Paper/Proposal Title
Considering Invisible Scalability Potential in International Development Efforts
Location
M1400
Start Date
11-3-2023 12:00 AM
End Date
11-3-2023 12:00 AM
Keywords
international development, engineering, technology, scalable, empowerment
Abstract
Many universities in the industrialized world have supported international development through research and student immersions, premised on the bias that students must go to another country to understand community needs. While it is certain that these experiences have been life-changing for such students, there are criticisms. For example, some argue that the work done by students/faculty abroad can reinforce power imbalances from both perspectives. Additionally, the sustainability of student-developed projects, which rarely come with long term monitoring and funding/training for operation and maintenance, is a grave concern.
We simply cannot view our students’ international experiences as only rich learning experiences. We need to leverage the knowledge, skills, experience, and time of students (and faculty) to enable scalable long-term impact. Can our work find a home not just in one community, but many?
A better strategy, we believe, is to support through long duration projects partner organizations which are already known by the communities they are in and which have already demonstrated the ability to scale. Such partners will already know the culture, regulations, and needs of the community and can communicate these to the students and faculty. Additionally, since they have already demonstrated success in reaching people with solutions; thus there is greater likelihood that the work we do to support them can yield scalable impact which can properly be monitored and maintained. Third, the work we would do would be ‘invisible’ to the communities benefiting; instead, the partner, which almost certainly would rely upon local talent for the work, would be seen as the action agent.
In this framework, we envision projects driven by technological needs defined by the scalable partners which might help them reach more people and by complementary technologies being developed by students/faculty which might enhance the scalability of partners.
Author/Speaker Biographical Statement(s)
Molly Savage (Master's student, University of Dayton, Renewable and Clean Energy Engineering) holds a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering, also from the University of Dayton, and has industry experience in manufacturing, waste reclamation, and engineering design. Molly currently works for the ETHOS Center, which focuses on sustainable community-engaged engineering education and research with partners around the globe. Molly is passionate about creating equitable solutions to promote collaboration while learning how to be an active listener to those presenting their needs. Her current research is focused on defining the scalability potential of the Ethos Center and creating a model that will include collaboration with industrial partners and integrate investment in sustainable energy services.
Lu Hao (Ph.D. Student, Mechanical Engineering, University of Dayton) earned her Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Dayton and continued the academic journey by completing a Master's degree in Renewable Clean Energy. With a passion for sustainability and a commitment to making a positive impact on the environment, she is currently interning at Dayton Regional Green, where they are gaining valuable hands-on experience in promoting sustainable practices in the local community. In this role, they are actively involved in developing and implementing initiatives that aim to reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency, and promote the use of renewable energy sources. Her research is focused on identifying opportunities for investment and collaboration in the developing world to promote the adoption of clean energy solutions.
Dr. Kevin Hallinan (Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Dayton - UD) has been a faculty member at UD for 35 years. He formerly served as Chair from 2000-2011. He is also founder (2009) and Director (2009-2011, 2019-present) of the Renewable and Clean Energy Engineering Master’s program. His research interests have been diverse, beginning with satellite thermal management, to a present focus on building energy informatics and community sustainability; and now, on clean energy based solutions for the developing world. His teaching interests are eclectic; they range from traditional engineering modeling courses, to applied machine learning, to transdisciplinary design. Hallinan is author of over 150 papers mainly focused on sustainable energy, has successfully graduated 27 Ph.D. students and has garnered funding in support of his research of nearly $5M. Last of all, he co-founded a company, Dropoly, in 2010 as a software service for community organizations interested in energy reduction. Presently, he serves as Director of Impact Mining for Synota LLC. In this role he is working to enable investment in solar microgrids supporting enterprises in the developing world.
Considering Invisible Scalability Potential in International Development Efforts
M1400
Many universities in the industrialized world have supported international development through research and student immersions, premised on the bias that students must go to another country to understand community needs. While it is certain that these experiences have been life-changing for such students, there are criticisms. For example, some argue that the work done by students/faculty abroad can reinforce power imbalances from both perspectives. Additionally, the sustainability of student-developed projects, which rarely come with long term monitoring and funding/training for operation and maintenance, is a grave concern.
We simply cannot view our students’ international experiences as only rich learning experiences. We need to leverage the knowledge, skills, experience, and time of students (and faculty) to enable scalable long-term impact. Can our work find a home not just in one community, but many?
A better strategy, we believe, is to support through long duration projects partner organizations which are already known by the communities they are in and which have already demonstrated the ability to scale. Such partners will already know the culture, regulations, and needs of the community and can communicate these to the students and faculty. Additionally, since they have already demonstrated success in reaching people with solutions; thus there is greater likelihood that the work we do to support them can yield scalable impact which can properly be monitored and maintained. Third, the work we would do would be ‘invisible’ to the communities benefiting; instead, the partner, which almost certainly would rely upon local talent for the work, would be seen as the action agent.
In this framework, we envision projects driven by technological needs defined by the scalable partners which might help them reach more people and by complementary technologies being developed by students/faculty which might enhance the scalability of partners.
