Engineers Without Borders Founder Speaks on Campus
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders and a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, spoke on campus in late February during National Engineers Week.
Amadei's lecture topic was, “The Role of Engineers in Poverty Reduction: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Amadei discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with practicing engineering in the developing world and the education of engineers through organizations such as Engineers Without Borders. He also discussed the importance of integrating engineering with non-engineering disciplines when addressing the needs of developing communities.
In the next two decades, the Earth’s population is expected to grow by nearly two billion additional people, 95 percent of them in developing or underdeveloped countries. This growth will create unprecedented demands for energy, food, land, water, transportation, materials, waste disposal, earth moving, health care, environmental cleanup, telecommunication, and infrastructure.
“The role of engineers will be critical in fulfilling those demands at various scales, ranging from remote small communities to large urban areas, and mostly in the developing world,” says Amadei. “As we enter the first half of the 21st century, the engineering profession must embrace a new mission statement—to contribute to the building of a more sustainable, stable, and equitable world.”
The event was sponsored by the Office of the Provost and supported by the university Honors Program, Empower Poly Coalition, EdGE, and CSinE.
Read About Cal Poly's chapter of Engineers Without Borders
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