Engineers Without Borders

Elections for 2008-09 Officers are Open

Elections for EWB-OSU’s officers for the 2008-09 school year are now underway. To vote, go to http://ewb-osu.org/vote, enter the code “officers2008″ (no quotes), and fill out the ballot. Once you submit your vote, you will be given a unique identifier string, which you must email, along with your name, to treasurer@ewb-osu.org. This is to ensure that only the votes of paying members are counted. All identifiers will be disassociated from names to ensure confidentiality. The ballot will be open until 7:00 PM on Friday, May 2, at which point the results will be made public.

Info about the candidates and video clips of their nomination speeches and the Q & A session at the nomination meeting can be found below.

Continue reading…

General Meeting & Nominations Wednesday April 23rd 7pm KEC 1003

Attendees from the EWB International Conference in Seattle will be sharing all they learned during that event over spring break.

Candidates for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer should come prepared to introduce themselves and to speak of their qualifications following the conference presentation.

Position descriptions can be found at on the EWB-OSU website here. I encourage you to run for one of these positions and to hear from the candidates and vote. Nominations may be given to Doug in 204 Rogers Hall or president@ewb-osu.org before Wednesday evening or at the meeting. Voting (by paid members) will be online for one week - more details Wednesday.

Also keep in mind the several appointed positions that are currently open. Please let us know if you are interested in taking on more responsibilities and getting more involved in EWB-OSU! Open positions include (but are not limited to) Public Relations Coordinator and committee members, IT Coordinator, and Organic Growers Club Project Coordinator.

Don’t forget, the Application for Summer Travel to El Salvador is available and is due this Friday April 25th. Among other attributes, commitment to EWB-OSU is an important selection criteria.

And as always, free pizza and pop Wednesday at 7pm. See you there and don’t forget to vote!

Summer Traveler Selection

Are you interested in ending poverty, improving health, or solving real world problems?
Do you have the desire to make a difference?
Have you ever wanted to travel to Central America?
Here’s your chance.

Engineers Without Borders is currently seeking students from all majors to travel to El Salvador in early Summer of 2008. Selected applicants will be responsible for the implementation of two sustainable water delivery systems in El Salvador. We are looking for individuals who are ready to work alongside community members and spend time in a developing country. You must have a current passport to be considered for travel.

The traveling team will be selected based on the following criteria (note that individual travelers need not meet all criteria but must complement the capabilities of the other selected travelers):

• Strong communication skills
• Spanish language proficiency
• Design and construction experience
• Willingness to collaborate with local laborers
• Familiarity with the project and a clear, shared vision
• Time to prepare well for this trip
• Current and/or future commitment to working with Engineers Without Borders

If selected, be prepared to commit a minimum of eight hours/month of volunteering with Engineers Without Borders during spring term. You are expected and encouraged to actively plan and participate in preparation for implementation. In return, all (reasonable) expenses associated with the trip will be paid for by EWB-OSU.

Summer Travel Application

Please print double-sided and write or type clearly. … we enjoy breathing and efficiency.
Completed applications should be returned to Douglas Van Bossuyt in ROG 222 by 4:30pm on Friday, April 25th.

Travel Team to Speak at General Meeting, April 9, 2008

Our team of four returned last week from their week-long site assessment trip to El Salvador. They’ll tell us all about it at the General Meeting on Wednesday, April 9, scheduled to start at 7:00 PM in room 1003 of Kelley Engineering Center.

At the meeting, we’ll also discuss upcoming officer elections and begin the nomination process. As always, there’ll be pizza and soda.

General Meeting, Feb. 27th, 2008

More info is coming on the general meeting for Wednesday, Feb. 27th, which is scheduled for 7:00 PM in room 1001 of the Kelley Engineering Center.

General Meeting, Feb. 13th, 2008

At the general meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13, we’ll hear from Julie Clark of the OSU Organic Growers’ Club who will talk about organic farming and some of the OGC’s practices. The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 PM in room 1005 of the Kelley Engineering Center. As always, pizza and soda will be provided.

Partnership with OSU Biodiesel Initiative up for Vote

The OSU Biodiesel Initiative’s proposal to partner with EWB-OSU is going up for a vote. Below, you can find links to relevant documents explaining what the partnership would entail. All full members of EWB-OSU are eligible to participate in the vote, which will be conducted through this website. The voting page can be found at http://groups.engr.orst.edu/ewb/chapter_pages/vote.

Partnership Documentation

• The OSU Biodiesel Initiative’s Presentation to EWB-OSU
• The OSU Biodiesel Initiative’s Grant Proposal
• The Completed OSU Biodiesel Initiative Partnership Form
• A Handout About Biodiesel

Partnership Brewing with OSU Biodiesel Initiative

A possible partnership is in the works between EWB-OSU and the OSU Biodiesel Initiative. The Biodiesel Initiative is currently working on a plan to design and implement a small-scale, sustainable biodiesel production facility for the residents of Narukunibua, Fiji. A recent proposal from the Biodiesel Initiative would form a partnership that would involve members from both clubs participating in the research, design, and implementation of the plant in Narukunibua.

Continue reading…

Spring Break Travel Application

We are currently seeking applicants from all majors to travel to El Salvador during Spring Break 2008. Selected applicants will be responsible for the continued implementation of a sustainable water delivery system in El Salvador. We are looking for individuals who are ready to work alongside community members and spend time in a developing country.

Continue reading…

Organic Growers Club Project Work Dates Set

Our Organic Grower’s Club project has been officially approved by the OGC, and the first work date will be Sunday, October 28. We will be meeting at 1:00 pm in Kelly Engineering enter (north side entrance). From there we will carpool to the site. For the stragglers, you can meet us at the site, which is the second left after the golf course going east on Hwy 34. Here is a map.

A second work date is scheduled for Saturday, November 3, at 10:00 AM. We’ll meet at Kelley Engineering for for this one, too.

If you don’t know what the OGC project is, check out this post about it.

Continue reading…