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Students in the Engineering and Policy Design Project course section taught by Sharon Jones, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, presented their design for a clean water system Thursday in Acopian Engineering Center. The system will be constructed in Honduras by Lafayette’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
The presenters were Lori Anderson ’06 (Haworth, N.J.), an economics and business major; Lindsay McCarthy ’06 (Peabody, Mass.), an A.B. engineering major; Matt Verbyla ’06 (Unionville, Conn.), a civil and environmental engineering major; Nick Birosik ’06 (New Ringgold, Pa.), a chemical engineering major; Dan Nardo ’06 (Mahopac, N.Y.), a mechanical engineering major; and J.F. Zoller ’05 (Wall, N.J.), a civil and environmental engineering major.
In an effort scheduled to take three to five years, EWB students are designing and will eventually construct a clean water distribution system, as well as irrigation, for two villages in Yoro, Honduras, which never have had access to safe drinking water. People have to travel long distances to obtain water, which is polluted with chemicals and animal excrement.
Engineers Without Borders honored Lafayette’s student chapter with the Education Award at its national conference in September.
Students from all disciplines are welcome to join EWB to help with design, financing, logistics, translation, and other issues. Students who are especially interested can enroll in Jones’ next Engineering Policy and Design course.
A trip to Honduras to start implementing the project in one village is planned for August. Eight members of the EWB chapter and adviser David Brandes, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, traveled there last year, completing a geographical survey and water quality study, attending meetings with the area water board and mayor, and making friends in the community. Additional research was conducted in conjunction with a Lafayette Alternative School Break group on a trip during the past January interim session.