Dean's Weekly, July 4th

Sustainable Engineering in the Developing World AIAD to Uganda:  Four cadets western Uganda from recently to construct rainwater harvesting systems at two primary schools. These systems will provide a clean source of water for the schoolchildren, and consist of a set of gutters that channel water into a large cistern on a brick and concrete foundation. In addition, they used sophisticated samplers to determine the impact of open fires vs. wood-burning cookstoves on indoor air quality in the local community, and collected field data that cadets could use next year to design and build a water treatment system for a local farm. The topics of sustainable water resource management and indoor air quality link directly to the course work the environmental engineering cadets explore in EV397 (Air Pollution Engineering), and EV481 (Water Resources Planning and Design). Additionally, these topics are integrated into the environmental engineering sequence as recent case studies to highlight global concerns in the developing world. These projects were in support of the non-profit Kasiisi Project, a non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is to conserve Kibale National Park via education, health, and conservation programs. Working with the NGO, the schools, and local contractors enabled cadets to learn about engineering and construction techniques in the developing world, to be immersed in Ugandan culture, and to gain first-hand experience of civil-military teamwork in sustainable community development. This AIAD was generously supported by the Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations (CSCMO).