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Experiential Service Learning: Applying Engineering Skills and Knowledge in the Dominican Republic

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Conference

2024 South East Section Meeting

Location

Marietta, Georgia

Publication Date

March 10, 2024

Start Date

March 10, 2024

End Date

March 12, 2024

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--45528

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/45528

Download Count

12

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Paper Authors

biography

Natalia Cardelino Mercer University

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Dr. Cardelino is Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and an MEng and BS in Civil Engineering from Cornell University. She is a licensed professional engineer in Massachusetts and Georgia. Before obtaining her PhD, she worked as a consulting engineer for 17 years at Arup in their London, NY and Boston offices and most recently at Uzun + Case Engineers in Atlanta. Her current research interests include producing sustainable concrete mixes by replacing a portion of energy-intensive Portland cement with blends of limestone powder and metakaolin.

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biography

Laura E Moody Mercer University

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Dr. Laura Moody is an associate professor and chair of Industrial Engineering at Mercer University. Dr. Moody has taught Mercer's School of Engineering for more than 30 years and has experience in consulting and managing human factors professionals.

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Abstract

Service-learning projects can make a positive impact on an engineering curriculum by providing students with valuable hand-on experiences that incorporate aspects of various engineering disciplines. Carrying on a years-long tradition, Mercer University students spent three weeks in a rural area of the Dominican Republic where they performed projects related to civil, environmental, and industrial engineering. Working with local water council representatives, students were able to hear first-hand the challenges rural communities have in accessing clean drinking water. They then participated in the construction of an aqueduct system to provide drinking water to these under-served communities. They learned how to test the drinking water for contaminants such as nitrates and E. coli, which led to training locals on water testing. Students surveyed community members to evaluate community attitudes toward disability, interviewed people with disabilities or their caregivers to understand their needs, and investigated opportunities to improve accessibility in this rural community. For some students, the experience left them with a desire to continue their involvement, and several have committed to come together to finish a ramp design to improve accessibility in a facility for our in-country sponsor. Through course evaluations, all students indicated that the experience was a valuable, life-changing experience, which greatly enhanced their engineering education.

Cardelino, N., & Moody, L. E. (2024, March), Experiential Service Learning: Applying Engineering Skills and Knowledge in the Dominican Republic Paper presented at 2024 South East Section Meeting, Marietta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--45528

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