Page 7 - ME Newsletter Fall

around the world
WHAT MAKES THIS COURSE IMPACTFUL?
Students work shoulder-to-shoulder with Tanzanian communities to develop an engineering solution that meets the local design guidelines. This is a testament to the students’ engineering know-how, as well as their ability to seek out the problem parameters and not just solve a question out of a textbook.
Students present their proposed design solutions to a packed house at the U in February 2024
“The Water for Life course enabled us to apply our technical knowledge
in a practical way. Project-based learning is the most critical aspect of an engineering degree because it presents you with scenarios most reflective of industry experiences. Understanding the problem, gathering and analyzing data, weighing the solutions, outlining the financial commitment, working as a team, and meeting critical deadlines are all skills that this course required of its participants. However, this wasn’t just a project to our team. Meeting the residents of our village brought this course to life and gave it new meaning.
I sought out an engineering degree so I could impact the lives of others
in a positive way. This course allowed me to do that before obtaining my degree and showed me the purpose behind the rigorous coursework. It is incredibly fulfilling knowing that something I designed, along with my team, is impacting a community positively and transforming their daily life.”
— Jordan Wallace, 2020 course participant
UP NEXT
The class traveling to Tanzania in January of 2025 will be the 10th group of students taking this course after the initial offering, led by Professor Paul Strykowski and Dr. Ken Smith in 2014. Over 120 students have taken part in this course since then! Feel free to follow along on the next cohort’s travels via the ME Instagram account (@umnme) and the CSE Global Seminars blog.
Student team and Tanzanian water committee members in Magome
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