Who is Nelson?

Nelson Fernandes obtained his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Galileo Master Certificate from the Renewable Energy Institute. He started the Green Roof Team in Fall 2019 with the support of Stanford University d.shool's University Innovation Fellows program for practicing Design Thinking at SIUC.

The initial vision focused on cultivating an outdoor innovation hub for students to explore their own passions in a collaborative setting on campus. Then, Nelson found ways to leverage passions in clean energy & emerging technology along with building a virtual team of university students at the start of the 2020 pandemic to showcase opportunities the SIU Green Roof can nurture.

He has earned many rewards including Illinois Innovation Network's Student Innovator of the Year (August 2021), the SIU College of Engineering’s Outstanding Senior Award (Class of 2022). Nelson is a young entrepreneur with a passion for renewable energy, sustainability, and creating positive change.