Experts from the energy, sustainable technology, and medical professions gathered at NYIT-Old Westbury on June 13 to discuss “off the grid” power, water, and shelter solutions at the university’s seventh annual energy conference.

Panelists—including David Schieren (M.S. ’06) of EmPower Solar, Stephen Boyd of Aufbau Labs, David Abecassis of Biogard Inc., Ram Venkatadri of Pall Corporation, Rich Rotanz of the Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security, and Mickey Ingles of World Water & Solar Technologies—cited the role of technology in emergency preparedness and providing natural resources through innovations such as solar-powered water purifi cation systems.

As part of the shelter issues panel, NYIT Assistant Professor Jason Van Nest described a School of Architecture and Design project that “upcycles” plastic bottles and the pallets on which they are delivered to form shelter roofs.

Edward Gotfried, D.O., of NYIT’s Center for Global Health, took conference attendees on a visual tour of Haiti and Ghana, where medical students and faculty provide health care in rural areas. NYIT engineering students have also traveled to those areas to work on projects bringing energy and clean water to medical clinics.

“There’s a certain synergy that develops when you take other disciplines with you,” Gotfried said. “There’s an interconnectedness to all of this.”

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Vol. 10 No. 3 Table of Contents