Engineers Without Borders

By Grant Guggisberg

EWB group photoWithin the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, there are a variety of groups students can join to make friends, learn new skills and concentrate on something they’re passionate about.

But few groups have the global impact of Engineers Without Borders, an organization seeking to build a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs and equip leaders to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.

The group secures funding for its projects, then travels all over the world to turn plans into action, solving problems for people in need in a sustainable way. The club currently has two active projects, a water well project in Nicaragua in Central America and a school build in Malawi in southeastern Africa.

The K-State chapter of Engineers Without Borders was established in 2014 with the first community project in El Amate, Guatemala.

Few groups have the global impact of Engineers Without Borders.

“Over the eight years, we had multiple projects to serve the community including the construction of a school, a latrine for the school, a kitchen to serve the school and a retaining wall to protect the foundation of the school,” said Zack Kelvington, president of the K-State chapter. “Each project came one at a time, and we were able to establish a close relationship with the people of El Amate.

“Our members played soccer with their kids, and before we closed out our partnership with them, they threw the travel team a festival in celebration for everything that had been accomplished. It was wonderful.”

The group has a membership of around 35 that spans many majors and disciplines across the university, even outside the College of Engineering. One of its goals is to continue to recruit new members from outside the college with different perspectives.

The group secures funding for its trips up front before executing the planning and making the trip. They work hard to submit grant applications and work with other financial partners, including the Konza Rotary Club, Black & Veatch, and Burns & McDonnell, along with private donations. The group also fundraises by volunteering at K-State events.

If you are interested in helping this group make a better world, one project at a time, donations can be made online.

Give to Engineers Without Borders

Hutchinson travels to Peru for environmental project

Photo of Stacy HutchinsonStacy Hutchinson, associate dean for research and graduate programs and professor of biological and agricultural engineering within the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, spent nearly three weeks in Peru over the summer helping locals deal with an abundance of acid created through the coffee production in the region.

Hutchinson traveled to Moyobamba, Peru, in the northern part of the country to work with Aproselvanor Coffee Cooperative in reducing the environmental impact of coffee production, specifically, developing a treatment system for the wastewater created in coffee processing. Part of the challenge in this work was developing a system with only the resources on hand in the region, which required a creative solution.

The team analyzed the issues through a series of tours and field research before developing the plan, ultimately creating a natural filter with local rocks. The filter was hand dug and holds 4 cubic meters of water.