Student Design Competition
Congratulations to the 2026 Student Design Competition Winners!
SWANA congratulates the award recipients of the 2026 SWANA Student Design Competition. This year’s challenge, "AI-Driven Route Optimization and Hazardous Waste Sorting for Municipal Solid Waste Management,” focused on solving for inefficient routing for collections, contamination within Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), and budget strain. Teams developed design reports and infographics and presented their solutions to a panel of judges.
Awards were presented at a virtual ceremony on April 17, just in time for Earth Day.
View the 2026 Student Design Competition Protocol »
| Team | Award |
|---|---|
| University of South Carolina (USC) | First Place |
| Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico | Second Place |
| Pandit Deendayal Energy University | Third Place |
| Jackson State University (JSU) | Honorable Mention |
| Katherine Wardenburg (USC) | Emerging Leader Award |
| Anika Mahzabin (JSU) | Rising Star Award |
Student Design Competition Overview
The SWANA Student Design Competition (SDC) is a team project focused on solving a real world problem faced by resource management professionals, providing professional experience to students pursuing an education and/or career in resource management and related environmental fields. The goals of the SDC are to:
- Provide students with real world experience in solving complex waste, resource management and environmental issues in a supportive and fun environment.
- Provide students with an opportunity to display their problem-solving, professional writing and communication skills.
- Encourage student involvement in SWANA.
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