Ensuring Environmental Sustainability
20CEE600H & 20CEE601H

Autumn Quarter 2009 Honors Seminar and Study Tour Course


2008 Participants in India (Students, Faculty, and Local Community Members)

This exciting honors seminar will focus on the development of sustainable technologies for sanitation, potable water, cooking, and agriculture in developing countries. The course will also study microfinance with a strong emphasis on understanding the process, reporting, and finding resources. It will culminate in a required study tour to India in which students will engage in hands-on application of what they have been learning in class.

Students will register for both 20CEE600H and 20CEE601H. The lecture and lab are 4 credit hours total. 20CEE600H can count as SE or QR BoKs. Classes will meet MWF 9:00-9:50am (lecture) & W 3:00-4:50 (lab).

20CEE600H will include lecture/discussion on fact-based topics facilitated by small group exercises with oral group presentations.  The context for sustainable development will be provided through the lectures.

20CEE601H, the research laboratory component, will involve teams of students with diverse backgrounds working together to identify, design, and evaluate the feasibility of technology for sanitation, potable water, cooking, or sustainable agriculture.  Engineering and science students would provide knowledge of water quality, chemistry, biology, and aquatic ecosystems.  Design students would examine the usability of the new technology in an authentic social context, while business students would develop an appropriate model for marketing and dissemination of the technology.   

During the required two-week study tour to rural areas of India (immediately following autumn quarter), students will accomplish four activities, namely: (1) assessing sanitation, potable water, cooking, and agriculture technologies already used in the village; (2) examine the feasibility of adoption of the technologies developed in the term course; (3) generating a submission for future support for the village from a Non Governmental Agency such as Engineers Without Borders; (4) identify and train local entrepreneurs who can now have access to capital to implement students ideas.

Learn more from a presentation by Dr. Dan Oerther:
Ensuring Environmental Sustainability (PPT)

In India the group will work with the Sadguru Water and Development Foundation, an NGO. Go to their website to learn more, especially the "About Us" section:
http://www.nmsadguru.org/.

Want to see what the 2008 class experienced and accomplished in India?
Watch a video compiled by 2008 participant Tom Meyer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov6pzlU3rDg

Travel Dates
Travel dates are expected to be December 9 - 23, 2009.

The trip departs during finals week and may require participants to make alternate arrangements for final exams (doing this is the responsibility of each individual student).

Estimated Cost
$2600-2800 per student (includes airfare, ground transportation, lodging, program fees)
-Students will receive a $1000 grant from University Honors to offset this cost
-Students should also apply for funding from UC International: 
http://www.uc.edu/global/grants_aid/UC_International_Programs_Student_Grants.html

Application
An application is required. Download the application (MS Word).

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis as space is available. Once all spaces have been filled, a waiting list will be maintained.

Other Background
Students from across disciplines are welcome. Students should have some knowledge of chemistry or basic science. Please contact Dan Oerther if you have questions about how your background will fit with the course content.

We expect 8-15 University Honors students to participate.

Participants will need a passport. If you hope to participate but do not have a passport, please begin that process as soon as possible. Participants will also be required to obtain visas to enter India. The faculty directors will provide more information on visas applications during fall quarter.