Engineers Without Borders. A student organization that is making a difference.

Three of the EWB project leads are Mechanical Engineering majors — Kathryn Alexander (Mexico Water Project), Katherine Zimmmerman (Mexico Computer Project) and Courtney Grosvenor (Panama Project). The students are pictured at the first general meeting in Fall, 2008.

By Carol Grosvenor

AUSTIN, TEXAS—September 19, 2008

"What starts here changes the world." We've all seen it on web sites, t-shirts, brochures, and TV, but the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student organization lives it. EWB is a relatively new organization that is making an impact on many people's lives. The national organization was started in 2002 and the UT chapter began with two members in 2005. Since then, it has grown to 75 members, 17 officers and four on-going projects that partner with communities to provide basic needs like water, sanitation and education.

Fundraising and Planning

Managing members put in long hours planning and fundraising to make these projects a reality. There are over 200 student chapters of EWB, but very few have actually been able to make these dreams a reality. UT's chapter is exceptional in that members are working on projects in different countries concurrently. The College of Engineering, the department chairmen, the Engineering Advisory Board, and corporate sponsors help with the fundraising effort, which is as difficult as implementation.

The Membership

EWB's membership was 60% female in the 2007-08 academic year. In a college where only 21% of the student body is female, EWB stands out, as most engineering student organizations are predominantly male. The altruistic nature of the work and the possibility for great adventure offers universal appeal. Trips to work in remote and sometimes desolate areas are not for the faint of heart, but appeal to people who live for challenge, as most Cockrell School engineering students do.

The ME Project Leads— Alexander, Grosvenor and Zimmerman

Three of the four EWB project leads are Mechanical Engineering students. Kathryn Alexander, a senior, serves as the Mexico Water Project lead and University Liaison. Courtney Grosvenor, a junior, serves as the Panama project lead, and senior Katherine Zimmerman serves as the Mexican computer project lead and Grants Chair.

The current president of EWB is Stephen Fleenor , a biology major, and the chapter mentor and co-founder is Chris Lombardo, now a graduate student at the Center for Nano Molecular Science.

Mexico Water Project

Kathryn Alexander's project is located in Jaboncillos Chicos in the Coahuila Desert, 25 miles from Big Bend National Park and about a 10-hour drive from Austin. Previously, the 40 residents had to truck in water from a fresh water spring. The team used an existing borehole there and was able to bring fresh water to each of the eight homes there. Through underground piping, a solar-powered submersible pump now distributes potable water from the borehole to faucets at each home as well as to a storage tank. They are the only residents in the area with running water at their homes.

Implementation was completed in August 2008 during a 19-day stay, with eight EWB students, one professional engineer and many locals working together on the project. The students will return in summer 2009 to improve upon the current system. The work was much more hands-on than what students learn in class, and they seemed to relish the opportunity to solve challenging problems under difficult conditions.

Panama Project

The EWB-UT Chapter started on a project in northwestern Panama in the Province of Bocas del Toro in spring 2008. The project is located in the Naso community of Sieykin with a population of 400 people. The small indigenous community is one of the most impoverished groups in Panama. The most important needs in the community are a clean and reliable water supply as well as basic sanitation. EWB is working with the community to design and implement an improved water treatment system including sanitation components. Emily Underinner , the project founder, and Courtney Grosvenor, the current project lead, worked throughout spring of 2008 with a small, but dedicated group of students on fundraising efforts to make the initial assessment trip. They were successful at raising the necessary funding. The assessment trip is scheduled for January 2009 while the group is in the research and design stage. After the assessment, the team will then move into the implementation phase by summer 2009. The team will secure corporate sponsors for this project once the assessment is made. Approximately 30 students are working on the project.

The Mexico Computer Project

The EWB-UT Mexico computer group, lead by Katherine Zimmerman, is working in conjunction with the Rotary District 5840 Hunger Plus Committee of San Antonio to place sustainable internet-enabled computers in schools of seven ejidos (rural communities) in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila. The prototype system will be initially installed in the San Miguel ejido, a few miles away from Jaboncillos Chicos, where EWB completed the water project. The goal is to provide internet and computer access to sstudents and the community. The first installation is now being planned for four to six computers that will be powered by solar and wind. The internet connection will be received via satellite. A community center is going to be used for the first installation that should be completed in January 2009, with later installations to follow.

The Cameroon Project

Saker Baptist College in Limbe, Cameroon, (West Africa) is an all-girls secondary school with approximately 900 students, although it was built for only 300. Frequent power outages render the school's water system incapacitated, and when operational, does not provide enough or clean water to the students. Toilet and shower facilities have not been used in 30 years. Students sometimes must walk 1/4 mile to obtain water for personal use. EWB is developing plans to construct a storage tank to alleviate this problem, and would like to bring the old facilities back into service. The project leads are Natalie Williams and Hillary Hull, both seniors in Civil Engineering. Class credit is now available for this project. Due to the sheer size and complexity of the project, it will take extensive design work. Dr. Janet Ellzey, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, teaches a class for the EWB students involved in the Cameroon project. In this class the students work on the design of the system and also study cultural and political issues important to understanding the local community. This project will be ongoing for years as there are no easy, fast or inexpensive solutions.

How you can get involved or donate to EWB Projects

Students who want to get involved should contact EWB or the project lead on the project of your choice. See http://www.engr.utexas.edu/ewb/

If you'd like to promote the organization via financial or in-kind donations, contact Emily Underriner (emilyu@mail.utexas.edu), VP of Finances. EWB can make a presentation to your organization at your convenience and you'll receive recognition through university web sites and publications for your tax-deductible donation. EWB is a great vehicle to develop one-on-one relationships with engineering's brightest up and coming young leaders while also making a charitable donation to people who greatly appreciate and need your help.

Last modified on September 22nd, 2008