The Department of Economics extends its congratulations to undergraduate economics major Monishita (Moni) Pal who, along with peers Xinyao Ding, Daniel Park, and Andy Tan, created a business, AgriC, that was awarded the grand prize in the 2016 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge.
Now in its eighth year, the challenge - sponsored by the Foster School of Business Arthur W. Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship - asks interdisciplinary teams of UW undergraduates to define an environmental problem, develop a solution, design and build a prototype, create a business plan to market their product, and pitch their business to dozens of judges drawn from the local business and startup community.
Moni and her team beat out 22 other teams from eight universities across Washington state with AgriC, winning a grant of $15,000 intended to prompt their continued business development. Their product, a biodegradable plastic designed for agricultural use, is made out of chitin, an organic material derived from crustacean shells that becomes fertilizer after decomposing. AgriC was selected in part due to its potential to remain sustainable and have a far-reaching impact beyond the context of the challenge itself.
The department is proud of Moni and our many undergraduates who work to innovate and discover in an effort to make the world a more sustainable place.