Conferences are something that I was introduced to last November, so I am still quite new to them.  

The idea of coming together to network with hundreds of other students and professionals felt a bit intimidating at the beginning. However, I soon learned how fun and exciting it is to meet other people who have similar interests and have worked on really cool projects. I now see conferences as an opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone, learn valuable things from wise people, explore fields that I haven’t yet learned about, and meet amazing people.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you didn’t know, Harvard SEAS has a student chapter of this wonderful organization that partners with communities around the world to implement sustainable engineering projects that will meet their needs. Our chapter has two water supply projects: one in the community of Kibuon in Kenya and the other in the community of Los Sánchez in the Dominican Republic. I have been involved in the Los Sánchez Project throughout my two years in EWB and now serve as one of the Project Leads. 

Los Sánchez is a community of 400+ residents that reached out to us about incomplete piping and an inadequate water storage system. We have worked with them to design and construct a reliable water distribution system that sources water from a well and transports it through approximately 400 feet of elevation to the highest part of the community, with the help of transmission piping, pumps, and water storage tanks. These projects are possible thanks to the hard work of our fundraising team and the guidance of our faculty advisor and chapter mentors, who are engineers that volunteer their time. I truly love the work that our chapter does. Being part of EWB has reinforced my passion for engineering and my commitment to using it as a tool to uplift communities. 

Day 1:  

Professor Lombardo, our faculty advisor, kicked off the first morning with an engaging, hands-on workshop on solar electricity, highlighting the applications for EWB-USA projects. Later, Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders USA, set the tone for the conference with an inspiring keynote address, in which he introduced the conference’s theme: Power Through Partnership.

This year’s theme emphasizes the strength that comes with creating a network of partners, communities, organizations, and volunteers. It highlights the idea that no single person, chapter, or organization has all the tools and answers needed to tackle complex challenges, but by working together, we can maximize our impact. 

Victoria, my co-Project Lead, and I then had the opportunity to present about the Los Sánchez project during the poster showcase. Titled 10 Years in Los Sánchez, we showcased a decade of impact and lessons learned from our project, as well as completion of the water distribution system and turnover to the community. The first day of the conference was an exciting start to a weekend full of wonderful conversations and connections. 

Day 2:

The second day of the conference provided many opportunities to meet other EWB chapters from all over the United States, including many from the Northeast region. With dozens of workshops covering a wide range of topics, some of my favorites included sessions on decolonization in international development, water committees for long-lasting systems, and researching international community program projects. Victoria and I found the lessons shared in the session on researching international community program projects to be particularly valuable, considering that we are in the final stages of our work in Los Sánchez and will soon be partnering with a new community. The day was made even more exciting because Nisheet Reddy, one of our chapter mentors, was recognized as the EWB-USA Mentor of the Year!

Day 3:  

The last day of the conference began with an amazing keynote address by Dr. Crystal Tulley-Cordova, a Principal Hydrologist for the Navajo Nation and a dedicated advocate for sustainable water solutions in tribal communities. I was inspired by her insights on the intersection of science and communities.  

Members of our chapter also led two more workshops: a QGIS workshop and a contractor dynamics workshop. QGIS, a geographic information system software, helps us visualize and analyze the water distribution system and the households that it serves, allowing us to examine the system’s accessibility and efficiency. The workshop on managing contractor dynamics shared lessons drawn from experiences in Kibuon and Los Sánchez during project implementation. Through these workshops, we were able to end the conference by sharing valuable lessons learned and help other chapters navigate potential events that may occur during their own project implementation.

I returned to campus feeling energized and excited, readying to share the new skills and valuable insights with others in our chapter who were unable to attend the conference.