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Green Infrastructure
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2021 Campus RainWorks Challenge Results

On April 26, 2022, EPA announced the winners and honorable mentions for the tenth annual Campus RainWorks Challenge. 42 student teams from across 24 states and 35 different academic institutions submitted green infrastructure designs that address urban stormwater pollution and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure. The breadth of expertise and innovation in these designs demonstrates that today's students are more than capable of solving the challenges of stormwater management and protecting public health and the environment in communities everywhere. Special thanks go to the Water Environment Federation, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and all of the students, faculty, and judges that participated in this year's challenge.

Congratulations to the Winning Teams!

For more information
  • Campus RainWorks Challenge Main Page
  • Competition Brief
  • Judges

Master Plan Category

  • 1st Place: University of Maryland
  • 2nd Place: University of Connecticut

Honorable Mentions

  • Michigan State University for design beauty 
  • University of Portland for extending the useful life of existing green infrastructure practices
  • Utah State University for envisioning a climate-resilient, community-focused campus

Demonstration Project Category

  • 1st Place: Florida International University
  • 2nd Place: Cornell University

Honorable Mentions

  • University of Arkansas for a dual focus on stormwater management and food security
  • University of Illinois for design of a cohesive and multi-functional treatment train
  • University of Maryland for promoting sustainable and resilient landscapes
  • University of Pennsylvania for outstanding community engagement

First Place, Master Plan Category

University of Maryland

In their entry titled "Future Flows," this team emphasized the beneficial role green infrastructure can play along transportation and pedestrian corridors. By examining current and predicted fluctuations in the movement of people and water across campus, the team's design would revitalize the campus through restoration of site hydrology and create a more resilient and adaptable campus for future generations of students.

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Bridget Stokes, Bryn Martin, Hannah Savio, Kelsey Moody (Landscape Architecture); Ella Battish, Anushka Tandon (Environmental Science and Technology)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Byoung-Suk Kweon, (Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture); Dr. Peter May (Department of Environmental Science and Technology); Michael Carmichael (UMD Facilities Management)

First Place, Demonstration Project Category

Florida International University

The team's entry, titled "Resilient MAST@FIU" redesigned a local magnet high school campus to incorporate a variety of green infrastructure practices with the goal of improving water quality, reducing urban heat island effects, and mitigating the risk of coastal flooding due to climate change. The team engaged with local stakeholders and conducted sophisticated performance modeling to produce design solutions that would not only benefit the local campus and community, but serve as a replicable example for other coastal educational institutions.

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Sumit R. Zanje (Civil Engineering); Gisselle Guttierez (Environmental Engineering); William Campbell (Hydraulic Engineering); Jennyfer Hernandez, Matthew Nuzum, Elena Passoni (Architecture); Pratik Mahyawansi, Juan Arzuza Toledo (Mechanical Engineering); Akash Dodani (Engineering Management)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Arturo S. Leon (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering); Dr. Biayna Bogosian (Department of Architecture); Nicholas Ogle (College of Arts, Sciences, and Education); Matthew J. Welker (Principal, MAST@FIU); Danny Paan (Director, Physical Plant)

Second Place, Master Plan Category

University of Connecticut

The "Ecologic L.I. Sound entry redesigned the university's Avery Point campus to mitigate the effects of stormwater pollution on the terrestrial and marine ecology of Long Island Sound. Selected green infrastructure practices emphasized the importance of native species that represent the distinctive character of coastal plant communities. In addition to protecting public health, water quality, and local ecology, the design would create collaborative educational spaces that invite students and the public to learn about the role green infrastructure can play in stormwater management and coastal resilience.

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Benjamin Zaccara, Ryan Gussen (Landscape Architecture); Kelsey Adamson, Fiona Casey (Environmental Engineering); Alex Joslin (Environmental Science)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Sohyun Park, Dr. Mariana Fragomeni (Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture); Dr. Michael Dietz (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, UCONN CLEAR); Dr. Juliana Barrett (Connecticut Sea Grant, CT NEMO); Sean Vasington (Director, UCONN Site Planning and Landscape Architecture); Ben Roccapriore (Facilities Director, Avery Point)

Second Place, Demonstration Project Category

Cornell University

Titled "Rain Delay," this entry took advantage of campus plans to construct new computer science facilities to illustrate the potential benefits of green infrastructure. The team consulted with campus experts in architecture, engineering, facilities management, and ecology to design green infrastructure solutions that would protect water quality in nearby Cayuga Lake, promote resilience, create new wildlife habitat, and foster recreational and educational opportunities for students and educators.

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Jiaxuan Tang, Adhish Parkar, Duxixi Shen, Nathan Baker, Sarah Stanzi, Swathi Suvarna (City and Regional Planning); Joseph Amsili (Soil and Crop Sciences); Junrong Shen (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Manoj Panadian (Biological and Environmental Engineering); Michael Snow (Agriculture and Rural Development); YuAng Sun (Landscape Architecture)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Professor Michael A. Tomlan, Department of City and Regional Planning

Honorable Mention Master Plan Category

Michigan State University for Design Beauty

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Kyle Trautmann, Avery Smothermon, Joseph Jennings

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Jun-Hyun Kim,  Dr. Wonmin Sohn (School of Planning Design and Construction) 

Honorable Mention, Master Plan Category

University of Portland for Extending the Useful Life of Existing Green Infrastructure Practices

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Elizabeth Diaz-Gunning, Melissa Hamling, Bryson Tamaye, Sean Yoshishige, Charline Hendrickx Vandenbosch (Civil Engineering)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Jordy Wolfland, Dr. Cara Poor (Shiley School of Engineering); Jennie Camber (Associate Vice President for Land Use and Planning)

Honorable Mention, Master Plan Category

Utah State University for Envisioning a Climate-Resilient, Community-Focused Campus

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Justin Jaques (Landscape Architecture); Robert Gordon, Ryan Richens, Grace Sunderland, Trevor Wilson (Civil Engineering)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Ryan Dupont, Austin Ball, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) Jake Powell (Department of Landscape Architecture)

Honorable Mention, Demonstration Project Category

University of Arkansas for a Dual Focus on Stormwater Management and Food Security

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Kobee Wade, Winnie VanLandingham, John Ivy, Aaron Schlosser, Landyn Green, Hagen Rushing, Emily Booth, Jessica Shearman, Cada Fischer, Brett Paris, Charles Goodgame, Hunter Waters (Landscape Architecture); Dawson Oakley, Noah Geels, Celestene Sebag (Biological Engineering)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud (Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering); Scott Biehle (Department of Landscape Architecture); Mary Purvis (Development Director, Fay Jones School); Jay Hunnicutt (Director, Facilities), Angela Oxford (Executive Director, Center for Community Engagement); Claire Allison (Assistant Executive Director, Center for Community Engagement)

Additional Advisors: Lee Porter (Ozark Green Roofs); Becky Roark (Executive Director, Beaver Watershed Alliance); John Scott (Urban Forester, City of Fayetteville)

Honorable Mention, Demonstration Project Category

University of Illinois for Designing a Cohesive and Multi-functional Treatment Train

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Jingjing Xu, Yuqing Liu, Will Napier, Chenfei Cai, Sichen Li, Jianing Zhao, Jianming Li, Tonia Andreina (Landscape Architecture); Matthew Andre Krauss, Aditi Chockalingam, Arannya Roy (Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Faculty Advisors: Jie Hu (Department of Landscape Architecture; Dr. Arthur Schmidt (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)

Honorable Mention, Demonstration Project Category

University of Maryland for Designing Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Audrey Fann, Xiaojin Ren, Jonathan Mallory (Landscape Architecture); Isabella Batish, Anushka Tandon, Lucy Hayes (Environmental Science and Technology)

Faculty and Staff Advisors: Dr. Byoung-Suk Kweon (Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture); Dr. Peter May (Department of Environmental Science and Technology); Michael Carmichael (Stormwater Maintenance Coordinator, Facilities Management)

Honorable Mention, Demonstration Project Category

University of Pennsylvania for Outstanding Community Engagement

Project Narrative (pdf) | Design Board (pdf)

Student Team: Corey Wills (Environmental Studies and City Planning); Haoge Xu, Amisha Shahra, Saffron Livaccari, Noëlle Raezer (Environmental Studies); Lorraine Ruppert (Environmental Studies and Urban Studies) Iain Lee (Bachelor of Arts, Undeclared); Henry Feinstein, Shawn Li (City Planning); Jackson Plumlee (City Planning and Landscape Architecture); Mrinalini Verma (Landscape Architecture and Environmental Building Design); Cassandra Owei (Health and Societies)

Faculty Advisor: John Miller (Earth and Environmental Studies)

Cooperating Organizations

These cooperating organizations assisted EPA with judging and outreach:

American Society of Landscape Architects

American Society of Landscape Architects Logo

American Society of Civil Engineers 

ASCE logo

Water Environment Federation

Water Environment Federation logo

To sign up for e-mail updates or ask a question about the Campus RainWorks Challenge, e-mail RainWorks@epa.gov.

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Last updated on June 2, 2022
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