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October 13, 2006 Vol. 77,
no. 9F
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| MAKING
A DIFFERENCE: CEE senior Kate Ming helps run a project
that is designing a filter to remove arsenic from water in
Bangladesh. RACHEL
SHAFER PHOTO
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Innovators for underserved communities
Engineers start new DeCal course in community service
While some DeCal classes teach the culture of the TV
show “South Park” or the anthropology of surfing, CEE 98/198
teaches problem solving in developing nations. In “Technological
Innovation for Underserved Communities,” students are researching
ways to filter arsenic from drinking water in Bangladesh, integrate
water treatment technology with an educational program in Mumbai, India,
and redesign Darfur cook stoves so they use less fuel, among other
projects.
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We’re focused on bringing technology solutions to communities
that need them,” says CEE senior Kate Ming, cofacilitator of
the new, two-unit class. “The class gives students a chance to
work on a project and get experience beyond just taking tests and doing
problem sets.”
CEE 98/198 is the brainchild of Berkeley’s chapter of Engineers
for a Sustainable World (ESW) and a companion to a similar, graduate-level
course the group also started. “The College has a lot of good
classes, but a bunch of us wanted a class that addressed our interest
in the needs of developing countries,” says Ming, a member of
ESW. The group drew up a syllabus, queried professors and petitioned
the College.
Last spring, a new graduate-level course opened called 298A/ERG 291 “Design for Sustainable Communities.” It
is taught by Energy and Resources Group adjunct professor Ashok Gadgil,
a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The course
featured students working on several projects, including the UV Tube,
a device to help communities in Mexico treat their water. The course
was a success but wouldn’t be offered again until spring 2007. “We
wanted a way to continue the projects and get more students on board
with ESW,” says Ming. They decided to start a fall DeCal course
that would also give the engineers a way to connect with other majors
and form interdisciplinary teams.
So far, so good, says Ming. About 14 students are currently enrolled
in CEE 98/198, from ChemE to business and architecture majors. Each
project has a student leader, and teams meet during the designated
class time. During one session, the arsenic-filter group discussed
design ideas and Bangladeshi water needs. One by one, students presented
their research. They shared, for example, that the U.S. standard for
arsenic in water is 10 parts per billion (ppb). In Bangladesh, it’s
50 ppb, but that level isn’t even enforced. The longer the discussion
went on, the more the group realized how challenging life is in Bangladesh … and
how challenging it will be to design for it.
Ming and her fellow ESW facilitators already know this. They emphasize
taking small, attainable steps within these long-term projects. “We
help the students learn how to develop specific goals to meet in a
specific time frame,” she says. “Even if it’s as
simple as establishing a good contact with two NGOs (non-governmental
organizations), that’s really good progress.”
For more information, go to www.decal.org/41 or email Ming at kate_yvonne@berkeley.edu.
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