led a multidisciplinary team to develop more sustainable processes for the preparation of supported nanoparticles. “We prepared and optimised green designer nanomaterials for various energy and environmental applications,” explains Balu. “This included the production of advanced second generation biofuels and high added-value chemicals as well as biomass valorisation and environmental remediation.” Balu has edited a book on biomass energy production, co-authored 27 scientific papers and presented at more than 30 international confer-ences.

The jury was impressed by Balu’s innovative work with designer nanomaterials for greener production processes and emphasized the importance of green chemistry for a more sustainable future.

Graduated: 2001, Universidad de Cordoba, SpainResearch stay in Germany: 06/2012 – 08/2012 at: Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Berlin

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Alumni2012

Daria Camilla BOFFITO (27, Italy)MSc in Industrial ChemistryResearch focus: Heterogeneous catalysis; production of biodiesel from non-food biomass materials

Daria Camilla Boffito’s mission is to increase the efficiency – and sustainability – of the biofuels production process. A leader among Italy’s young scientists, Boffito’s notable scientific achievements so far are driven by her broader perspective on the agricultural, energy harvesting and industrial manufacturing processes. This begins with her commitment to non-food biomass resources and desire to achieve maximum agricultural benefit from the crop selection, planting and harvesting phase.

“In my work I have always tried to use non-food cultures with low water requirements and green manure effects, and explored the possibility of adopting them for crop-rota-tion with food cultures,” explains Boffito. “In this way the land is not just used for ener-gy harvesting purposes, but beneficial properties are also conferred to the ground.

Boffito’s already impressive record of publications and international presentations is based largely on her award-winning work developing efficient catalytic systems to improve process efficiency. These catalysts are designed to respond to different kinds of feedstocks and promote reactivity in environmentally friendly solvents, so as to avoid the use of toxic materials. She has also performed groundbreaking work with sonochemical techniques to enhance reactions efficiency.

The jury emphasized the importance of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels and Boffito’s focus on non-food biomass materials, which is key to the sustainability of biofuels in the future.

Graduated: 2009, University of Milan, Italy

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Viktor BRUS (25, Ukraine)MSc in Alternative Energy SourcesResearch focus: Alternative energy sources, heterojunction solar cells

A PhD student in Electronics and Energy Engineering at the Frantsevich Institute in the Ukraine, Viktor Brus is quick to point to Germany as the global leader in photovoltaic (PV) applications: “The German solar PV industry installed 5.9 GW and provided about 3% of total electricity in 2011,” says Brus. “Some market analysts expect this could reach 25% by 2050.” The goal to transform the efficiency of PVs on this scale is powering the growth of semiconductor materials science today – and it’s a huge motivator for Brus.

Brus has focused his research on heterojunction solar cells, which represent the next generation of PV cells after single-material (homojunction) silicon PV cells. Heterojunc-tion cells consist of different thin-film semiconductor materials, which form distinctive top and bottom layers. They can absorb light better than silicon and better facilitate the flow of electrons. Brus performs quantitative analysis of various solar cells and has fabricated a number of new and previously not studied heterojunctions for use in PVs and light emitting diodes.

Brus is one of the most productive and active publishing young scientists in Ukraine. Since 2009 he has published more than 50 works including 15 articles in peer-review international journals, 10 articles in national Ukrainian journals, 4 Ukrainian patents and about 30 abstracts presented at Ukrainian and international conferences. The Green Talents jury noted his excellent academic profile and his outstanding record of publications.

Graduated: 2009, Chernivtsi NationalUniversity, Ukraine

Suraphon CHAIWONGSAR (34, Thailand)PhD in Cellular and Molecular BiologyResearch focus: Eco-efficient farming

Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna is Thailand’s leading university in the area of sustainable community development. Since joining the university faculty as a lecturer and researcher, Suraphon Chaiwongsar has applied his background in molecular biology, plant biotechnology and bioenergy to help improve the livelihoods of farmers in Thailand by increasing agricultural productivity while conserving natural resources and biodiversity. His extensive experience with life cycle assessment and carbon footprint analysis has also helped his research group obtain international funding for several research projects. These include the development of a low carbon policy for the agriculture sector and the 2012 project funded by Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), the government of Japan “Harmonious development of alternative energy system, agriculture practice system and clean envi-ronment system for a sustainable community”.

Chaiwongsar believes strongly in combining technology with a people approach. “My strategy to ensure food security and sustainable development is to use systems analysis and modelling approaches combined with farmer-focused experimentation and resource assessment,” he explains. “This will ensure robust solutions for raising the eco-efficiency of agricultural systems.”

The jury highlighted Chaiwongsar’s broad scientific experience in eco-efficient farm-ing, his tireless research and his contribution to addressing Thailand’s three key agri-cultural challenges: achieving economic sustainability in the face of low profitability, falling farm-gate prices and low productivity.

Graduated: 2007, University ofWisconsin-Madison, USA

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Bernardo DEL CAMPO (30, Uruguay)MSc in BiofuelsResearch focus: Biochar as a soil additive and tool for carbon sequestration

Bernardo del Campo is a biofuels ambassador. After rebuilding his 30 year old Mer-cedes 300SD to run on biodiesel and cooking oil, he spearheaded the use of biodie-sel to fuel Iowa State University’s bus system and is heavily involved in the promotion of biofuel technology among colleagues, community leaders and in the private sector. Today a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering, del Campo’s goal is to draw additional environmental benefits from the biofuel life-cycle.

Del Campo’s current research focuses on biochar, a high-carbon by-product from the conversion of biomass to biofuels through a process called pyrolysis. Biochar can be added to soil to improve water quality, increase crop yields and, most importantly, sequester carbon in the soil for centuries. “Biochar can improve soil properties with profound impacts on greenhouse gas emission while providing several other environ-mental benefits.” says del Campo. “This kind of carbon-negative technology means being able to produce biofuel with a net withdrawal of CO2 from the atmosphere.” Del Campo is currently conducting privately-funded research on fast pyrolysis bio-chars for carbon sequestration with the goal of marketing them for carbon credit and large-scale field trials.

Del Campo impressed the jury with his innovative computer-automated tool for moni-toring biomass decomposition, which makes it possible to assess the storage and shelf life of agricultural biomasses. The jury particularly highlighted his current research on biochar recalcitrance, overall GHG emission, and the overall mitigation profile using this specially modified tool, which it described as a “fascinating approach” to extending the overall environmental benefits of biofuels. Graduated: 2010, Iowa State University,

USA

Alexandros GASPARATOS (33, Greece)PhD in Ecological Economics Research focus: Sustainability assessment and ecosystem service valuation

If you are looking for an all-rounder on sustainability issues, you might want to check in with Green Talents winner Alexandros Gasparatos. Currently a postdoc at the University of Oxford’s Biodiversity Institute, Gasparatos conducts interdisciplinary re-search on ecosystem services and is developing mechanisms for measuring and valu-ating these services, which include everything from food and energy supply to carbon sequestration, soil erosion protection, and freshwater purification.

Right now, Gasparatos is exploring how the ecosystem services approach can be used to frame, assess and convey the direct and indirect impact of biofuel production. His work, which includes case studies on jatropha landscapes in southern Africa, and sugarcane production in Sao Paolo State, has significant applied components. “My assessment tools could be used by the private sector to evaluate biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides in different bioenergy landscapes around the world,” explains the ecological economist from Greece. “Understanding and conveying the multi-faceted role of biodiversity for human well-being is key in facilitating green economic transitions.”

The jury was impressed by Gasparatos’ exhaustive research in ecosystem services and biodiversity, noting his application of the ecosystem service approach to his inves-tigations of the social and economic impacts of energy crop cultivation. Gasparatos also impressed with his strong academic career and extensive list of publications.

Graduated: 2009, University of Dundee, UK

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Alexander GOLBERG (30, Israel)PhD in BioengineeringResearch focus: Biotechnologies for the production of energy and materials from biomass (bio-refineries); pulsed electric fields processing

The prospect of a 30 percent increase in global population by 2050, and the asso-ciated explosion of energy demand in developing countries, is for many a sobering thought. But Alexander Golberg sees it as an opportunity to bring large-scale change to the way the world generates things like fuel, chemicals, feed, and food. For Gol-berg, bio-refineries, which produce energy and value-added projects from biomass rather than petroleum, could play a big role in the transformation. “In countries like India and China, the energy infrastructure is still in its infancy, so it’s an outstanding opportunity to implement new bio-refinery systems,” says Golberg.

For his part, Golberg is developing advanced biotechnologies and bioengineering products to help make the concept of bio-refineries a reality. His PhD thesis – a break-through in energy production from the electrolysis of biological matter – received worldwide media coverage and is the basis for technology currently developed in Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. As a postdoc, he has developed a new energy efficient tech-nology for food storage. Also hailed as a landmark breakthrough, this work demon- strates that pulsed electric fields can achieve a similar biological effect as refrigeration for a fraction of the energy cost. The Green Talents jury was particularly impressed with Golberg’s concept for small-scale distributed bio-refineries based on macro-algae and the impact his work is having on renewable energy research around the world.

Graduated: 2011, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

GU Dongdong (32, China)PhD in Material ScienceResearch focus: Green remanufacturing of metal components using laser technology

Metal components inevitably become worn, damaged and even non-functioning after long-term industrial use. Current recycling practices involve the reclaiming of metal materials through re-melting, a high-energy process with negative impacts on the en-vironment, including groundwater contamination and air pollution.

Dongdong Gu, Professor of Laser Materials Processing at the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, focuses on a greener, more cost-effective alternative to re-melting: remanufacturing. His research, which combines laser technology, me-chanical engineering, materials science and metallurgical engineering, is helping to develop this increasingly favoured and comprehensive industrial process lauded as the “ultimate form of recycling”.

“Laser remanufacturing is not merely repair or maintenance,” explains Gu. “Some-times the laser re-manufactured metal parts actually offer superior performance, re-liability and lifetime.” Gu’s so-called “laser metal deposition (LMD)” process is non-polluting and is free of waste material, making it an all around green solution. And according to Gu, the price is right, too, with remanufactured components just 40%–60% the cost of new ones.

The jury praised Gu as a highly motivated and innovative young scientist making im-portant contributions by developing processes that save in both energy and material wastage. His extensive list of publications in the field of laser rapid re-/manufacturing also earned Gu the jury’s commendation. Graduated: 2007, College of Materials

Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China

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Oswald JUMIRA (30, Zimbabwe)MEng in TelecommunicationsResearch focus: Design and development of energy efficiency and energy harvesting (renewable energy) techniques for embedded wireless communication systems

Communicating around the clock and around the globe requires more energy than we might think. According to the SMART 2020 study, carbon emissions from information communications technologies (ICTs) alone are increasing at a rate of 6% per year and could represent 12% of worldwide emissions by 2020.

Oswald Jumira is developing new ways to achieve ecologically sustainable and cost effective communications infrastructure. Jumira focuses on energy harvesting tech-niques, which allow wireless communication devices to draw the energy they need from the immediate environment. These devices can tap into vibrational energy, ther-mal energy, outdoor solar energy or indoor lighting for their power needs, and reduce or even eliminate their dependence on batteries.

“In Africa the number of people with cell phones currently exceeds those with access to grid-based electricity and this exponential growth of ICTs is being fed by electricity from highly inefficient legacy power stations,” says Jumira. “We as researchers in the ICT and engineering field have recognized the vital need for new approaches and techniques to begin reducing Africa’s carbon footprint.”

The jury felt that Jumira’s work developing more sustainable and energy efficient ICT systems could bring great ecological and economic benefits, especially to Africa. They were particularly impressed with his breakthroughs in energy efficiency and energy harvesting techniques for embedded wireless communication systems.

Graduated: 2009, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Joni JUPESTA (35, Indonesia)PhD in Management Science and TechnologyResearch focus: Transition to green growth in emerging economies with focus on Indonesia

One of the world’s major emerging economies, Indonesia changed its status from net oil exporter to net oil importer in 2004 and was responsible for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2005. It boasts the world’s largest palm oil industry, but faces massive deforestation and big questions about the sustainability of its growth. As Indonesia’s transition to a low-carbon economy takes on increasing urgency, 2012 Green Talents winner Joni Jupesta is helping drive its green-growth evolution.

Currently a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow at the United Nations University, Jupesta contributes to policy briefs on green economic growth, climate change governance, and poverty alleviation in Indonesia, which draws on his multidisciplinary research across the forestry, agriculture and energy sectors. While he is pushing to phase out oil subsidies, accelerate the implementation of green technologies (biofuel, geo-thermal, etc.) or upgrade the skills and capabilities of workers, he emphasises the importance of a broader perspective. “In order for green growth to be inclusive and equitable, development policies must integrate society, economy and environment,” says Jupesta. “True sustainability will require institutional and social innovation as well as technological innovation.”

The jury was impressed with Jupesta’s applications-oriented research and work to integrate international climate protection approaches into Indonesian national policy. It highlighted his focus on low carbon society, sustainable palm oil production, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) scheme as key issues for the future of Indonesia.

Graduated: 2010, Tohoku University, Japan

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Sabaa Ahmad KHAN (34, Canada)LLM in International LawResearch focus: Public-private partnerships in asset recovery and e-waste management. Social and envi-ronmental responsibility in pyrometallurgy and metals supply to the IT sector.

Electronic waste, or “e-waste”, has become the fastest growing waste stream in the 21st century – and perhaps the scariest. These end-of-life devices, built and marketed for obsolescence, generate uncontrolled quantities of toxic waste.

If not in landfills, much of the world’s e-waste – up to 50 million tonnes of it – ends up in Asia and Africa, which have come to be known as “dumping grounds” for the developed world’s obsolete electronics. Environmental lawyer and Green Talents winner Sabaa Ahmad Khan, currently completing her LL.D. on regional and national policies of e-waste management and asset recovery, is taking a close look at emerging e-waste industries in India and Ghana, and their international linkages.“ Unfortunately many electronic commodities that are sent to West Africa labelled as second-hand equipment are actually waste, or very close to becoming waste,” says Khan. “While providing access to technology is essential to human development, so is enabling societies to safely manage technologies once they become obsolete. It is a global environmental responsibility.” The environmentally sound recycling of e-waste is a critical component to reducing the overexploitation of natural resources, yet it continues to be a significant challenge in developing countries.

Through her interdisciplinary investigations into the global e-waste dilemma, Khan hopes to make an impact in the area of extended producer responsibility policyma-king and lifecycle management.

The jury, impressed by Khan’s exhaustive research on the nexus of regulatory frame-works and technical considerations on the e-waste issue, noted the growing impor-tance of governance-focused research like Khan’s in sustainable resource manage-ment practices.

Graduated: 2010, Université de Montréal, Canada

Aung Ko Ko KYAW (33, Singapore)PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research focus: Design, architecture and fabrication of excitonic solar cells

Aung Ko Ko Kyaw is focused on the design, architecture and fabrication of excitonic solar cells, which include organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). His achievements include the development of air-stable inverted struc-ture OPVs and the groundbreaking development of low-cost DSSCs using transparent and conductive carbon-based electrodes, which totally eliminates the need for expen-sive conventional electrodes. Kyaw envisions a future with solar panels on every roof, and emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration to achieve the kind of cost reductions that this will require. “Working hand in hand with chemists and material scientists, I believe it will be possible to reduce the cost of solar-generated electricity for sustainable growth.”

A PhD in Electrical Engineering, Kyaw has co-authored two chapters in the fields of energy harvesting and green photonics and published 19 papers in international peer-reviewed journals, which have been cited over 250 times. His prize-winning PhD work led him to a postdoctoral fellowship under Nobel laureate Prof. Alan Heeger at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he focused on morphology-controlled bulk-heterojunction solar cells.

The jury was impressed with Kyaw’s ingenuity and tremendous enthusiasm for devel-oping new materials and manufacturing techniques for solar cells, adding that this kind of research is fundamental to the future economic viability and sustainability of solar energy.

Graduated: 2012, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

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LI Yuan (29, China)PhD in Physics Research focus: Opto-electronic devices; 3D photovoltaics

A physicist with background in optics, Yuan Li is working on improving the efficiency of solar cells and breaking new ground in the field of 3D photovoltaics. His focus is on a new solar cell architecture known as “optical confinement architecture”, which confines optical energy to make photons more accessible for exciting electrons within the solar cell. Li’s models demonstrate higher absorption, photocurrent density and quantum efficiency compared to conventional planar cells, as well as improved per-formance at high light intensity.

A research scientist at the NANOTECH Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University, USA, Li is spearheading collaboration between the USA and his native China in a field where technological advances will have a significant impact on the competitiveness of solar technologies and energy consump-tion patterns around the world. “The German Advisory Council on Global Change predicts that solar power will account for over 60% of the total energy output around the world by the end of this century,” says Li. “3D solar cells have attracted tremendous interest from scientists and industry all around the world and have the potential to dramatically improve efficiency and contribute to this kind of transformation.”

Li most impressed the Green Talents jury with his passion for his work, his ground-breaking contributions to 3D photovoltaics, his extensive list of publications and his leadership in forging international collaborative partnerships.

Graduated: 2012, Wake Forest University, USA

Rachel MUIGAI (31, Kenya)MSc in Durability of Reinforced Concrete StructuresResearch focus: Design and construction solutions for more sustainable concrete infrastructure

Rachel Muigai’s approach to sustainability is to find practical design and construction solutions that will lead to more sustainable concrete infrastructure. A civil engineer and currently a PhD candidate at the University of Cape Town, Muigai’s basic goal is to ensure that future concrete structures in South Africa have the lowest possible carbon footprint and impact on the environment and society.

As part of her PhD work, Muigai is developing a model that optimizes the mix design materials for concrete while minimizing life-cycle costs and energy consumption. She is applying the model in the material design of concrete bridges and concrete-framed buildings. “The tool supports sustainable growth in that it motivates the practicing engineer to use secondary and recycled materials that have low embodied energy,” says Muigai. “The use of secondary materials in the concrete mix-design not only promotes conservation of raw materials, but also creates jobs, as people are needed to sort waste materials at demolition sites.”

Emphasizing the importance of the building and construction sectors to sustainable development, the jury pointed to Muigai’s innovative, award-winning work at the Master’s level and her current PhD work, which it says is making a significant contri-bution to more sustainable reinforced concrete structures in South Africa.


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Sarah Louise NASH (23, UK)MA in German and PoliticsResearch focus: Climate-induced migration

Currently a Master’s candidate in Human Rights and International Politics at the Uni-versity of Glasgow, Scotland, Sarah Louise Nash is working at the crossroads of hu-man rights, climate change and population displacement. Her current project focuses on Somalia, where people are being displaced for a wide variety of reasons. “This provides an example which is theoretically very difficult to conceptualise,” says Nash, “and which highlights the practical difficulties faced by the international community in dealing with climate-induced displacement.”

While the social consequences of climate change are not yet clearly understood, Nash points out the very real political ramifications of environmental migration across borders. “The countries most affected by climate change displacement will increasing-ly look to other countries for support and perhaps also relocation possibilities,” she says. “Addressing the issue will require international collaboration and new global humanitarian policies and practices.” Nash also believes that climate-induced dis-placement must be included in any discussions on sustainable development. “Any solution for sustainable development and green growth must consider those who have been displaced because of climate change,” she says.

One of the youngest researchers to take part in the 2012 Green Talents competition, Nash impressed the jury with her long-term perspective and dedication to this com-plex and challenging issue.

Graduated: 2011, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Muhammad Farrakh NAWAZ (31, Pakistan)PhD in Environmental SciencesResearch focus: Sustainable forestry management, phyto-remediation potential of native tree species, carbon sequestration potential of agro-forests

Muhammad Farrakh Nawaz has always been drawn to forests for their aesthetic beauty, recreational and inspirational value. An environmental scientist, he also knows the value of the ecosystem services they provide: air and water quality management, erosion control, climate regulation, carbon sequestration and the recycling of nutrients and wastes, to name a few.

Today Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry, Range Management and Wild-life at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Nawaz is a champion of Pakistan’s forests, investigating the impact of human economic activity on forest ecosystems and ways to ensure forest health into the future. One example of this is his current work monitoring the performance of trees in degraded and compacted soils. Nawaz also sees forests as a huge resource for mitigating some of today’s biggest man-made en-vironmental threats. “We have observed a big problem of heavy metal accumulation in the soil here in Faisalabad, one of the country’s most industrialized cities,” reports Nawaz. “I am investigating the phyto-remediation potential of native trees species for treating soils contaminated with these metals.” Nawaz is also researching the carbon sequestration potential of Pakistan’s agro-forests – work that could very well have an impact beyond his country’s borders.

The jury recognized Nawaz’s work promoting sustainable forestry management in Pakistan and was keen to support his further research into forestry related remediation and climate change mitigation techniques.

Graduated: 2010, Université Paul Cézanne (Aix Marseille III), France

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Antonio Otavio de Toledo PATROCINIO (29, Brazil)PhD in ChemistryResearch focus: Photo-induced molecular devices for solar energy conversion

Green Talents winner Antonio Otavio de Toledo Patrocinio has spent the last several years investigating molecular approaches to solar energy conversion in hopes of finding ways to boost the conversion efficiencies of devices such as dye-sensitised solar cells and artificial photosynthetic devices. One important step is understanding electron transfer processes and how the chemical and physical properties of various materials affect their efficiencies.

Patrocinio took this step and immediately turned heads, winning the award for Brazil’s best doctoral thesis in Chemistry in 2010. “I’ve synthesized and characterized pho-toactive ruthenium and rhenium complexes,” he explains. “I have also used molecules from berry extracts and other Brazilian fruits as sensitizers in solar cells.” This is important to Patrocinio, now a Chemistry professor, who sees local solutions as a keystone to green growth.

“You also need to develop qualified human resources willing to take on the energy issue,” says Patrocinio, who sees this as one of his responsibilities. Himself a member of a university-based R&D group devoted to developing new inorganic materials, Pa-trocinio encourages his students at all levels to creatively contribute to the develop-ment of green solutions.

Patrocinio was selected by the jury for his work in photoelectrochemistry and the promise it holds in driving solar energy technologies forward. The jury also noted Patricinio’s research in his field as “most impressive”.

Graduated: 2010, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

Adam SCHRÖFEL (31, Czech Republic)PhD in Material Science Research focus: Biosynthesis of noble metal nanomaterials and nanoparticles by living organisms

When it comes to finding ways to protect the environment, Green Talents winner Adam Schröfel takes his cue from nature itself. “Nature gives us the clues we need,” says the biochemist, who is now applying his expertise in the life sciences to developing biosynthetic nanomaterials. “Gaining a deeper understanding of structures of biogenic materials and cellular energy production can lead to cleaner energy produc-tion, biodegradable materials and reduced soil and water contamination.”

Schröfel, who helped build up the bionanotechnologies laboratory at VŠB-Technical University in Ostrava, focuses on biosynthesis, employing nature-derived processes to create nanomaterials. Unlike chemical approaches, it is low-cost, energy-efficient and environmentally benign. His work has led to the synthesis of a functional nanomaterial containing diatom silica shells that can be used in the catalytic removal of nitrate pol-lutants. It also has defence-related applications, such as the hydrolytic decomposition of extremely dangerous nerve agents.

Going “nano” has opened up a huge realm of possibilities for his work. Next up? Schröfel plans to use his material as an electrode catalyst in the hydrogen fuel cell.

The jury was impressed by Schröfel’s extensive research experience and excellent scientific results, recognising his work on the biosynthesis of nanomaterials and na-noparticles as a sustainable alternative to the chemical and physical synthesis of nanomaterials. By linking his work to higher contributions in sustainable development, Schröfel addresses an important area of research activity.

Graduated: 2012, VŠB-Technical University, Czech Republic

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Raymond Siebrits (25, South Africa)BSc in Environmental Management and Sustainability SciencesResearch focus: Water research sustainability

Most Green Talents winners are involved in the research of sustainability. Raymond Siebrits is interested in the sustainability of research. He grapples with questions such as: how can we facilitate research that is appropriate, relevant, efficient, objective and free from negative influence? How can we make sure that research truly serves the needs of society? How can we promote strategic research with impact and enable this sustainably in a complex world?

Siebrits’ Master’s thesis, entitled ‘An analysis of water research in South Africa: knowl-edge and adaptive capacity’, recently attracted the interest of the South Africa’s Wa-ter Research Commission, which is now funding a team of researchers to further develop Siebrits’ work. This project, led by Siebrits, is focused on the scientometrics and horizon scanning of water research in South Africa with the goal of promoting research that is more inter-disciplinary, collaborative, relevant and efficient.

“We want to enable sustainable research and growth in the water research environ-ment to promote greater innovation, better problem-solving and improved policy,” says Siebrits. “I feel this lies at the very core of sustainable development.”

The jury highlighted the importance of sustainability research and Siebrits’ particular focus on water research sustainability. It was also impressed by his engagement in the International Water Association’s ‘Young Water Professionals’ initiative in South Africa and his role as chair of the group’s Western Cape branch.


Anita SINGH (30, India)PhD in BotanyResearch focus: Irrigation water as a source of heavy metal contamination in vegetable crops; soil remediation

Heavy metals in the environment are permanent. Instead of decaying, like organic pollutants, they “bioaccumulate” and are extremely toxic in high concentrations. As it turns out, heavy metals can be introduced into the human food chain when farmers irrigate their crops using treated industrial or municipal wastewater. An insidious problem, this was the subject of Anita Singh’s PhD dissertation work, several of her first international publications, and an award-winning paper which assessed the risk of heavy metal toxicity from contaminated vegetables and the implications for human health.

Today a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Allahabad, India, Singh is now focus-ing her efforts on sustainable solutions to the problem. Because many conventional soil remediation technologies have proven expensive and disruptive, Singh is developing cost-effective techniques for reducing the bioavailability of heavy metals and mitigating their impact on plant physiology, plant yield and human health. “My aim is to apply biotechnology to achieve environmentally sound solutions to the global waste crisis facing both developed and developing countries,” says Singh. “Improving ag-ricultural productivity while removing toxic chemicals and heavy metal pollution from the environment will be crucial to sustainable development.”

The jury noted the tremendous impact of Singh’s research in her field and was partic-ularly impressed by her excellent record of publications and awards, including the Alice J. Murphy Outstanding Award for excellence in Research and Education.

Graduated: 2009, Banaras Hindu University, India

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Javier Enrique SOLANO MARTÍNEZ (30, Colombia)PhD in Energy and Electrical Engineering Research focus: Energy management of hybrid electrical vehicles; train optimal control

With transportation representing more than 25% of the world’s energy consumption, Green Talents winner Javier Enrique Solano Martínez is clear on his mission: “My work on sustainable transport systems is part of the effort to reduce this consumption and its environmental impact.”

Solano Martínez began chipping away at this task during his Master’s, successfully optimising a flywheel system capable of reduing the energy consumption in vehicles by recovering the braking energy. For his PhD work, Solano Martínez turned his attention to the unique challenge posed by hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs). “Unlike conventional vehicles, hybrids have multiple energy sources,” he explains. “These different sources need to be distributed in a way that not only meets power demands but other requirements as well, such as comfort, reducing energy consumption and minimising emissions.” Using type 2 fuzzy logic control, Solano Martínez proposed innovative energy management solutions for HEVs and has successfully validated the-se control laws in real-time on a full-scale heavy-duty hybrid vehicle.

Now a postdoctoral fellow, Solano Martínez has turned to even larger vehicles, work-ing with Alstom Transport, the world’s first maker of high speed trains. His research involves optimal control to reduce the energy consumption in trains.

The jury noted Solano Martínez‘ commitment to increasing transportation system ef-ficiencies with his work on energy management in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehi-cles. The jury was also impressed by the awards received for his PhD work, including one for industrial innovation from the Conference for Young Researchers in Electrical Engineering (JCGE 2011).

Graduated: 2012, Université de Franche-Comté, France

© 2010, FONA - Research for Sustainability

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Supriya TIWARI (34, India)PhD in Ecology/Environmental ScienceResearch focus: Impact of air pollution on plants

Green Talents winner Supriya Tiwari has an exacting eye on tropospheric ozone (O3), a.k.a. “bad” ozone, and for good reason. Identified as one of the most major threats to global food production due to its ruinous effect on plants, O3 levels are predicted to increase by as much as 40% in the near future. If the emissions of ozone precursors remain unchecked, South Asia will soon rank number one in O3 concentrations.

Tiwari, an Assistant Professor of Botany at S. S. S. V. S. Government Post Graduate College, Chunar, Mirzapur, has been tracking the formation of O3 and its effects on plant productivity in India for the past several years. “The accumulation of O3 in the suburban and rural agricultural areas has led to significant crop yield reductions,” explains Tiwari. What worries her is the damaging chain of effects. “The economic losses, estimated at $4 billion per annum for staple crops in South Asia, compel farmers to migrate to other places. Serious setbacks in sustainable development are the result.”

Tiwari, a much-cited scientist, was the first in her field to document the successful use of Open Top Chamber (OTC) experiments in India’s tropical context. Her evaluations of ozone crop injury and O3-induced yield reductions are making a significant contri-bution in the planning of sustainable agriculture strategies, cultivation of O3 resistant species, and use of nutrient amendments and CO2 fertilization.

She also aims at studying the role of ethylenediurea (EDU), an antiozonant in mini-mizing O3 injury in plants under ambient O3 concentrations in a tropical scenario.The jury, impressed by the high quality of Tiwari’s research and findings, emphasised the significance of Tiwari’s scientific research in addressing issues of food security in suburban and rural areas.

Graduated: 2006, Banaras Hindu University, India

Dhanya VIJAYAN (26, India)MSc in Geography (Geoinformatics)Research focus: Micro-level natural resources and environmental management

When it comes to natural resources management and sustainable development, Green Talents winner Dhanya Vijayan is certain of her approach. “Many of the envi-ronmental problems we face today are of societal origin,” she says. “An anthropocen-tric approach is needed to tackle them.”

Vijayan sees an intrinsic link between environmental protection and the eradication of poverty. “Survival needs compel the poor to continue to exploit already degraded ecosystems,” she explains. Her most recent research project in Kerala State, which involved environmental management planning at the micro level, has shown that par-ticipatory governance and stakeholder involvement at the lowest level are the most effective tools for raising awareness, generating rural employment, and effecting sus-tainable resource conservation and utilisation.

Equally clear are her results, which include a long list of locally-driven achievements – from rainwater harvesting and pond restorations to modifying drainage systems. “Self-help groups are the key to meaningful environmental management programmes and poverty reduction,” says Vijayan, encouraged by the evidence of long-term envi-ronmental and socio-economic improvements.

The jury commends Vijayan for her research in the area of sustainable regional devel-opment and lauds her use of participative methods. The jury describes her strategy of combining standard of living enhancement of local populations with eco-friendly natural resource utilisation as effective and worthy of further exploration.

Graduated: 2008, Kannur University, India

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Komalirani YENNETI (29, India)Master’s in Environmental PlanningResearch focus: Socio-political dimensions of the implementation of renewable energy (solar) projects

Renewable energy (RE) technologies have the power to drive the transition towards greener urban economies and provide technological solutions for un-electrified rural areas around the world. But solutions for actually implementing such RE technologies are not always obvious. As part of her doctoral research, Komalirani Yenneti is inves-tigating the socio-political dimensions of renewable energy projects, including practices and processes involved in the implementation of solar power policies. Her thesis – ‘Social justice implications and implementation of solar energy in India’ – considers issues such as social acceptance, equity, social justice and livelihood implications of solar energy projects. “My field work has uncovered some very real local challenges to the implementation of large-scale RE in India,” says Yenneti. “The social factor is significant for the diffusion of RE technologies.”

Formerly she worked on energy efficiency and framing green building bye laws for various Indian cities as a researcher at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India, before commencing her PhD. She has widely published, including a book on ‘carbon financing and composting’ and in the ‘2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change’.

The Green Talents jury highlighted Yenneti’s work at the interface between climate and social issues as well as her keen understanding of factors necessary for technology implementation. In addition to her academic record of scholarships, awards and in-ternational fellowship programmes, Yenneti’s professional experience includes several public advocacy achievements and extensive involvement in community organisations and grass roots initiatives. The jury was very impressed with her overall approach to research and ability to draw on her broad experience to build international networks.

Graduated: 2009, University of Birmingham, UK

ZHANG Zilong (30, China)PhD in Human Geography Research focus: Industrial ecology and circular economy; coupled relationships between economic and environmental systems

China’s rapid industrialisation has come at a high price – resource depletion, environ-mental pollution and major ecosystem degradation. To turn this trend around, China has launched a green growth initiative. Green Talents winner Zhang Zilong, a lecturer in Circular Economy at Lanzhou University, is part of the process, helping China’s north-western Gansu Province establish a new paradigm for sustainable economic growth and development.

“The north-western reaches of China have been earmarked as a high-priority region for circular economic growth,” explains Zhang. “It’s a resource-rich area with fragile ecosystems, a highly diverse cultural make-up and an underdeveloped economy.” His interdisciplinary research on circular economy implementation has won him not only several academic awards but, as co-author of the Master Plan for Developing Circular Economy in Gansu Province, made him the go-to man for transforming the convention-al linear economy into an efficient, “closed loop” system where resources are reused and recycled to sustain growth.

“I analyse the material and energy metabolism of the local social-economic system in order to understand the coupled mechanism between economic and environmental systems,” says Zhang. “From there we can start building regional industrial symbiosis systems based on waste recycling and begin developing targeted policies for sustain-able development.”

Zhang impressed the jury with his innovative, solution-oriented research into the re-lationship between economic and environmental systems in circular economic development in China.

Graduated: 2012, Institute of HumanGeography, Lanzhou University, China

An initiative ofFederal Ministry of Education and Research53170 Bonn, [email protected]

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