UMaine’s Innovation Tournament Awards Announced
Contact: Jesse Moriarity, 581-1427
ORONO — The four student teams from UMaine that created novel ideas for repurposing the plastic water bottle as part of an international Global Innovation Challenge last week have received awards and recognition from the Foster Student Innovation Center on campus.
Founded and sponsored by Stanford University in recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week Nov. 12-19, students from around the world — more than 55 institutions from 12 countries — had five days to come up with a new use for a common, everyday object as an indication of innovative creativity. The challenge was to create social, monetary or artistic value with the object. Previous objects have included post-it notes and paper clips. This year, the plastic water bottle was the focus of the competition.
Stanford University will announce the 2008 winners of the Global Innovation Challenge on Dec. 5 on its contest website (http://eweek.stanford.edu/2008/winners.html), where winners from last year are currently available.
At UMaine, awards and winners were:
The Change the World Award, to Charles Drew, Nathaniel Wildes and Michael Carrington, who won dinner with former Gov. Angus King; the video is accessible atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=bPKpkWzT9iQ.
The Most Growth Potential Award, to Alex Morrow, Dan Pierce and Zach Goater, who won a private concert for themselves and 50 of their friends; the video is accessible atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=93ApjiG-Lb8.
The Life Savers Award, to Eric Crone, Tyler Thayer and Evan Manley, who won the Best of Orono package, and also received the Audience Choice Award; the video is accessible atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pp9yfB6dgo.
And the Persistence Award, to Eric Lovejoy and Joshua Gaylin; the video is accessible atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_cblD_Dls1Y.
“All of these students worked hard, quickly and creatively to come up with imaginative and innovative ideas,” says Jesse Moriarity, coordinator of the Foster Student Innovation Center, and one of a panel of judges of the videos. “We are already looking forward to next year’s Global Innovation Challenge.”