2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Developing the RIDE (Research, Innovate, Design, and Empower) Ecosystem to facilitate equitable collaborations and impactful technology innovation to deliver safe water on tap.

Presented at Lightning Talk - "Innovating for Impact: Community-Engaged Education, Technology, and Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future

This paper will highlight the development of the RIDE (Research, Innovate, Design, and Education) Ecosystem, a model which facilitates education and connectivity across education institutes, nonprofits, government entities, and communities to address SDG6. This ecosystem enables the sharing of contextual and practical technology related to water treatment for rural communities in resource-constrained environments, while centering ethical collaborations that balance student learning outcomes and positive community impact. Ecosystem partners: Agua Para el Pueblo, a Honduran nonprofit, AguaClara Reach, a nonprofit, and Universities.
Following case study methodology, qualitative and quantitative data collected within this ecosystem highlight the positive outcomes related to student learning and community impact. The RIDE ecosystem contribution includes the construction of 25 water treatment plants in Central America, supplying safe water to more than 100,000 people, The AguaClara plant does not require electricity, can be operated by community members, the capital cost of the plants can be financed, and with affordable water tariffs allow for sustainable water access, with plants operating for over 15 years.
By sharing insights, outcomes, and lessons learned within the ecosystem this paper serves as a model for others as to best practices related to Humanitarian Engineering and Engineering for Sustainable Development.

Authors

Dr. Patrick J Sours The Ohio State University [biography]

Dr. Patrick Sours is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development and serves as the Faculty Lead of the Humanitarian Engineering Program at The Ohio State University. In this role, he leads high-impact experiential learning programs, conducts engineering education research, and instructs courses related to Engineering for Sustainable Development. He is passionate about developing engineers' sociotechnical competency to prepare them to address complex global sustainability challenges
Dr. Monroe Weber-Shirk Cornell University
Mr. William H Pennock http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7194-1372 New Jersey Institute of Technology
Cherish C. Vance http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8587-7594 The Ohio State University [biography]

Cherish C. Vance (she/her), a PhD candidate at Texas A&M, teaches in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University. She co-created the Engineering for Sustainable Development specialization and instructs several courses in that space; she also provides sociotechnical pedagogy insights through the ESD curriculum guidance, development, and deployment. Her research pursuits include sense of belonging and intercultural competency in engineering students, and sustainability education in engineering.
Margaret Gottfried The Ohio State University

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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