About Us


We are the Duke University chapter of the international nonprofit organization Engineers Without Borders. Our mission is to support community-driven development programs worldwide through the design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while fostering responsible leadership.

EWB-Duke is characterized by strong undergraduate involvement from initial project design and analysis to final on-site implementation.  Membership is open to all students, staff, and faculty at Duke.

HISTORY

EWB-Duke was started in 2005 by Deirdre McShane and Jean Foster, two Civil & Environmental Engineering undergraduate students in the Pratt School of Engineering. The group’s first project was a mechanical aerator designed to increase dissolved oxygen in water. This device was tested in the summer of 2005 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, to help local shrimp farmers recover from the devastating tsunami the previous winter. Also, the students worked on a riverbank erosion-control project in Papua.

Since then, EWB-Duke has grown from five students to around 50 active members. We’ve worked on diverse projects, including solar-powered computers, rainwater harvesting systems, peanut shellers, water quality testing, and water distribution systems. Our projects have spanned the globe, from Indonesia to Uganda to Peru.

AWARDS

  • 1st Place “Appropriate Technology” for the Indonesia aerator project - EWB International Conference 2007 (Amherst, MA). $1000 award.
  • 3rd Place “People and Places” photography contest - EWB International Conference 2007 (Amherst, MA). $300 award.

DONATIONS

We appreciate very much individual donations to cover the R&D costs associated with many of our projects. Any amount is welcome. To donate, please contact our treasurer, Sumana Kommana (sumana.kommana [at] duke.edu).

SPONSORS

EWB-Duke has been fortunate to receive direct and indirect support from many groups and individuals. We would like to thank:

Last modified: November 16, 2009