Press Herald Reports on UMaine Business Challenge Winner

The Portland Press Herald reported University of Maine Ph.D. student Nadir Yildirim and UMaine alumnus Alexander Chasse won the 2015 UMaine Business Challenge for their company that aims to develop forest-based, environmentally friendly materials for the construction, insulation and food-packaging industries. Yildirim, a student in the Wood Science and Technology Program in the School of Forest Resources, and Chasse, a 2013 civil engineering graduate and current UMaine researcher, received $5,000 to further develop their business, Revolution Research, Inc. RRI’s first product is a foam insulation board that is made from natural resources and 100 percent recyclable, unlike similar petroleum-based products, according to the article. “Our mission is to protect and improve global human health,” Yildirim said. “Winning the UMaine Business Challenge means we are on to something. It means that the judges have faith in our company and that we can make a difference.”