INTERNATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT - PANAMA
In 1991, Chris McCartin, a new civil engineering graduate, moved to the Bayano region of Panama for 18 month to help build a water-supply system for a Catholic missionary priest he had never met.
So began ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Engineering’s relationship with Father Wally "Padre Pablo" Kasuboski and his Cheypo Bayano Mission. Twenty-five years later, 15,000 local residents have access to fresh, potable water year round thanks to the efforts of more than 100 ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ engineering students and faculty. Other projects have included building chapels, schools and roads.
Today, much of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥â€™s work in this Panama region involves:
- Development of a sustainable water resources master plan, including dams and reservoirs
- Vado culvert bridge design
- Primary school design
To provide additional support for the needs of these communities, ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ engineering teams have established relationships with a number of organizations in Panama, including two engineering schools, one architectural school and the City of Knowledge non-profit organization.