Humanitarian Engineering

World Class Engineer Project-Based Intrinsic Motivators

Building a Culture of Humanitarian Engineering

Awareness of the World

Solidly Grounded

Technically Broad

Team Oriented

Versatile

Effective in Leadership Positions

Embraces Diversity

Realistic

Justice

MoralityCollaborative

Interdisciplinary Compassion

Rigorous

Relevant Culture

Values

Community

Courage does not always roar;

Often times it is the quiet, determined whisper in the night saying,

‘Tomorrow will be better’

“Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.”

- World Bank, World Development Indicators

“90% of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest

10% of the world’s customers. - Dr. Paul Polak, International Development Enterprises

1.1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water.

Nearly 2 million people die each year due to waterborne-related disease. - World Health Organization

Only about a tenth of the domestic wastewater in developing countries is collected.

Only about a tenth of existing wastewater treatment plants operate reliably and efficiently.

- UNESCO, 2005

The number of people living in urban areas willdouble to more than 5 billion between 1990 and 2025.

- World Bank, 2005

Another Piece of the Puzzle:

Training World Class Engineers Through Humanitarian Engineering Efforts

Project implementation/Sustainable follow-up

Technical design/Vertically integrated

Cultural awareness/ Ethics/immersion

Multi-disciplinary/ Collaborative teams

Social entrepreneurship/Long-term partnerships

Humanitarian Engineering: Design Under Constraints to Directly Improve the Well-Being of Underserved Populations

Historically, engineers have asked: How do I generate electricity most efficiently?Clean the local water supply?Treat wastewater?Produce more widgets?

The Humanitarian Engineer and the Traditional Engineer Begin with Different Questions

The humanitarian engineer asks:

How can I help to enhance the lives of others?

Note the overlap with:– ABET Requirements– Broader Goals of Higher Education– Penn State’s World Class Engineer Program

What is Humanitarian Engineering?

Economic Feasibility

Technical Excellence

Ethical Maturity

Cultural Sensitivity

The Humanitarian Engineering Seeks to Provide an Environment for Students to Create a Culture of

Service through Use of Their Academic Skills.

1998 Inception

Ecuador5 Students1 Project

El Salvador63 Students12 Projects

Jamaica46 Students6 Projects

Kenya45 Students3 Projects

Tanzania22 Students2 Projects

Kentucky11

Students1 Project

Engineering and Community Engagement Certificate

Engineers in Community Outreach

to Schools(ECOS)

OutreachHigh School

Benefits of Humanitarian Engineering?

Projects are developed and implemented to address ABET criteria– with a strong emphasis on cultural aspects.

Design within Constraints – Social Economic, Environmental, Political, Ethical

Understanding of Professional and Ethical Responsibility

Broad Education to Understand Impact of Engineering Solutions in a Global and Societal Context

Knowledge of Contemporary Issues

Why Humanitarian Engineering?

Social Benefits:

Academic Benefits for Students:

Recruitment and Retention:

•Exhibit higher academic achievement• Greater persistence through graduation• Better high-level reasoning and critical thinking skills• Deeper understanding of learned material

[Felder and Brent, 2003]

• Cognitive Complexity• Social Competency• Perceived Ability to Work with Diverse Others• Personal Development/Interpersonal Development

[Osborne, Hammerich, and Hensely,1998]

A powerful tool for attracting students to and retaining them in engineering programs. [Wood and Craft, 2000]

World Class Engineer: Aware of the World

Strawbale Housing Construction Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

Kenyan Windmill Power Systemand Business Development

Sensitive to Cultural Differences, Environmental Concerns, and

Ethical Principles

Alert to Market Opportunities (Both High- and Low-Tech)

World Class Engineer: Solidly Grounded

Research on Anaerobic Digestion in Jamaica

Design of HVAC System in El Salvador

Thoroughly Trained in the Fundamentals of a Selected Engineering Discipline

Prepared to Continue Learning Throughout a Career

World Class Engineer: Technically Broad

Design of a Mustard Seed Village in Jamaica

Bridge Construction in El Salvador

Understands that Real-Life Problems are Multidisciplinary

Is Conversant in Several Disciplines

Is Trained in Systems Modeling and the Identification of Critical Elements.

Is Psychologically Prepared to Embrace any Field Necessary to Solve

the Problem at Hand

World Class Engineer: Effective in Group Operations

Project Teams Discussing Village Design in Jamaica

Students and Community Members at Alternative Waste Treatment System in Nicaragua

Effective in Written and Oral Communication

Able to Work on Multidisciplinary and Multifunctional Teams

Cognizant of the Value of Time and the Need to Make Efficient Use of Time

World Class Engineer: Versatile

Special Olympics Para Olympic Shot Putt & Javelin

Kenyan Agricultural Utility Vehicle

Innovative in the Development of Products and Services

Sees Engineering as Applicable to Problem Solving in General

Considers Applying Engineering Beyond the Typical Employment

Focus of Engineering Graduates to the Much Broader Economy

World Class Engineer: Customer Oriented

Winning Penn State SocialEntrepreneurship Team in Kentucky

Social Entrepreneurship - Sisal Decorticator in Kenya

Realizes that Finding and Satisfying Customers is the Only Guarantee of Business

Success

•Understands that Products and Services must be Cost-Effective in

the Global Marketplace

Innovative

International Social Entrepreneurship

Engineering and Community Engagement Certificate Program

US/International Cultures (3 Cr)

EDSGN 496 (1 Cr)ePortfolio

Community Engagement (3 Cr) EDSGN 352 (1 Cr)

EDSGN 452Capstone

Design Assistive

Technologies

EDSGN 301/395 (2-3 Cr)Travel For

Data Gathering and/or Project Implementation

Real-Life Collaborative Design Project (2-3 Cr)

EPICSAmerican Indian

HousingSocial

Entrepreneurship

CED 152 Community Development Concepts and Practice

CED 230 Development Issues in the Global Context

HDFS 287 Intercultural Community-Building

CEDEV 470 Comparative Community Development

CEDEV 420 Women in Developing Countries

Geog 123 Geography of the Developing World

Geog 425 Geography of Race, Class and Poverty in America

NUTR 430 Global Food Strategies: Problems and Prospects for Reducing World Hunger

AAA S 409 Racial and Ethnic Inequality in America

Design Build of Appropriate Technology

With Discussions of::

Service LearningCommunity Assessment

Social Entrepreneurship

Sustainability

EssentialDesign in Kenya

Appropriate Technologies for “Street Children” of Kenya

-- Housing-- Water-- Wastewater-- Energy-- Agriculture-- Education

Economic Sustainability –Job Creation

Children’s Health

Identify a Need – a Market Opportunity:

1. It is estimated that the greatest health risk to children in the developing world under the age of 5 is caused by smoke inhalation from indoor cooking.

2. The use of certain biofuels for cooking purposes often leads to deforestation.

Our Task

Design a low cost, sustainable, and culturally appropriate cooking system for use by poor and marginalized people in

the developing world (Kenya).

Some Options

Sample projects involving cooking systems might include:

• design of a locally produced skin for the Envirofit cookstove• a low-cost charcoal briquette maker for existing “Jiko” biomass stoves in Kenya• gassifier stoves• vegetable-oil-using stoves• solar cookers• solar heated grill

Questions?