More than a decade ago, CU-Boulder Engineering Professor Bernard Amadei was faced with a seemingly simple task — to engineer a water pump for a small village in Belize. From that small project grew Engineers Without Borders-USA, and its global focus on supporting community-driven development projects worldwide.
A true grassroots movement, Engineers Without Borders began in 1997 in Amadei’s backyard. There, Amadei met Belize natives through a home landscaping project and they formed a bond. The Belizeans told Amadei about their home country, its struggles, and its impoverished communities.
“As we were talking, literally in my backyard, they asked if I could be of assistance since I am involved with engineering education, and I said ‘yes, I believe so,’” he said.
A couple of years passed, and the men contacted Amadei about their earlier conversation. In the spring of 2000, Amadei traveled to Belize where he was particularly taken by a small village called San Pablo.
“In that village, I was struck by poverty. I was struck by the girls carrying water from the river to the village, and it really struck a cord in me,” he said.
When he shared news of his visit with students back in Boulder, many were enthusiastic about the opportunity to assist. Amadei returned to Belize with a small group of professionals and students to build a non-electric, self-sufficient water pump using early engineering technology. The modest project cost a total $14,000, including support from the CU-Boulder Outreach Award. It would be the first of many community-driven projects that Amadei and other engineers would lead worldwide as part of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB).
“I had never done that type of work. I had always been interested in helping others, but it was the first time where I could combine my interest in helping others and my engineering skills,” he said. “It was an exercise in self discovery. It was an eye opener.”
The concept spread quickly. Soon other universities were establishing similar programs. Amadei shakes his head in modesty when he talks about the program’s national and international appeal.
“This was not really of my making. I was not trying to create a movement. I do believe in retrospect that we came across the right idea at the right time and the right place,” he said. “It had to happen.”
Today, the recognized non-profit boasts involvement of more than 12,000 students, faculty, and professionals nationwide and has been a model of outreach at CU-Boulder. EWB projects are community-driven and aim to help meet basic needs such as water and sanitation improvements, the construction of health care facilities, schools and bridges, and the introduction of solar energy. At CU-Boulder, current projects focus on Nepal, Peru, and Rwanda.
Amadei said there are many opportunities for scholarly work in conjunction with these efforts, but it is different from traditional work. He admits that departure from traditional academic work made for an often rocky road while establishing EWB, but support from some university leaders at CU helped EWB take root.
“The two people who really helped me a lot were non-engineers, Anne Heinz from Continuing Education and Phil DiStefano,” he says. “I am grateful for their support and their vision. I think that is how you identify leaders, when they see something where nobody else sees it. To say ‘it is just a little seed now, but there is potential here.’ They provided the fertile ground for that seed to grow.”
In addition to Engineers Without Borders-USA, Amadei helped establish College of Engineering's Mortensen Center in Engineering for Developing Communities. Both programs have revealed a "new generation" of engineering students.
“For the past ten years, I have seen a new generation of engineers made up of young people who are really committed to making the world a better place. When I asked students in EWB why they were interested and they told me they were interested in more meaningful work and education,” he said. “There is this idea that universities were created to help people find their place in the universe, and this fits quite well.”
Just as the students have found their places in the world, so has Amadei.
“In the same way it has been meaningful for students, it has been meaningful for me,” he said. “It has changed completely my career and my life. It has revived my soul and has given me a sense of meaning for why I work at CU.”