EWB National Conference

Alicia Baughman, Katherine Schaad, and Christie Petryszyn attended the 2004 Engineers Without Borders National Conference in Colorado in September. The theme of the conference was “The Role of EWB-USA and the Engineer in Capacity Building for the Developing World.” Speakers explained the need for EWB as they described the way of life for billions of people around the globe. Many people are living without access to clean drinking water, adequate housing, and proper sanitation. These are just a few of the problems that EWB-USA is addressing.

EWB representatives explained how to better lead a university chapter and gave ideas for fundraising, how to work together, and how to work through problems. They also explained that engineering is a small part of international projects; the most important aspect is developing a trusting relationship with the community you work with so that you can be sure you are meeting the needs of the community.

University chapters from across the nation presented their international EWB projects. They shared the rewards of working on an EWB project and their mistakes so that other students could learn from them.

Representatives from different companies and engineering firms explained that they want to hire employees who have been involved with organizations such as EWB because they make great employees. Many companies and organizations are interested in providing EWB with resources, such as materials and professional engineers to help with projects, because they believe in the mission and vision of EWB.

Katherine, Alicia, and Christie would like to thank Dean Savinell for the funds that made it possible for them to attend this great conference and Dean Cawley for his work in acquiring those funds.