A U of A student team seeking to eliminate gasoline runoff in the US finished second in their league last month at the 2021 National Enactus Exposition. 

The Gasoline Runoff Project has designed and 3D printed a nozzle attachment that prevents fuel pumps from spilling gasoline onto the ground and polluting the environment. They are testing a prototype that is cheap to produce and doesn't hinder fueling speed compared to current technology. 

"It was very encouraging to get second place," said Heidi Neumann, co-director of programs at the U of A's Enactus chapter. 

"Everyone had good things to say about our product and presentation. It's a huge problem not many people are aware of." 

The team's mission was born out of a 2014 study by John Hopkins University, which found that small spills at the pump can be devastating to the environment and the people running the gas station. Much of the spillage, which totaled more than 6 million gallons in 2019, was due to an inefficient nozzle on the gas hose. 

Through cooperation with students and professors in the U of A College of Engineering, the team developed a prototype that fits inside the nozzle and works as a check valve. While it significantly limits spills, it also hinders gasoline flow. 

Reese Robinette, U of A Enactus president, said the team is confident they will resolve the prototype's flow-restriction issue and submit a patent request in the next few months. 

"Today we are inches away from creating a sustainable business that has a huge and positive impact on our environment and our communities," Robinette said. 

UARK ENACTUS Team 

• Madison Sutton, Sam Walton Fellow 
• Reese Robinette, president 
• Andres Balderrama, director of finance 
• Heidi Neumann, co-director of projects 
• Kris Anderson, director of equity and community engagement 
• Mary Spencer, director of marketing 
• Vicente Hernandez, director of recruitment and retention 
• Sai Elagandula, co-director of projects 

Gasoline Runoff Project team 

• Julia Davis, senior, Walton College of Business 
• Emma Choate, junior, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences 
• Caleb Hill, honors Fulbright College 
• Mary Pham, junior, honors Walton College of Business 
• Isha Rajaram, junior, College of Engineering
• Sailesh Sirigineedi, honors College of Engineering 
• Halle Schneidewind, senior, College of Engineering

About Enactus: Enactus is an international non-profit student organization striving to implement and develop the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals in our local community. The University of Arkansas chapter is composed of 50 students dedicated to social service through the combination of engineering and business knowledge. The organization believes that investing in students who take entrepreneurial action for others creates a better world for us all. 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio and Startup Village, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.