EWB-USA UMN has had an exciting academic year. The Guatemala project recently conducted its first full-scale assessment trip to Agua Caliente in March 2012. The Uganda project is gearing up for a May-June implementation trip to their new partner community of Bugonzi to construct a rainwater harvesting system. And the Honduras team is in the process of developing relations with new partner communities after a successful design of a water distribution system!

Our new student administration has been selected for the 2012-2013 year, which you may visit in the "People" section of the website. The summer has many exciting opportunities ahead for our chapter. If you are a past, present, or future sponsor or member of EWB-USA UMN, I hope you will continue to stop by and visit! Our emails and doors are always welcoming of old and new voices, alike.

EWB-USA University of Minnesota will be hosting an open house in its office in Lind Hall 5 on Thursday, February 2nd from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The open house will feature project leaders, EWB administration, and current project members. Stop by for some refreshments, enlighten yourself in opportunities in our projects, and be inspired to join a project team and do some hands-on, worldly good!

The day after, a general chapter meeting will occur on Wednesday, February 1st in the Tate Lab of Physics 170 (lecture hall) from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This meeting will be a secondary recruitment opportunity for students, and project leaders will be delivering 5 minute presentations about their aspirations for the 2012 calendar year. Meet other current and interested members of EWB, and gain a wider understanding of our chapter as a whole.

General Chapter Meeting: Wednesday, February 1st, 6:30-7:30 PM
Tate Lab of Physics 170

Open House: Thursday, February 2nd, 1:00-4:00 PM
Lind Hall 5

EWB-USA University of Minnesota will be hosting an open house in its office in Lind Hall 5 on Thursday, September 15th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The open house will feature project leaders, EWB administration, and current project members. Stop by for some refreshments, enlighten yourself in opportunities in our projects, and be inspired to join a project team and do some hands-on, worldly good!

For further notice, a general chapter meeting will occur on Wednesday, September 28th in the Tate Lab of Physics 133 (lecture hall) from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This meeting will be a secondary recruitment opportunity for students, and project leaders will be delivering 5 minute presentations about their aspirations for the 2011-12 school year. Meet other current and interested members of EWB, and gain a wider understanding of our chapter as a whole.

Until then, have a fantastic start to the new school year!

Open House: Thursday, September 15th, 4:00-7:00 PM
Lind Hall 5

General Chapter Meeting: Wednesday, September 28th, 7:00-8:00 PM
Tate Lab of Physics 133

The Honduras team sets off on their first assessment trip May 14th, 2011! The team consists of 8 members: 4 professionals from the EWB Minnesota Professional Chapter, and four students from EWB-UMN.

Goals include investigating the availability of local materials, strengthening ties with the community, starting an water education initiative, gathering input from community members on preffered design solutions, and gathering hydrologic data.

The team will be returning in June with good news and a bounty of ideas for possible designs. Fortunes be with you, Honduras team!

Determined teams of CSE students picked up some buzzers, opened their skulls, and dumped their acquired knowledge in the 2011 CSE Science Quiz Bowl competition today!

With their combined intellectual prowess, the EWB team (wittily titled the "nEWBs") consisting of Bio-digester lead Jon Fraatz, former VP Richard Barnes, current VP Eric O'Hara, and future VP Scott Miller won the final round by a slim margin of 20 points. They thank the competition's organizers, their competitors, and all their supporters for turning out!

Don't forget to attend the variety of CSE Week events over the next several days!

Scott Miller (shown left) is proud to be representing Engineers Without Borders in his competition to be the College of Science and Engineering's King of 2011! If Scott becomes King, he will receive the funds raised by him and the other King nominees, which will be used to support EWB's pursuits.

He needs YOUR help to win this competition!

Scott receives points for having his friends attend CSE Week events with him, so check out the EWB office wall or his Facebook page to sign-up on a list of events you can attend, and have some fun this CSE Week while supporting EWB!

Scott must also raise funds -- if you have a dollar, quarter, or peso to spare, give it to Scott on the street, or bring it to the EWB office to support EWB!

EWB-UMN's Freshman Leadership Board (FLB) has developed our chapter's latest promotional video - this time, paring down the run-time to only thirty seconds. A more difficult process than one might imagine, the FLB has definitely demonstrated their initiative and creativity. Enjoy!

Engineers Without Borders-UMN is initiating an exciting new venture called the Freshman Leadership Board! As per the title, it is open exclusively to driven freshman aspiring to become leaders right out of the shoot. The Leaders will work alongside current EWB-UMN administrators, gaining valuable experience in areas such as outreach, project communication, fundraising, and finance. This is a new approach that aims to supplement current administrative efforts as well as grant freshman opportunities in understanding and assisting the EWB-UMN mission!

The informational meeting will occur on Saturday, February 5th at 1:00PM in Lind Hall 5. For more information please contact Kathleen Thurmes.

The University of Minnesota Chapter will be hosting the EWB Midwest Workshop November 13th - 14th. The workshop offers the chance to socialise and network with members of other chapters; attend presentations detailing other projects' successes, failures, and lessons; engage in hands-on workshops; meet with state, regional, and national representatives of EWB-USA; present your own projects; and, of course, enjoy a weekend "vacation" to the exotic and exciting city of Minneapolis!

For event information please visit the EWB Midwest Workshop website.

In summer 2009, Beth Anderson, the video producer for the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment (IonE), traveled to Uganda with the Engineers Without Borders student group. With funding from the IonE and its signature program, IREE, the student-led organization implemented a solar-powered water supply system for Hope Integrated Academy, a vocational college, high school and community resource center in rural Mulobere. The system now provides the entire school and more than 500 villagers with clean drinking water. The project also incorporates a sanitation building design and health education focused on malaria prevention. Anderson roughed it alongside the volunteers and captured footage for this short documentary.

The evening will open with a performance by the Hayor Bibimma African Dance Company. After the film there will be a question and answer session with students and the fillmmaker.

The CSWEA Student Design Competition is intended to promote "real world and hands on" design experience for students interested in pursuing an education and/or career in water/wastewater engineering and sciences field. This competition requires teams of students to design and present a program meeting the requirements of the problem statement. There are two levels of competition; a conventional Wastewater Design category which includes traditional wastewater design projects and an Environmental Design category which includes contemporary engineering design topics like sustainability, water reuse, wetland construction and Engineers Without Borders projects.

The 2009 CSWEA Student Design Competition Team award was presented to Grete Schmalle, Eric Hettler, Steve Hankey, and Adam Both for their work on the Uganda Phase II project.

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