Sustainability in Design
Innovation flows like a river, winding through communities and buoying them forward, and sustainability is the bridge that connects the community to its future. In 2026, sustainability was a key component of several Rose Show, capstone, and design projects that sought to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Student teams developed projects to reduce emissions, reuse and reclaim resources and waste, and revitalize communities.
From Waste to Packaging: Developing a Sustainable Paper Pulp Machine for Rose-Hulman Students
Mechanical Engineering
Alex Adams, Katie Cleary, Jessica Henning, Diana Stirn
Alex Adams, Katie Cleary, Jessica Henning, and Diana Stirn sought to help infuse sustainability into the Rose-Hulman education and curriculum by creating more sustainable class projects for future cohorts of students. They created a paper pulp package molding machine to replace an existing design for manufacturing (DfM) project, giving students hands-on experience in reusing materials and giving trash a second life as an educational tool. The machine utilizes a vacuum-forming process that mimics paper pulp packaging processes in industry, while the adjustable mold allows students to create a unique package that can fit each student's uniquely sized and shaped product. This project will be utilized by both the Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Design programs in future courses, increasing the breadth and depth of sustainable opportunities and reusing campus waste.
Riverside Road Improvement Project
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Everett Attaway, Sage Brown, Brianna Brunk
In addition to protecting natural resources, sustainability initiatives also often emphasize improving environments for people to live, work, and play while safely enjoying their natural surroundings. The Riverside Road improvement project worked alongside the City of Terre Haute to develop a plan for a three-mile stretch of "Riverside Road" for the betterment of the community. The stretch, formerly known as "First Street", sits between Cherry Street and Honey Creek Drive in Terre Haute, and the capstone design team's proposal helps transform it into a vibrant riverfront district. The Rose-Hulman students' design includes improved infrastructure to increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians and a more sustainable stormwater management plan. By increasing the aesthetics, usability, and sustainability of the area, the team helps to draw more visitors and businesses to the shores of the Wabash River.
Attaway, Brown, and Brunk presented their work to Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun, as well as other leaders from the city and the RiverScape committee.
reTHink Greenhouse Roof Replacement Project
William Witalis, Antoine Cooper, Eric Billips
Mechanical Engineering
reTHink is a local non-profit with the goal to live a cleaner and healthier life by reducing waste. A greenhouse built by a previous capstone team had succumbed to the elements and required a roof replacement. The team was tasked with replacing the existing greenhouse roof. The team settled on a simple roof design consisting of PVC slats, a single venting window, and twin-wall polycarbonate panels. This design minimized construction costs and logistics while meeting the client’s project needs.
Electric Powertrain Upcycling: Saving Vehicles from the Scrapyard
Mechanical Engineering
Kevin Cotellesso, Kevin Grady, Shaun Yamamoto, Sydney Lewis
Many vehicles today are scrapped because of a single system failure. Electric vehicles with functioning motors are discarded due to collision damage, while gasoline vehicles with sound components are scrapped because of catastrophic engine failure. This capstone aims to develop a practical methodology for a solution to mounting electric powertrain components to the gasoline vehicle’s engine bay. If proven cost-effective, this approach could extend vehicle life and lower the environmental impact of scrapping and manufacturing new automobiles.
Platform P1
Mechanical Engineering
Davis Rubel, Adam Jirovec, Owen Clowney, Aaron Nadharajan
What started as a passion project has become a business. As a sophomore, Adam Jirovec set out to develop a lightweight, electric motorcycle to reduce the hassle of his dad's daily commute. Now, Jirovec and his capstone teammates have launched Platform P1 and committed to developing the venture full-time after graduation.
Platform P1 is a full-scale, street-legal electric motorcycle designed to relieve the headache of urban transportation and reduce emissions from gas-powered vehicles and motorcycles. Built around a structural carbon-fiber paneled chassis, the platform achieves high stiffness at low mass and is capable of highway speeds.
"It's very lightweight, so it can be carried anywhere, put in a truck bed, in an elevator," said Jirovec. "It's a whole new realm of possibilities with P1."
Entrepreneurial opportunities at Rose-Hulman — both before and during the capstone experience — helped shape P1 into a viable startup. Jirovec initially pitched the concept at Sawmill Society weekend, earning a ventureship to build the idea and prototypes over the summer. Rubel, who joined the project for the capstone course, had also completed the ESCALATE program, living in a dedicated entrepreneurial community and taking entrepreneurship coursework during his first year on campus.
"Rose has the resources and the people and the talent to make whatever you want to do and whatever you have the talent to do come to life," said Rubel.
The team plans to scale manufacturing for consumer purchase soon, reducing the pain points and pollution associated with urban commutes.
Learn more about the Rose Show and past projects here.
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