From Garages to Global Impact: Students Showcase Environmental Innovation

Clearwater Innovation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about the global water crisis, is empowering the next generation of environmental problem-solvers, often starting right from their own homes. Through its unique “garage lab research” model, the program supports first-time researchers who work with everyday materials and accessible technology to tackle some of the world’s most urgent environmental challenges. 

“Science research doesn’t have to be expensive. Young students can begin addressing challenges at an early age,” said Kyle Tianshi, co-founder of Clearwater Innovation. “Getting students to start a research project is not easy. Often, it takes a lot of time just to figure out which problems need to be solved. Through our summer research program, students read scientific papers and explore topics such as climate change, water contamination, air pollution, biodiversity, and ecosystems. From there, they identify a specific problem that interests them and develop a plan to address it.”

Collaborating with the Torrey Pines Docent Society, this year’s student summer research showcase was opened to the Society team and the public. The students highlighted a wide range of projects addressing environmental concerns, both local and global. Three projects were recognized as top entries for their in-depth paper reviews and innovative ideas.

Valerie Combs, a student at The Bishop’s School, presented her project, Sustainable Caffeine Removal from Wastewater Using Electrochemically Regenerated Activated Carbon Derived from Spent Coffee Grounds. Valerie Combs proposed a creative, sustainable method for treating wastewater. Working with recycled coffee grounds, she is working on activated carbon capable of removing caffeine, a contaminant often present in waterways due to beverage production and disposal. “I was shocked to find out that coffee grinds, normally considered trash, could be used to filter out contaminants,” Valerie said. Her work not only aims to improve water quality but also explores how waste materials could potentially be transformed into valuable resources — a promising example of resourceful 'garage lab research' in progress.

Lucy Shi, a student at Harvard-Westlake School, is conducting a research project titled “Microplastics and Nanoplastics Size Distributions in Commercial Containers and Their Potential Effects on the Human Body.” In this work, she is examining the types and sizes of micro- and nanoplastics released from common plastic containers and comparing them to those found in human tissues. Her research aims to better understand how everyday packaging may contribute to human microplastic exposure — a growing public health concern that may begin with the simplest objects in our kitchens.

“If you are passionate about a topic, you don’t need a whole team or a science lab,” Lucy said. “Spreading awareness and coming up with new innovative ideas will contribute to scientific findings.”

Zhenzhen, a student at The Bishop’s School, is pursuing a research project titled “Optimizing Ship Propellers to Minimize Cavitation Noise and Its Effects on Marine Animals,” addressing the often-overlooked issue of underwater noise pollution. Cavitation — the formation and collapse of bubbles around ship propellers — produces powerful sounds that can interfere with marine mammals’ communication and navigation. She is currently exploring design modifications and planning performance analyses to investigate whether these changes could significantly reduce cavitation noise.

“I was excited to share my findings with people because the majority of the population does not know about noise pollution and the damaging effects that follow,” she said. She wanted to start doing some meaningful marine conservation work from home.

"I was very impressed with the students’ proposed projects,” Dr. Wayne Kornreich said. “They showed that they did a very thorough and extensive literature search involving their chosen topic. Many Torrey Pine docents came up to me and stated that they thought that the students and their projects were very impressive."

Beyond the student recognition, Clearwater Innovation’s “garage lab research” approach underscores the idea that scientific breakthroughs don’t have to begin in high-tech facilities. Students gain hands-on experience in designing experiments, analyzing results, and communicating their findings, often using tools and spaces available to them at home or in their communities.

As climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss intensify, organizations like Clearwater Innovation are showing that young researchers can make real contributions to global solutions. By fostering curiosity, resilience, and creativity, the program ensures that the next generation of scientists can start anywhere, even in their garages, and still change the world.

Student Poster Presentations at Environmental Innovation Showcase