H&M Foundation rewards NYU professor for Global Change Award

The H&M Foundation has just awarded a professor for a new innovative process for nylon. Assistant Professor Miguel Modestino from NYU Tandon School of Engineering just received a 2017 Global Change Award from the organization.

Along with his co-researcher, Sophia Haussener of the École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL), the two were awarded the new change award. The H&M Foundation serves as the retail chain’s non-profit arm towards a more sustainable fashion industry. Modestino and Haussener won out the award, worth approximately 267,000 dollars, against 3,000 other applicants. Presented in Stockholm, Sweden, the NYU Assistant Professor received the award for a process involving nylon. The method eliminates using oil in the entire equation, which leads towards a more eco-friendly future.

The Global Change Challenge Award is meant to support early innovators of helping sustainable change in the garment industry including fashion, material, and textiles. Provided by the H&M Foundation, it reflects the retail giant’s plans to become more sustainable in the future. H&M itself has announced various plans to cut its waste and harmful elements in order to become more eco-friendly, even having an eco-conscious clothing collection. As an annual contest, the Global Change Challenge Award can help act as a catalyst for changing the fashion industry towards a more sustainable path.