The Knowledge Exchange created KXpress to harness the creative energy of students at The Ohio State University. Students were invited to submit creative science communications projects related to one of the five priority areas, called grand challenges, for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences: water quality, the urban-rural interface, farm and community stress, food waste, and food security. The 2021 winners were awarded scholarships of up to $500 and mentoring from the KX staff to further develop their ideas.
Liam Nigro, a third-year Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS) major, decided to tackle the threat food waste poses to sustainability. Using the unique intersection of his specialization in Sustainability and Business and his minor in Creative Writing, Liam developed “The Green Heroes of Columbus.” Inspired by his work with the Rust Belt Riders—a composting organization in Cleveland—Liam hopes to create a platform where people, specifically Ohio State students, can showcase the actions students take to solve the issue of food waste. Liam hopes that by sharing photos and stories, others can be inspired by the fact that their own actions help to facilitate change, too. Liam received $500 for his project.
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For their Industrial Design senior thesis, Leila Akberdin and Aaron Cochran devised “Atlas Meats: A Design Concept.” Troubled by the meat industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent stresses it posed for farmers and their communities, Leila and Aaron questioned what a food system can be. They approached their project from all angles, such as economics, sustainable food sources, and environmental concerns. With their proposed concept for a mobile poultry processing unit, they hope to decentralize the meat processing industry to provide a solution that can quickly and easily adapt to challenges. This has the opportunity to bring more stability for those working in the agricultural world. Leila and Aaron received $500 for their project.
Seeking to showcase the unique interactions of urban and rural communities in Ohio, Genevieve Wagner turned to her specialization in print-making. She’s a fourth-year studying Studio Art with minors in both City and Regional Planning and History of Art, which, paired with her upbringing in Cuyahoga County, led to her rich presentation of this one-of-a-kind art piece. Her lithography print displays two girls—one in a rural area, the other in the city—holding cardinal chicks. By highlighting the foundational years of the cardinals, the girls, and the rural-urban interface of Ohio, she hopes to facilitate “successful communication and compassionate understanding” between the two areas built on common pride. Genevieve received $100 for her project. Her artwork will be published on the KX website.