The National Sustainable Design Expo is an annual showcase of cutting-edge technologies developed by college students and their faculty advisors.

In a field of 45 competitors, SCU undergraduate teammates Sandeep Lele,  Michael Sizemore, Sutyen Zalawadia (mechanical engineering), Ross Pimentel and Jeff Schwartz (electrical engineering) took 1st Place with their “Regenerative Fuel Cell for Off-Grid Renewable Energy Storage.”  Following the tragic death last September of their mentor and original Investigator on the project, Daniel Strickland, electrical engineering professors Shoba Krishnan and Abdie Tabrizi took on the role of advisors on the project. Along with bragging rights, the team will receive $90,000 to advance their research.

“The key element of this project was to develop an economically viable solar absorber, combined with heat exchanger, that has fewer parts and takes up less space,” explained mechanical engineering professor Hohyn Lee. According to team members, solar energy is currently abundant and easily accessible, but high costs and low yields are stumbling blocks for many homeowners. The SCU students have designed a system that is one-third the size of an equivalent photovoltaic system, at half the total cost.

In 2006, a diabetic coma left Castellanos with partial and fading vision. After graduating from Brophy High School in Tempe, Ariz., in 2009, Castellanos and his trusty guide dog Oregon made their way north to study computer science at Gonzaga. Castellanos is a rare individual, whose passion is music and playing guitar. And his musical abilities are gaining notoriety.

Recognizing the impact of TV on youth, Challenger Films developed a series called “The Real Winning Edge” to inspire young adults to seek a life of integrity and character by seeing it in their peers and features high-performing teenagers in arts and sports who also face significant challenges (disability, illness, tragedy, depression, substance abuse, etc.).

One of thousands of nominees, Castellanos was chosen for his musical ability to serve as a role model for all. Castellanos explained his relationship with music:

“After I went blind, I had a lot of free time on my hands, and I started playing like an hour or two a day, just trying to improve myself. And through all that work, I became pretty good. It’s all about feeling – both in the sense of emotion, but also in the sense of if it feels right just go with it.”

Challenger Films has continued to add new shows to “The Real Winning Edge” since it started in 1987. The full series is now airing on Fox-owned-and-operated stations in most major markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas, and in national syndication, reaching more than 85 percent of American households.

“We are blessed to have four Jesuits assigned to this archdiocese,” Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, said in his homily during Mass in Holy Name of Jesus Church.

The four Jesuits –Fathers Robert Allore, John W. McCarthy, Elton Fernandes, and Robert K.L. Wong — concelebrated with the archbishop, who was joining them to celebrate the milestone. Famous Jesuit astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno was there as a special guest.

Jesuits have had a positive impact on the Vancouver archdiocese; establishing schools, parishes and building up the Slovak community. The order left Vancouver for six years before starting to re-establish itself in 2006.

“It was really in 1921 that Archbishop Timothy Casey and Jesuit provincial Father John Fillian agreed that the society would open a mission here,” Archbishop Miller explained.

In 1923 Jesuit Father John Knox was asked to establish a parish and a classical college in the Dunbar area. Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parishes were established, but unfortunately the plans for the classical college did not go ahead. Archbishop Casey instead entered into an agreement with the Christian Brothers to set up what became Vancouver College.

With secondary education seemingly off the table, the Jesuits worked to establish post-secondary institutions in the archdiocese.

Archbishop William Mark Duke, Archbishop Casey’s successor, made an agreement in 1932 with the Jesuits of Upper Canada to establish a Catholic college, but again plans fell apart because of a lack of manpower.

“At this point Archbishop Duke sought out Father Henry Carr, a Basilian,” said Archbishop Miller, himself a Basilian.

Father Carr had negotiated the affiliation of St. Thomas Moore College with the University of Saskatchewan. Archbishop Duke thought this type of relationship would work in Vancouver.

“This led to the establishment of St. Mark’s College.”

The Jesuits tried again to establish a high school but again it failed. However, during this time the Jesuits established a mission among the Slovak community that led to the founding of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish in New Westminster, which the Jesuits led from 1960 to 1999. They also staffed Our Lady of Hungary Parish from 1964 to 1996 in East Vancouver.

Vancouver-area Jesuits, like their brothers in other parts of Canada, ministered to the native people. The archbishop also noted the Jesuits continued giving retreats, a Jesuit specialty, during these years.

After many years building up Immaculate Conception Parish, the Jesuits withdrew from the parish in 1984. In 2000 they completely left Vancouver, until Fr. Wong came to Holy Name of Jesus Parish in 2006.

“Now, of course, the famous four are concentrated at St. Mark’s Parish,” the archbishop said. He was referring to pastor Father Allore; assistant pastor Father McCarthy; Father Fernandes, chaplain to Corpus Christi College, the undergraduate college affiliated with St. Mark’s; and Father Wong, chaplain to St. Mark’s College.

“Although there are fewer Jesuits in Vancouver than there once were, they continue to make an invaluable contribution to building up our local church.”

The archbishop hopes that the Jesuit influence will become even stronger. “We are grateful to them and above all to the Lord, and for what they will accomplish in the future we wait with joyful hope.”

[The B.C. Catholic]

Archbishop Rowan Williams announced in London on April 16 that he would step down from his role as Archbishop of Canterbury in December 2012 to take a position at Cambridge University. The Building Bridges had run under his leadership for 10 years, and will now be housed at Georgetown University.

“Under Archbishop Williams’ leadership, Building Bridges has become the foremost dialogue for Christian-Muslim scholars in the world,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “We look forward to building upon the seminar’s achievements and its continued contributions to strengthen understanding across our faiths and cultures.”

In his announcement, Williams said the seminar had been a “very important aspect of my work as Archbishop of Canterbury.”

“The friendships that have been formed between Christian and Muslim scholars of many traditions and from many nations and the quality of the theological conversation, which has evolved between them over several years, have been enormously encouraging,” Williams said. “I am deeply grateful to Georgetown University for taking on the next phase of Building Bridges and have every confidence that the momentum within this process will lead to more fruitful dialogue.”

He also said he hopes to participate in the seminar again “from time to time.”

The Church of England plans to maintain strong links with Building Bridges through the office of the Archbishop’s Secretary for Interreligious Affairs.

Mona Siddiqui, professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at the University of Edinburgh, and a Building Bridges participant, said she found it “very encouraging that the Building Bridges seminars will continue under the leadership of Georgetown University. I look forward to continuing the dialogue.”

Future seminars will be held alternately at Georgetown’s Washington, D.C., campus as well as its campus in Qatar.

The university has hosted three of the previous seminars, with DeGioia’s participation.

Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs is maintaining the Building Bridges website.