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2015 Fall Newsletter
School of Engineering, Santa Clara University
Conferences
Global Humanitarian
Technology Conference (GHTC)
GHTC focuses on advancing
technology for the benefit of
humanity. Dr Silvia Figueira will be
the co-chair for the 2016 conference.
ACMDev
Graduate students Pratyusha
Joginipally, Sowmya
Chandrashekarappa, and Rahul
Ramachandrapaper had their project
paper presented by Dr. Silvia
Figueira at ACMDev this November.
Their project, Wakabi, is an ondemand SMS based ride service for
rural Uganda.
Frugal Innovation
Graduate Exchange
FIL and the Center for Frugal Innovation
at Techische Universitat HamburgHarburg (TUHH) offer an exchange
program for graduate students to learn
how to innovate for social benefit.
Duration: 2 Quarters
Where: Hamburg, Germany
The Frugal Innovation Lab
Program Evolution
The Frugal Innovation Lab exists to engage faculty
and students in humanitarian projects through
partnerships and programs.
Faculty labs working in Humanitarian Technology lead
efforts in particular industry verticals/markets or
specialize in a single subject area, and each lab is
directed by a faculty member from the School of
For more information, please e-mail:
esweeny@scu.edu
FIL Featured on NBC Bay Area!
NBC Bay Area covered a segment about the Frugal
Innovation Lab and mobile projects done by students
for homeless in Santa Clara County. The segment was
part of the Bay Area Proud program, hosted by Garvin
fil@scu.edu
Thomas.
Watch it on: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/BAP-FRUGALINNOVATION-GROUP_Bay-Area-320225871.html
www.scu.edu/engineering/frugal
Thermal Energy Solutions
Dr. Hohyun Lee (Mechanical Engineering)
Solutions for energy and water challenges in emerging
markets through the utilization of resources available to
communities in need, aiming to provide economically
viable solutions for refrigerators, vaccine carriers,
efficient cookstoves, battery charging stations, solar
hatchery heating systems, water distillation, and more.
Global Health Lab
Dr. Unyoung (Ashley) Kim (Bioengineering)
Research and development in clean water, sanitation
and hygiene, as well as medical devices for the
maintenance and improvement of global public health.
Engineering. Check them out now (see right)!
Now accepting applications!
To apply, fill the application on
https://goo.gl/UrdhnI
Sustainable Construction Lab
Dr. Mark Aschheim (Civil Engineering)
Structural and earthquake-resistant structural
engineering, with an emphasis on locally-attuned and
more sustainable materials and building systems.
Frugal Materials Lab
Dr. Panthea Sepehrband (Mechanical Engineering)
Innovating recycled and repurposed composite materials
for applications in livelihood development, healthcare,
and sustainability.
Mobile for Social Benefit Lab
Dr. Silvia Figueira (Computer Engineering)
Mobile and web applications and device instrumentation
for social benefit, serving local organizations and social
enterprises around the world.
Fall 2015
New Website
Launching in January 2016, we will have a brand
new website! Be sure to check it out!
The Jesuit University in Silicon Valley
Follow Us On Facebook!
facebook.com/
thefrugalinnovationlab
Frugal Innovation Lab, School of Engineering
Humanitarian Projects
Student Clubs
It was a busy summer! Check out
the amazing work being done by
students and faculty in Frugal
Innovation at the School of
Engineering.
Engineering World Health
AquaSift
Frugal Innovation Gatherings or...
FIGS!
AquaSi ft i s a l o w-pow er, l ow -cos t w ater
an al yzer fo r emergi ng mark ets. Facul ty
m e mbers and mo bi l e appl i cati o n and
students fro m the bi oengi neri ng ,
e lectri cal engi neeri ng and co mp ut er
en gi neeri ng are al l work i ng to ge ther to
p r oducti ze t hi s devi ce. Dr . Uny oung
(A shley ) K im w as gra nted a Ve ntureWe ll
g ra nt for thi s proje ct!
A dvisors: Dr. Si l vi a F i guei ra, D r. Sho ba
Kri shnan, Dr. U nyoung (Ashl ey) Ki m
Collaborate for Africa (C4A)
C4A meets every other month to discuss ways of
joining forces to improve the lives of individuals
and communities in Africa.
In October, WorldReader shared with faculty,
students and partners how they are achieving their
mission to bring digital books to every child
throughout Africa.
You can find more information at: http://
www.worldreader.org/what-we-do/worldreadermobile/
Upcoming FIGS
IEEE SIGHT
(Special Interest Group in Humanitarian Technology)
Date: TBD - Check our Facebook page for updates!
Speaker: Luke Filos, Intel
Location: Frugal Innovation Lab, Guadalupe Hall
St udents: Sambhavi Raghuraman,
R ac hana Deol i k ar, Li l l y Tatk a, Ga bri el a
V azquez, Tanner M al k o ff, Vi cto r O’B ri en,
an d C l ai re Schueppert
Mobile Backpack Cooler
Portabl e back pack co ol er wi th
t h ermoel ectri c modul es to co ol t he
ch ang er i n order to provi de refri gerati o n
for off-g ri d co mmuni ti es.
Advisors: Dr. H ohyun Lee
C o-Spon sore d by Roe l an dts Gran ts
Mobile4All
Th is proj ect i nvo l ves devel o pi ng a sui te
of appl i cati o ns fo r homel ess needs. It i s
in col l aborati o n w i th Sparrow M obi l e, a
n onpro fi t based out of San F ranci s co that
wo rk s to l everag e smartphones to end
poverty.
A dvisors: Dr. Si l vi a F i guei ra
St udents: Swathi Prasad, Vi shves h Shah,
Z ian H uang
Harnessing Energy from
Cookstoves
Collaborate for Africa (C4A)
Date: Thursday, January 14, 2016
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Frugal Innovation Lab
Potluck style! Bring anything you'd like to share (snacks,
beverages, side dishes or desserts)!
Students i n Dr. Ti m H eal y's La t i mer
E nerg y Lab desi gned and bui l t a
t h ermoel ectri c g enerator that use s heat
fr om a coo k stove i nsi de a ho me to
pr oduce el ectri ci ty that i s then used to
r u n a fan to ex haust fumes fro m i nsi de
th e ho use.
A dv isors: Dr. Ti m H eal y
River Crossing in Ghana
E very wi nter, several vi l l agers in northern
G h ana l o se thei r l i ves when crossi n g a
fast-movi ng ri ver. Students are desi gni ng
a n d begi nni ng constructi on of a rive r
cr o ssi ng to prevent future casual ti es.
A dv isors: Dr. M ark Aschhei m
2
Social Justice, Technology, Entrepreneurship
The mission of Engineering world
health(EWH) is to inspire, educate, and empower the
biomedical engineering community through
innovative projects that improve health care delivery
in the developing world.
Advisors: Dr. Michele Parker
(Biology and Public Health) and Elizabeth Sweeny (Frugal
Innovation Lab)
President: Jana Lee
Vice President: Michelle Fat
Treasurer: Ryan Polito
Secretary: Meghan Carlsen
Public Relations: Annemarie Mendonsa
Projects
Portable EKG: Sending SMS info to
physicians via cell phones.
Advisors: Dr. Figueira and Elizabeth Sweeny ENGR
students: JP Ertola (Graduate BIOE)
EWH students: Meghan Carlsen, Kelsey Rondini, Uma
Palaiappa
Safe drinking water: Detection of arsenic
in water.
Advisor: Dr. Unyoung (Ashley) Kim
ENGR students: Claire Shueppert (BIOE), Gaby Vazquez
(BIOE)
EWH students: Jana Lee, Shelby Crespi, Sarah Marble
Electricity provider: Gravity-powered
charger for light or medical tools.
Advisor: Timothy K. Hight
ENGR students: Will Gonder (MECHE), Luke Lindsay
(MECHE), George Montgomery (MECHE) EWH students:
Serena Chan, Michelle Fat, Lucas Hill
Prenatal health: Project pertaining to
women and prenatal health.
ENGR students: Jake Prince (BIOE), Joe Neumeyer (BIOE),
Blair (Kimberly) Koeneman (WEBDES), Amy Miller (WEBDES)
EWH students: Ryan Polito, Grace Matthews, Misja
Ilcisin
Project Spotlight
Solar Lanterns for Ghana
Advisor: Dr. Tim Healy, Electrical Engineering Students:
Alejandra Huitron, Nicholas Supan
In collaboration with LightYear Foundation, students
are creating a solar lantern 'kit' that allows middle
school aged children to learn about basic electrical
engineering concepts while building their own solar
lantern to use in their homes.
Gambibgo Library Lighting
Advisor: James Reites, S.J.
Gambibgo Library in Ghana, designed and overseen by
SCU students, has been equipped with solar lighting.
Robert Van Buskirk (Latimer Energy Lab mentor) provided
the equipment, and was installed by Brandon Rodgers, an
African American architect contracted by Robert.
www.scu.edu/engineering/frugal