Nov 6 2009
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Foundation selected a project submitted by the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) -USA Chapter at Iowa State University to receive a grant for the Society's first collaborative effort with EWB-USA in Mali, Kati Cerle, Nana Kenieba, Africa.
The project is titled, "Ceramics Production for Water Filtration, Cooking Stoves, & Sustainable Households."
"A subcommittee of the Materials and Society Committee has selected Iowa State University (ISU) as the recipient of the first EWB-USA grant supported by TMS," said TMS Vice President George T. "Rusty" Gray, who also serves as a member of the subcommittee. "Iowa State's proposal was selected because it incorporated a strong combination of materials science and engineering application to service with objectives to serve both near-term and lasting needs of the people of Mali, Kati Cerle, Nana Kenieba."
The grant was formally announced October 27 at the Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) 2009 Conference & Exhibition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Mali project will commence in May.
Richard LeSar, faculty advisor for the newly chartered Iowa State EWB chapter, said he is elated about the grant and proud of the group's accomplishments after just a year in existence.
The Iowa State chapter has 62 active members who have already worked overseas in both Mali and Belize, he said. In 2008, a team spent time in Mali to analyze the fire systems in place and consider possible improvements using available resources.
"I am extremely ecstatic. One of the untapped areas in engineering is the use of materials in developing countries. It is intriguing and challenging," LeSar said. "And the key to all this is that it's participatory development. We go and do the ground work and discover what's there and what they need. We don't just drop all this technology on them. It's all their decision. It teaches us to be engineers in a different way… in a way you can't learn inside a classroom."
For this project, a team will again travel to Mali to tackle two synergistic objectives: creating sustainable households and improving water quality. Essentially, they will work to improve the weather resistance of buildings during the rainy season and develop technologies that will provide the local village with safe, sustainable water.
The Sustainable Households team will work to develop rain-resistant construction materials using indigenous clays that may increase the strength and water resistance of household building materials and eventually a procured kiln, which will be developed during a future visit to Mali.
The Water Quality team will help the people in and around the region of Mali by producing firing clay pots, which will serve as water filters to provide sustainable, safe water. Using bio-sand filters, the team will work with local businesses on how to manufacture the clay pots and construct filters.
Cathy Leslie, executive director of EWB-USA, said the TMS grant supports their mission to improve quality of life around the world through education.
"The grant given to the EWB-USA Iowa State University team is a demonstration of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society's commitment not only to the communities we serve, but also the promotion of a global education within our students and professionals," she said. "We are thrilled to be working with such a dedicated organization and look forward to achieving many great things through our relationship with TMS."