Wichita State University seniors LaRissa Lawrie and Hannah Hund won third place in the Innovate Against Zika Challenge, held this month at Texas A&M.

More than 80 students from five universities were involved in the challenge, which sought to find low-cost and easy solutions to stop the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.

After an intensive three days working alongside 300 industry leaders, faculty and students from across the nation, the WSU group, which also included students from Texas A&M and East Carolina University, created an educational product that works to lower mosquito populations in impoverished areas.

The prototype they designed, called an “infobucket,” is a rain barrel that has Zika prevention and health tips printed on it in pictogram form. That way the information becomes a persistent part of the community and can be understood across language barriers and education levels, Lawrie says. Rain barrels are a major breeding source for mosquitos that may carry the Zika virus, experts say.

The WSU team's presentation to the Innovate Against Zika Challenge.

The Centers for Disease Control is reviewing the top three winners’ designs from the challenge and will pick one design and two students to fly to Atlanta to represent their idea. All the teams were encouraged to continue developing their prototypes and business models.

“This was a huge opportunity to help find a solution to a global epidemic with some of the most talented students in the country,” Lawrie says. “Any solutions that come from this weekend could have the potential help millions of people. It feels amazing to be part of a movement.”

Lawrie, a communication major, and Hund, a biomedical engineering major, have worked together before. They are part of the prestigious national University Innovation Fellows program, and last year they created the WSU student group Shocker Startup.

Most people might think the solution to a complex major world health crisis like the Zika epidemic lies in the medical field, but it requires a diverse range of backgrounds and experience to solve medical, cultural and environmental roadblocks.

Finding a solution is half the battle, Lawrie says. Getting the public to adopt the solution is the other.

It’s projected that each year a Zika vaccine is delayed, 54 million pregnancies could be affected.

“We need to tackle this problem in a way that can be implemented quickly and inexpensively,” Hund says. “Hosting people from different stages of their careers and backgrounds forms the environment needed to tackle this challenge.”