North Carolina student wins EPA Sustainability Award

This year’s Patrick H. Hurd Sustainability Award went to East Chapel Hill (North Carolina) High School student Joseph Zhou for developing a lasting and economical water quality and pollution reduction solution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday.

“Through EPA’s Patrick H. Hurd Sustainability award, the agency is encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers to put their passion for innovation to work to help us tackle our most pressing global challenges,” EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Research in the Office of Research and Development Tom Burke, who also serves as the Agency’s science adviser, said. “EPA is proud to recognize and encourage students who are working to protect public health and our environment for generations to come.”

Zhou beat out 1,701 other students at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh by creating a semiconductor that treats waterways by employ natural light to reduce pollutants caused by combustions, which can be a threat to drinking water sources. Through his win, Zhou has been invited to display his project at the EPA’s National Sustainable Design