EWB-UMN News:

EWB-UMN News

• EWB-UMN won the Outstanding Service/Philanthropic Award for the Ghana project at the SUA Tony Diggs awards ceremony on April 15.
• An article on EWB-UMN's project in Ghana was published in the most recent Alumni Magazine.
• Nate Knutson authored an article for Crane Engineering's bi-annual newsletter after he presented to the employees at Crane in February. Link to Article. Crane Engineering donated $5000 to EWB-UMN following a December mailing of funding requests to local engineering companies.
• The current issue of Technolog features an article that discusses what EWB has to offer, the Uganda project, and the need for globally versed engineers in the globalizing world of today. Technolog can be found in IT buildings around campus.
• The Minneapolis-University Rotary will be providing $2000 for the Uganda project.

• EWB-UMN presented to the top paving engineers from around the United States at Caterpillar Paving on April 14 at their yearly meeting. CAT was excited about EWB-UMN's work and EWB has been invited back to present to CAT's product engineers in a few weeks.
• Polos and T-shirts are on sale in Lind 5. Polos-$20, T-shirts-$10.
• Keen Footwear will be having a sustainability conference July 12-13 in Portland, Oregon at which we will be announced as the winners of the Keen Stand For competition and we will have a table to present on our work.
• EWB UMN's implementation in Ghana last August is featured in an article in UMNnews. Students sat down with the science editor for the Civil Engineering Department, Charlie Plain, for interviews and discussion about their experiences. more

EWB-UMN and EcoWatch Host E-wast event at the Bell
Electronic Waste Documentary, Panel discussion, and an E-Waste Drop off was hosted at the Bell Museum of Natural History. How we dispose of electronic waste, or e-waste, is a growing problem facing Minnesotans as we consume more and more electronic equipment. E-Waste is the waste generated when we upgrade to a new phone, buy a new computer, and dispose of a T.V. to get the latest technology. This e-waste has a large impact on the environment and health of people in developing nations, where this e-waste is often exported to and recycled improperly. As electronic consumers, we can minimize the impact our e-waste has on the environment abroad and here at home by knowing where to go with our old electronics. Learn more about e-waste through this event, where the short documentary Exporting Harm will be shown followed by a panel of experts, including:

• Joe Aho, Waste Management
• Lisa Bujak, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• Prof. Ed Cussler, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
• Prof. Paige Novak, Department of Civil Engineering

EWB-UMN Speaks at the Bakken
On Tuesday, March 11, EWB presented at the Bakken Museum's "Bakken Evening Out". The Bakken Museum is an electrical engineering museum that hosts a happy hour held the second Tuesday of each month, featuring wine and food samples, exhibits and presentations. EWB was invited to speak at the St. Patrick's Day event under the theme of "Green" inventions, focusing on renewable energy solutions. An overview of the Minnesota EWB chapter as well as a detailed description of the Ghana project was presented to approximately 50 people over the course of the evening. Members also displayed posters on current and upcoming projects.

EWB-USA Founder Speaks at the U
On March 4th, Dr. Bernard Amadei , the founder of Engineers Without Borders-USA, spoke at an IT-sponsored lecture at Tate hall auditorium to an audience of approximately 300 people. Dr. Amadei spoke about the challenges and opportunities associated with practicing engineering in developing nations. He also discussed education of engineers through organizations such as Engineers Without Borders-USA, and the importance of integrating engineering with non-engineering disciplines when addressing the needs of developing communities. Since its founding in 2000, Engineers Without Borders has completed more than 310 projects in 48 countries, according to Dr. Amadei. An informational reception was held before the talk, and a question and answer session followed the talk, facilitated by current EWB project leaders. This allowed the audience to learn more about the University chapter's current projects, as well as how to become involved in the student and the professional chapter.

Event Pictures

EWB-UMN completes assesment trip in Guatemala
Four EWB-UMN chapter students and three professional chapter members traveled to Simajuleu Guatemala in January for an initial project assessment. Tasks undertaken included: community health assessment, surveying, water quality testing, and GPS tracking of water sources, and consultation with a hydrogeologist. The crew also made contact with several local agencies interested in collaborating on the project: Long Way Home, Chuwi Tinemet, and SHARE.

Link to Project's page

EWB-UMN takes on two projects in Haiti
Shada, an urban slum of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, is one of the most impoverished communities in all of Haiti. For the 20,000 residents, there is nearly no sustainable hygienic sanitation and no waste collection program. Engineers Without Borders – University of Minnesota is partnering with Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods, S.O.I.L, a non-profit providing ecological sanitation and education throughout Haiti, to comprehensively address these conditions. The first project focus is the design of next-generation indoor sanitation systems that will economically bring dry composting sanitary systems into the homes of Haitians. The second is the design of safe, locally constructable batch systems for recycling of plastic water sachets in Haiti for the production of both toilet molds to be used in S.O.I.L.’s dry composting sanitation systems and for other products.

Haiti Projects' Page

SOIL Site

EWB Members Travel to Guatemala for Project Assessment .
Four EWB-UMN chapter students and three professional chapter members traveled to Simajuleu Guatemala for an initial project assessment. Tasks undertaken included: community health assessment, surveying, water quality testing, and GPS tracking of water sources, and consultation with a hydrogeologist. The crew also made contact with several local agencies interested in collaborating on the project: Long Way Home, Chuwi Tinemet, and SHARE.

Simajuleu Project Page

Long Way Home's Web Site

EWB Members Travel to Michigan Tech D80 Conference.
Thanks to funding from the CE department, several EWB-UMN members recently traveled to Houghton, Michigan to attend “Engineering Development for Humanity,” a conference held by Michigan Tech’s D80 center. At the conference, members of EWB met with faculty and students of other organizations to enhance their knowledge in engineering and to understand the many challenges that confront our planet's inhabitants and how, as engineers, we can help to improve the quality of life of people in disadvantaged communities around the world.

D80 Center's Web Site

Ghana project reception a success!
On November 1st, students of EWB-UMN, CE faculty, and the donors of the Ghana project came together to celebrate the project’s success. EWB-UMN and the ARC hosted the reception in Walter Library. During the event, members of the Ghana project team presented the project and their travel experiences to all in attendance and thanked the donors who made the project possible with their generous contributions.

Ghana Project Page

Ghana Project: Gratitude and Reflections

New Campus Life status
In September, EWB-UMN made the move to become a Campus Life Program from the previous student organization status. With this new designation there are several upgrades that should be noted. EWB-UMN is now officially affiliated with the Civil Engineering Department. As an organization we may represent ourselves as carrying out the official business of the University of Minnesota. Finally, EWB-UMN now has access to improved financial opportunities to support our international projects. 

Student Group Resource Page

EWB-UMN’s New Faculty Advisor
We are incredibly excited to announce that Dr. Julian Marshall has taken on the role of our group’s Faculty Advisor. Julian is a second year assistant professor in Civil Engineering’s Environmental sector. Julian, who has traveled, lived, and taught abroad, focuses his research on air pollution and air quality. He will be a great attribute to our chapter. 

Professor Marshall's Faculty Web Page

New Executive Council Established
This semester David Gasperino stepped down from the position of EWB-UMN President after two years of leadership. He did so with a plan to re-structure the group before passing over the role of President to Brian Bell. Since school resumed, nine executive council members have been installed and have been working hard to evolve EWB-UMN into a stronger and more organized group in which many students of all levels in school will be able to become involved.

EWB-UMN Council Members 

New Guatemala Project Initiation
At the September student chapter meeting, Derrick Passe invited students of the EWB-UMN to join as participants of the new Guatemala project team. Several students have since become involved in this project and will be traveling to Guatemala in January to perform a site Assessment. 

Simajuleu, Guatemala Project Page

Uganda Project Enters Design Phase
Following the August Assessment trip on which two EWB-UMN members traveled to Uganda, the Uganda project team is now beginning design of the water supply and sanitation systems. Design is set to be complete in January and the project team will be traveling to Uganda in May to implement their designs.

Uganda Project Page

Guatemala Implementation Trip
Eight students from EWB-UMN and four members of EWB Minnesota Professional chapter traveled to Guatemala in January. We collaborated to bring clean water to Proyecto Chimiya, a sustainable, community oriented ecological park. Our semester of planning and 12 days of hard work was a resounding success! Water now flows from the new spring box over 130ft of elevation and 200 yards to a large storage tank. If you are interested in learning more or becoming involve click below.

Guatemala Project Page