Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Business & Environment (B&E) program at the Nicholas School is expanding opportunities for faculty and students to translate environmental science into real-world impact.
A recent example is the Mobile MRV Lab, a real-time, field-deployable system developed in the lab of Dr. Nicolas Cassar to support safe and scalable solutions for removing carbon dioxide from marine environments. The team recently traveled to Dubai to participate in Prototypes for Humanity, where students from universities in over 100 countries submit cutting-edge technologies designed to create a better future for people and the planet.
The Mobile MRV Lab was one of 100 teams selected from over 3,500 applicants.
Today’s systems for carbon dioxide removal are slow and fragmented, lacking real-time, high-frequency monitoring. The Mobile MRV Lab performs various roles that are critical for the effective removal of CO2, including:
- Measuring nitrogen fixation and its role in ecosystem productivity
- Conducting continuous measurement of photosynthesis
- Measuring oxygen and air concentration in water to assess photosynthesis and respiration levels
- Measuring the quality of dissolved inorganic carbon in a body of water
These technologies work together to provide insights into ecosystem health, helping industries like energy, agriculture, and waste management make data-driven decisions.
MEM student Jessica Stubbs was also able to travel to Dubai to see the event in action, as well as develop a comprehensive marketing plan for the Mobile MRV Lab.
“Our students do much more than come up with creative concepts—they learn how to turn their ideas into viable products, present them to consumers, secure funding, and develop marketing strategies to ensure they find their audience,” said Lori Bennear, Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School. “This is yet another example of how the Nicholas School reaches beyond the classroom to make a meaningful impact in the real world.”
Meet the Team
Nicolas Cassar is a professor of
biogeochemistry at Duke’s
Nicholas School. His research
focuses on environmental
biogeochemistry and physiology,
with the objective of constraining
the mechanisms governing
carbon cycling and climate.
Katryna Niva graduated from Princeton University in 2022 with a concentration in chemistry and a certificate in environmental studies. Her research interests include marine nutrient cycling and investigating anthropogenic impacts on marine biogeochemistry.
Akash Aithal is a product marketing manager with 6+ years of cross-functional experience across product marketing, consulting, and software development. He combines technical fluency with strategic storytelling to turn customer insights into measurable product adoption and revenue impact.
