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Building a Better World

We’re working to build critical infrastructure in our partner communities and future engineering leaders in our own.

35,000+

community members impacted by our projects

10 Projects

helping provide essential resources and aid

100+

students contributing to our chapter everyday

Our Mission

EWB-USA supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects, while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders.

Our Vision

A world in which the communities we serve have the capacity to sustainably meet their basic human needs, and where our members have enriched global perspectives through their interactions with EWB-USA initiatives.

Ongoing Projects

EWB-UIUC partners with communities around the world to address critical infrastructure needs.

Rwanda

Rwanda

Constructing a water-distribution system to provide clean, potable water to a community of over 3,000

Malawi

Malawi

Building a concrete, vehicular bridge to connect 25,000 with resources such as healthcare, education, and markets

Illinois

Illinois

Upgrading a 55 year old water treatment facility in Woodford County for 333 residents

Our Chapter

Engineers Without Borders is an international organization which strives to develop bottom-up sustainable growth at the community level in the developing world. With over 12,000 members, 1,100 completed projects and over 5,000,000 beneficiaries in 60 countries, EWB has had a profound impact on the lives of people around the world. EWB-USA UIUC is one of the largest Engineers Without Borders student chapters in the USA.  Although the projects constitute the heart and soul of our EWB vision, our chapter looks forward to future growth in many diverse areas.

Timeline

2003

The Engineers Without Borders Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is established!

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2003-2005

The Odisha Biofuel Project provided a source of electricity for a community of 750 residents!

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2005-2009

The Adu Achi Water Distribution system project provided a source of clean water to a community of 3000! Originally, community members had to trek 3 kilometers daily for potable water.

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2008-2010

The Socorro Biosand Filter Project in Guatemala improved drinking water quality for over 450 people by installing 385 biosand water filters across 7 communities!

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2008-2014

The Ntisaw Water and Sanitation Project in Nigeria provided a clean drinking water source for over 1500 community members through the installation of spring boxes and water taps!

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2013-2020

The Soppo Likoko Electrification Project in Cameroon extended a local transmission line and installed a transformer in a local village, providing over 250 people with a stable source of electricity!

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2014-2020

The Chichimuch Water Distribution project identified a new source of water in a canyon and built a transportation system using spring boxes for a village of 374 in Guatemala!

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2014-2020

The Guatemala Sanitation Project built a bathroom and sanitation system for a local school in the Huitancito village. This project involved installing running water, a septic tank, an infiltration well, and the bathroom itself.

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2015-Present

The Chilaweni bridge project team is currently designing a concrete vehicular bridge to allow passage over the Mphati river in Malawi during monsoon season for a community of 28,000! The bridge aims to provide a safe path to essential resources, such as healthcare and education.

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2024-Present

The Rwanda Water Distribution project is currently working on designing a system to distribute clean water to a community of 3,000 in the Kamonyi district. Currently, community members must walk 2 km to obtain potable water.

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2024-Present

The Woodford Water Plant project is currently working on upgrading the water treatment facility in Woodford County, Illinois, for a community of 333 residents.

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Meet the Board

Learn about the talented team that helps manage our organization and ensures that our projects run smoothly!

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President

Nicholas Karamanian

Mechanical Engineering

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External Vice President

Lauren Sikma

Environmental Engineering

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Internal Vice President

Lisa Spencer

Computer Science

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Treasurer

Brooks Barton

Civil Engineering

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Outreach Chair

Luke Bury

Chemical Engineering

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Fundraising Chair

Sarayu Suresh

Computer Engineering

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Social Chair

Daniel Almeida

Environmental Engineering

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Information Chair

Sultan Khawaja

Environmental Engineering

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Marketing Chair

Riya Shenoy

Chemical Engineering