REFRESCH Mission

REFRESCH is an international team of educators and researchers passionate about improving the livelihoods of resource-constrained communities. We believe that effective solutions for sustainable energy, clean water and food security can be achieved by combining

• Skills Development
• Collaborative Design
• Rigorous Assessment

REFRESCH History and Structure

REFRESCH received funding in 2014 through the University of Michigan’s Third Century Initiative to find solutions to specific, solvable, scalable problems in the areas of food, energy, and water (FEW). REFRESCH has been active in Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Michigan.  The two teams focused on efforts abroad have worked primarily in rural areas. A third team (Michigan/United States)  is focused on researching, designing and implementing a variety of innovations within the food-energy-water (FEW) domain that could be used in multiple socio-economic and geographic settings around the world. The project draws upon the rich resources and diverse expertise of the university to field a team of experts in engineering, physics, business and entrepreneurism, anthropology, fisheries and aquaculture, design, architecture, and public health.

REFRESCH Involvement

REFRESCH involves students at all levels – undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral fellows – and specific faculty who have committed to being a  part of the team.  REFRESCH also has offered several year-long internships to graduates of Master’s programs in the School of Natural Resources, providing the opportunity for them to work in Gabon for several months.