Students from the Department of Design were recognized at the Core77 Design Awards for Sustainable BioDesign Innovation, BioDesign Challenge. Team Sorbit, the UC Davis group, won for Community Choice Prize and was a runner up for the Design Education Initiative Award.   

Team Sorbit consisted of students: biomedical engineering freshman Jolee Nieberding-Swanberg, material science and engineering sophomore Annie Wang, design and economics double-major sophomore Julie Xu, and genetics and genomics senior Sergio Gonzalez. The team was mentored by Christina Cogdell, professor of design, Marc Facciotti, professor of biomedical engineering, Andrew Yao, TEAM Lab manager, and You-Lo Hsieh, professor of textile chemistry.

The founders and creators of Sorbit were enrolled in a BioDesign class with students from multiple disciplines learn about the kombucha byproduct, bacterial cellulose, and come up with an application for this versatile material. The team’s objective is to design a diaper with bacterial cellulose integrated in it for enhanced absorbency, biodegradability and a more eco-friendly life cycle. ​

Recognizing excellence in all areas of design enterprise, the Core77 Design Awards annually celebrates the richness of the design profession as well as the insight and perseverance of its practitioners. Now in its eighth year, the Awards program remains dedicated to excellence and inclusivity, offering both students and professionals the opportunity to promote their best work on a global scale across 14 distinct design disciplines.