Integrating Research, Undergraduate Education and Engineering Outreach

Abstract

A capstone design project targeted at engineering outreach to grade school students in both developed and developing countries was designed and constructed. The resulting Adaptive WaTER (Water Treatment for Education and Research) Laboratory teaches students about water filtration and sterilization through hands-on procedures, and encourages sustainable water practices through education. The Laboratory relies almost entirely on human power, with one optional module running on batteries, which can be recharged via a solar backpack. Therefore no infrastructure is required to take full advantage of the Laboratory. The team presented the Laboratory to over 300 grade school students in the Houston area through interactive demonstrations, and developed Laboratory procedures for widespread dissemination of the Laboratory to schools. The nonprofit Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) Foundation is now determining the feasibility of scaling-up production of the prototype Laboratory for donation to some or all of the nearly 200 schools they support in the developing world. The design team also submitted a proposal to the Environmental Protection Agency and was awarded a P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability grant. Finally, the practical knowledge gained about water filtration directly aided a new research collaboration on understanding and preventing fouling of reverse osmosis membranes.