RYE BROOK, NY, June 18, 2014 -- Deepika Kurup of Nashua, N.H., was recently named the 2014 winner of the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) -- the world's most prestigious youth award for water-related science and technology projects -- for her project, "A Novel Photocatalytic Pervious Composite for Degrading Organics and Inactivating Bacteria in Wastewater," which focused on developing a safe, cost-effective and eco-friendly technique for wastewater purification.
Kurup's project received the top honor out of the 50 state entries at the national competition held in Herndon, Va., on June 13-14. In September, she will represent the United States at the International Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition in Stockholm, Sweden, where she will compete against 30 other students from around the world. Kurup will receive a $10,000 scholarship, and her school will receive a $1,000 grant toward enhancing water science education.
Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL), a global water technology company focused on addressing the world's most challenging water issues, has been a sponsor of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize for the past 16 years and was a leading voice in its creation. Through its corporate citizenship and social investment program, Xylem Watermark, Xylem is working to build awareness and demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, particularly in the field of water technology.
Jack Andraka and Chloe Diggs of Maryland were also recognized as the winners of the 2014 Bjorn von Euler Innovation in Water Scholarship Award. The $1,000 scholarship recognizes projects that demonstrate a unique passion for education and awareness of sustainable water management. It honors the work of former Water Environment Federation (WEF) board member and retired Xylem Watermark Director Bjorn von Euler.
The winners' project, titled "A Novel Microfluidic Biosensor for Environmental Contaminants PLUS Development and Optimization of an Ultra-Inexpensive Plastic Water Filter to Remediate Water Pollution Sustainably," examined the creation of a microfluidic biosensor and inexpensive water filters to help solve the worldwide lack of safe drinking water due to contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides.
See also:
"U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize state winners to attend national competition"
"2014 Stockholm Water Prize awarded to Harvard Professor John Briscoe"
About the SJWP
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is the world's most prestigious youth award for a water-related science project. The Stockholm International Water Institute administers the SJWP, with H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden as the Patron. ITT Corporation is the global sponsor. The national and international competitions are open to young people between the age of 15 and 20 who have conducted water-related projects focusing on local, regional, national or global topics of environmental, scientific, social or technological importance. For more information, visit
www.wef.org.
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