Jennifer
Hoffman, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Chesterfield, Mo., will
lead 19 fellow students from Missouri University of Science and Technology into
the rainforests of Bolivia this month to build self-composting latrines,
install LED study lights, and replace two pedestrian bridges.

It’s all part of a plan by the university’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, which took
Hoffman to the small village of Rio Colorado last year, to turn their
classroom lessons into real-world solutions.

Hoffman says the group has spent months in the planning stage and is eager
to put their engineering skills to use, but anticipates having to “plan on the
fly.”

“I know everything is going to change once we get down there, and that’s
where we learn what they can’t teach us in the classroom,” Hoffman explains.
“There is no homework problem that gives you different information halfway
through it and says deal with it from where you are now.”

The EWB team will spend May 18 to June 2 in Rio Colorado making life easier
for the 260 students at the Rio Colorado Technical Agricultural High School.
Several projects are on their to-do list, including:

• building a 10-hole self-composting latrine structure behind the existing
  boy’s shower structure to help prevent water contamination to current
  wells
• replacing two bridges at the entrance to the campus by damming any water
  running through the ditch, placing a predetermined size of culvert pipe on top
  of a layer of gravel and packing dirt and other materials tightly around
  it
• installing a new generator to replace two old machines, replacing the
  current wiring system, and adding LED lights to allow students to study when
  the generator is not on
• adding two water meters to help detect leaks
• teaching community members how to treat water at the point of use

“Traveling to Bolivia with Engineers Without Borders is an awesome
opportunity to help those less fortunate than ourselves,” says Andrew
Schieffer, a junior in mechanical engineering from Troy, Mo. “It’s our duty as
future engineers to use our knowledge and available technology to increase the
standard of living at home and abroad.”

Dr. Rick Stephenson, professor of civil, architectural and environmental
engineering at Missouri S&T, says the energy and dedication of EWB students
amazes everyone who comes in contact with them.

“Their passion for working with the poor and neglected of the third world to
improve their standard of living is an inspiration to me,” says Stephenson, the
chapter’s advisor. “They constantly remind me of our unofficial motto that
engineers can save more lives than doctors.”

Students traveling to Bolivia include:

• Elizabeth Babb of Benton, Ky., a senior in environmental engineering
• Josh Boeckmann of Chesterfield, Mo., a junior in civil engineering
• Laurin Bookout of St. James, Mo., a junior in civil engineering
• Brina Crouch of Rolla, Mo., a senior in civil engineering
• Janine Einhellig of Lenexa, Kan., a senior in civil engineering
• Dustin C. Fox of Rolla, Mo., a junior in computer engineering
• Jessica A. Gibbs of Kansas City, Mo., a junior in civil engineering
• Christina Graham of Euless, Texas, a senior in aerospace engineering
• Sarah Herrig of Loves Park, Ill., a senior in architectural engineering and
  civil engineering
• Jennifer A. Hoffman of Chesterfield, Mo., a sophomore in aerospace
  engineering
• Chad Parkhurst of Millstadt, Mo., a junior in aerospace engineering
• Emily Pasch of Lake Zurich, Ill., a senior in mechanical engineering
• Matthew Rankins of Eureka, Mo., a senior in architectural engineering
• Erica Ronchetto of Chesterfield, Mo., a freshman in ceramic
  engineering
• Andrew Schieffer of Troy, Mo., a junior in mechanical engineering
• Adam Sevi of Rolla, Mo., a Ph.D. student in ceramic engineering
• Sarah Shell of Barnhart, Mo., a junior in environmental engineering
• Jordan Varble of Farmington, Mo., a senior in civil engineering
• Amiel Weerasinghe of Sri Lanka, a sophomore in civil engineering
• Shannan Worley of Kansas City, Mo., a senior in civil engineering

The 20 Missouri S&T students will be accompanied on the trip by a
Missouri S&T graduate, two faculty members and a student from the
University of Kansas, including:

• David Hoffman, an associate research engineer in civil, architectural and
  environmental engineering at Missouri S&T
• Dr. Ronaldo Luna, associate professor of civil, architectural and
  environmental engineering at Missouri S&T
• David Schepers, a 1975 electrical engineering graduate of Missouri S&T
  who works for Ameren in St. Louis
• Jodi Gentry of Lawrence, Kan., president of the EWB chapter at the
  University of Kansas

An additional 16 Missouri S&T students, members of the same EWB chapter,
will leave May 18
for Solola, Guatemala, where they plan to finish the building of a second
earthquake-resistant classroom — adding a roof, stairway and electricity —
and repair the school’s bathrooms.