On Tuesday, October 23rd, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) was recognized by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) with the Education Award for their dedication to collaborative projects between engineers and students. The Miami chapter received $10,000 for their work on designing a solar powered water pumping system in Uganda.

EWB got notified of their award over the summer, but hosted this event to give students and faculty more information about their organization, and what allowed them to receive this award.

Anne Poindexter, president of Miami's EWB,           

receiving award from Ahmed                                      

This water system project started in 2016 in Kabingo, Uganda. The members of EWB first went to Uganda to survey the needs of the area, and receive permits to be able to start construction on their potential project. They noticed that the area had a high infant mortality rate due to contaminated water, causing most infants to not live past 3 months. EWB decided to create a water pumping system that would give this community access to clean water.

Over the years EWB was able to build the water system that is currently reaching 300 people in need of clean water. They are looking to add 3 more pipelines this summer to be able to reach 3,000 more people. With this implementation, they hope to see a healthier community with a declining infant mortality rate.

Ferzan Ahmed, a representative for NCEES, presented the award to the chapter, and applauded the chapter for their work to help communities in need. Ahmed enjoyed seeing the impact that Miami’s chapter of EWB had on the world around them.

The EWB chapter at Miami has 50 active students who strive to provide “health, dignity, and hope” to communities and people in need. The Miami chapter has the ability to focus on two major projects in both Uganda and Rwanda.

The members of EWB want to thank NCEES for this award, as well as, CEC for helping them grow in and out of the classroom. In addition, the chapter wanted to thank all of their members, professional mentors, and the students who were able to work directly on these projects. All these people have helped the Miami chapter of EWB become so successful thus far.

By Maggie Cavanaugh, CEC Reporter