2013 PREMIER CHAPTER AWARD WINNERS
This award recognizes outstanding EWB-USA student and professional Chapters that meet the ideals of a successful EWB-USA chapter. These ideals include excellence in organization, fundraising and public relations, engagement in mentor/mentee relationship and chapter and regional participation.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
The Texas A&M University chapter has made great strides over the last several years to become an exemplary student chapter. The chapter was established in 2005 and is working with two communities, one in Belize and one in Costa Rica. These partnerships have produced great results for the communities and for the dedicated members of the chapter. They utilize the expertise of local engineering professionals, the faculty of the university and national staff from EWB-USA to get the best results for their projects.
The Texas A&M chapter has excelled in setting up a structure to support the chapter and create numerous and meaningful leadership opportunities for its members. This has resulted in the chapter being able to tap the interests and skills of many students, and even broaden the scope of some of these students beyond the typical engineering experience by creating roles like Media Specialist, Fundraising Director, Training Director, Webmaster and Publicity Director.
Texas A&M’s dedication spreads beyond its chapter and community partnerships to the greater EWB-USA community. They have hosted a regional EWB-USA conference and attended multiple regional conferences and international conferences put on by EWB-USA.
PORTLAND, MAINE PROFESSIONAL CHAPTER
The Portland, Maine Professional chapter is a young chapter with a mature spectrum of experience, expertise and enthusiasm that has allowed it to succeed in membership, fundraising, project development and community involvement. Established in early 2010, the chapter has quickly become a model chapter and made the most of its dedicated members and locally available resources, and collaborations with others in the EWB-USA community.
The chapter partners with a local community in Ghana and uses creative fundraising ideas to support their work. This has included a very successful wine event with a silent auction, as well as raffles, bi-annual yard sales, bowling events and even a juggling performance. Perhaps one of the most innovative endeavors has been the chapter's work to create jewelry from Ghanaian beads and to sell them to support the program in Ghana.
The Portland, Maine Professional chapter has also been involved as mentors with a local EWB-USA student chapter as well as having one of its members team up with another professional chapter in their region. One of its members also serves as the State Representative for Maine and is involved with the Northeast regional steering committee. The chapter has also spread the word about engineering, international development and EWB-USA by making multiple presentations to classes at local middle schools.
2013 PREMIER MEMBER AWARD WINNERS
PETER J. BOSSCHER FACULTY ADVISOR AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP
DR. CURTIS NELSON
This award recognizes faculty advisors who provide outstanding leadership and mentorship to their student chapter. It is named for the late Peter J. Bosscher, who was an EWB-USA faculty advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was actively involved with the national organization.
Dr. Curtis Nelson has been working with the EWB-USA Walla Walla University chapter since 2006, leading students on trips to assess, implement, and monitor elementary school building projects in Honduras. He is currently the co-faculty advisor of an active student chapter which consists of 70 student members, many from other disciplines. Some of his most rewarding professional memories are helping his EWB-USA students make presentations on campus, at Rotary meetings, and at EWB-USA’s West Coast Conferences. He is the founding faculty advisor for the Walla Walla University chapter and continues his involvement as a faculty co-advisor and international project manager for work in Honduras.
Dr. Nelson is a professor in the School of Engineering at Walla Walla University where he is in his 25th year of teaching. His current interests include the development and implementation of undergraduate courses and programs, particularly relating to service learning and engineering design for developing countries.
STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL FOUNDERS' AWARD
These awards recognize individual EWB-USA members who exhibit outstanding leadership in their regions, chapters and/or project teams by fostering responsible leadership with other members, chapters and partnering communities and helping partner communities meet their basic human needs.
AARON OPDYKE
Aaron is in his final year pursuing a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He has been a member of Engineers Without Borders USA since 2009. During his first year of college, Aaron co-founded Cal Poly's India program and led the team on its initial assessment trip as a project manager. He has also worked extensively with the design and implementation of wastewater treatment facilities for this program, traveling on two trips. Aaron is currently serving his second term as president for the Cal Poly chapter where he oversees projects in Nicaragua, Thailand and India. Following his first term as president, the Cal Poly chapter was recognized in 2012 as the Premier Student Chapter by EWB-USA.
Aaron has been described as having a “calm leadership” style which inspires camaraderie and collaboration. This leadership style has been noted as not only having a great effect within his chapter, but also helping to focus on understanding the local community partners’ priorities and gaining critical trust and credibility with the community.
JODI GENTRY
Jodi began her involvement with EWB-USA in 2007 when she helped start the EWB-USA University of Kansas chapter. As part of the KU chapter, Jodi served as founding president and sanitation project lead for the chapter’s first international project in Bolivia, traveling to the project site six times through all phases of development. Jodi took her experience and enthusiasm for EWB-USA and transitioned from a student member of EWB-USA to a professional member of the organization with the Kansas City Professional chapter where she held various roles. During this time she also took on a leadership role within EWB-USA’s Midwest region, serving as both Vice President and President of the region between 2009 and 2012.
In March 2011, Jodi co-founded the Sunflower State Professional Chapter, and served as the founding president until 2013. She is also active on their first international project in eastern Guatemala, traveling every six months in support of a water improvement project. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering, with research focused on sanitation and drinking water in developing communities.
