A team comprised of members from NDSU and the University of Minnesota have received a 2022 R+D Award from Architect magazine, the journal of the American Institute of Architects.
The group was recognized for “eFargo,” which began as a board game and is now an interactive digital game. In it, the Fargo neighborhoods and their school buildings can be “played” to reduce carbon emissions and energy use. The game received one of six awards given out.
The project began in 2015, and more than 6,000 K-12 students have now played the game, with the goal to bring awareness to energy conservation and fighting climate change.
The project leads for research, design and management are former NDSU faculty member Malini Srivastava, who is now at the University of Minnesota, and Cindy Urness, NDSU associate professor and architecture program director.
“Our multi-institutional partnership with Dr. Srivastava since she joined the University of Minnesota has been satisfying, collaborative and involved the efforts of talented students and researchers from both institutions,” Urness said. “The COVID-pivot that we experienced – directing the project to a digital iteration – has been transformative, and has opened possibilities for a broader audience, including engaging teachers and students in smaller school districts across the state and region.”
Image courtesy Malini Srivastava
Among the honorees are NDSU alumni Peter Atwood and Troy Raisanen, former NDSU faculty member Yang Song and F-M civic leaders Mike Williams and Dan Mahli.
Other University of Minnesota and NDSU team members included Huojun Yang, Rajesh Kavasseri, Anne Denton, Ben Dalton, Noah Thompson, Tanner Naastad, Sarah Biesterveld, Keira Rachac, Aaron Warner, Alex Jansen, Amy McDonald, Amy Mueller, Peter Mueller, Josh Highley, Kristina Heggedal, Kristina Kaupa, Mackenzie Lyseng, Mitch Nagel, Nate Wallestad, Rachel Grider, Ryan Gapp, Ryan Gram, Rachel Marsh, Sarah Watson, Samantha Marihart, Taylor Schuman, Olivia Mack, Chufue Yang, Mikayla McVay, Meghan Gahlman, Petra Jungbluth, Haley Schraufnagel, Maura MacDaniel, Qi Heng Lee and Erick Bickler.
NDSU project designer Aaron Yang, course instructor and doctoral candidate in software engineering, represented NDSU at last fall’s awards reception in Washington, D.C., as part of the “Architect Live” conference.
The eFargo project received funding from the North Dakota Department of Commerce, State Energy Program, Department of Energy, Edyth and Archibald Bush Foundation of Minnesota, a City of Fargo grant and an AIA Upjohn Research Grant.
Community partners include the Fargo Public Schools, Xcel Energy, Cass County Electric Cooperative and the City of Fargo.
In 2017, eFargo also received the nationwide Georgetown University Energy Prize.
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