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October 12, 2010

Rose-Hulman students changing the world one nail at a time

Special to the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — A project to renovate a former sugar cane public housing facility into an in-patient center for a community health clinic is not only changing the lives of residents of a Dominican Republic town, but it also has transformed those Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students who have worked on the project through the college’s Engineers Without Borders organization.

Rose-Hulman chapter members collaborated with the professional chapter of Architects for Humanity-Indianapolis throughout the past year on designs to modify the unused building for the Batey Relief Alliance, a non-governmental organization that operates the community health clinic in the province of Monte Plata. This expansion will help meet the growing health care needs for both Dominicans and Haitians in the Caribbean region, especially following this year’s devastating earthquake. Five students and one faculty member spent 11 days this summer completing the first phase of a five-year project that strives to create a clinic with private examination and operating rooms, overnight care facilities, sanitary restrooms, clean water, electricity and a computerized patient database system.

Students worked 13-hour days in extreme heat and intense sun — typical conditions for August in the region — to complete the first phase of the project. An aluminum roof was constructed over a gap between buildings to protect health care workers and patients from weather conditions. It also will expand space to provide future services.

“While it is always exciting to make some sort of laser-shooting robot, it is incredibly rewarding to travel and meet with people who have next to nothing and help improve the conditions they live in,” states Engineers Without Borders Chapter President Dan Giranda, a senior electrical engineering student. “While I may not have been able to speak Spanish, it was clear to me by the smiles on their faces and the enthusiasm in their voices that they were extremely grateful for our efforts.”

Proclaimed the “Blueprint Brigade” by Time Magazine, Engineers Without Borders grew from a handful of members in 2002 to more than 12,000 today. Because of its strong university presence, the organization is the catalyst for a new movement to educate the next generation of socially conscious engineers. The group addresses basic human necessities such as clean water, power, sanitation and education. There are more than 350 EWB projects in more than 45 developing countries around the world.

Before working in the Dominican Republic, past EWB members helped construct a chicken brooder house and community training center that improved the quality of life for residents of Obodan, Ghana.

“The reason I chose engineering as a career is to affect someone else and change someone’s world,” said EWB Project Coordinator Angelica Patino, a junior biomedical engineering student. “Through this project, I can practice engineering while also learning about other cultures … We may have only built a roof, but the overall impact of expanding this health clinic is positively influential to the future of the people of the community.”

The Batey Relief Alliance’s clinic provides medical treatment — at little or no cost — to thousands of people each year on an outpatient basis.

Rose-Hulman’s EWB chapter project in the Dominican Republic started with an assessment trip to the country last fall. Students evaluated the structural and dimensional aspects of the building and collected information about local prices and available materials for the project. The students then sought the assistance of the Architects for Humanity members to help create designs and to plan for this summer’s construction project to meet stringent EWB-USA requirements. Also, there was an extensive fundraising effort for the project and the group’s travel expenses.

“Participating in an EWB project teaches you not only about the technology behind the project, but about the logistics of completing a large-scale project. The experience of going to another country and living and working with them is something that you won’t get with many other student organizations,” said Andrew Horvath, a senior mechanical engineering student.

Giranda, who served as design, travel and fundraising coordinator during the project, added, “Engineers Without Borders is a growing experience like no other offered in college … Completing the roof was so important to us that, even on the last day before we left, we got up early and finished the last few details we really wanted to get done on the trip. While we were all sweaty on the planes, I can’t imagine any of us cared since we were all so exhausted from giving it everything we had.”

Other Rose-Hulman EWB members helping complete the project were event coordinator Alex Morelli, a sophomore physics student, and treasurer Abby Grommet, a senior chemical engineering student. John Gardner, associate professor of Spanish, served as interpreter and faculty mentor. Indianapolis-area architects making the trip were Carmen Szczesiul, Marco Ladron and Anna Waggoner. AFH members ChunSheh Teo and Rene Martinez also worked on the designs. Wil Painter, an engineer with the EWB-Indianapolis professional chapter, mentored the Rose-Hulman group in the engineering analysis of the roof structure and was instrumental in planning and preparing for construction.

Rose-Hulman students will continue to work with the Batey Relief Alliance to design and construct a surgical unit for the medical clinic — with additional financial resources from donations. The unit will provide a sterile operating room, maternity room, nursery and an ocular operating room. Preliminary steps are currently under way to develop a layout and consider necessary regulations.

 “Engineers Without Borders is a growing experience like no other offered in college,” Morelli said. “Completing the roof after so much work was one of the more rewarding experiences in my life.”

Giranda added, “I live an incredibly blessed life … I have more luxuries than I can recall, but the most rewarding experiences I have are the ones helping those who have nothing I do. Being able to travel to a completely different land, experience an entirely different culture and help my fellow man is an experience that has no equivalent.”

Finally, Patino stated, “You can be diverse by having diverse experiences. That’s what is so great about Engineers Without Borders.”

The Rose-Hulman chapter has approximately 20 members. Faculty advisers are John Aidoo, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Sriram Mohan, assistant professor of computer science and software engineering.

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