Lyle School of Engineering – Page 3 – Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity

June 21, 2021February 16, 2022

HunTalks: The Gambia Energy Project

Mohammed Njie has a mission to bring clean energy to The Gambia. Since his first day at the Hunt Institute, he has been working to make this vision a reality. Mohammed is a senior at Southern Methodist University double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Lyle School of Engineering. He was the first Student Social Entrepreneur in the history of the Hunt Institute Social Enterprise program. He is recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator. Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia in West Africa. After graduating high school, he constructed his first electric car. His childhood helped solidify his life mission from a young age: helping to close the energy gap between the Global North and South, starting in The Gambia.

The limited energy sector in The Gambia leaves the majority of the country’s population in need of electricity. The demand for energy in the Gambia far exceeds the available supply. For more than three decades, the national utility company NAWEC has struggled to meet the ever-growing demand. Of the 48% of Gambia’s population that has access to electricity, they experience frequent blackouts because the supply is unreliable. The Gambia has one of the highest energy production costs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world ($0.32/KWh). The high costs are mainly due to the importation of expensive diesel that is used as fuel for generators by the national utility company. The rest of the 52% of the population do not have access to a grid that supplies energy, resulting in no access to electricity. This leaves two categories of customers in the Gambian electricity market: (1) Urban Gambians with unreliable access to electricity and expensive tariffs, and (2) Rural Gambians with no access to electricity at all.

Mohammed discusses his motivation, saying, “Energy infrastructure is at the foundation of economic, environmental, and social growth. The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, lacks this essential infrastructure but has the desire and resources to support it. Janta is the solution that will bring clean, reliable energy to the Gambia to facilitate the country’s growth and development. The need for energy in The Gambia is necessary now more than ever given the effects of climate change on agriculture, the country’s most important industry. This makes our venture a necessary and worthy cause.”

In this edition of HunTalks™, Mohammed shares his journey to make this vision a reality as a student employee in the Institute. Click on the video above to hear him share about his colleagues in the Institute and how they have contributed to his success.

Previous posts about Mohammed Njie:

December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”

February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”

July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur”

November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”

December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”

April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”

April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

May 6, 2021February 17, 2022

Better Building: Compressed Earth Blocks Report

“Our society as a whole needs to leverage the forces of globalization, technological advancement, and climate change – what the UN calls ‘the three mega forces’ – for disruptive solutions to further inclusive sustainable economic development,” said Director of the Hunt Institute Dr. Eva Csaky. “We can reach this goal by harnessing the power of disruptive collaboration.” The CEB research partnership and collaboration between Dr. Brett Story and the Hunt Institute began in 2015 for just this purpose.

Previous phases for this research included Phase I, focusing on the strength testing of CEBs under a variety of conditions including varying moisture levels, cement content, and soil type. This research was followed by Phase II, focusing on determining characteristics for different types of soil found globally as a first step in standardization.

Phase III’s objectives were somewhat altered due to the global pandemic which resulted in breaking the work into two parts. This semester the team developed a report entitled,” Better Building: Compressed Earth Block Report,” which highlights the market opportunity and sustainability of compressed earth blocks in construction. The project manager is JuliaGrace Walker, and the undergraduate researcher is Madison Rodriguez.

The next part of the project will take place during the summer and fall term of 2021. In Phase III, analyses will be performed and data will be compared from the test structures at both the Taos and Dallas campuses. Relationships between soil type and mix design, block strength, and thermal properties will also be investigated. Additionally, this investigation will include models developed by Dr. Story’s lab team which is comprised of Ph.D. students Jase Sitton and Robert Hillyard, as well as undergraduate researchers Adriana Mena and Ziyu Sun. Combined together, both parts of Phase III will inform the vision of a living laboratory at SMU@ Taos.

Dr. Story’s vision is ultimately “…to use the data obtained during this project to make recommendations for full-scale, more permanent structures that can be used by faculty and students at the SMU Taos campus. The information learned during this project will be used to start the design of a “living” laboratory, which would be a laboratory building constructed with CEB and instrumented with a variety of sensors. In this way, the structure is both the laboratory space as well as the test specimen.”

CEBs are an emerging earthen construction technology that contribute to stronger and more resilient earth infrastructure. As interest in sustainable construction technology has increased, more research has been conducted on CEBs as an alternative to traditional masonry. Comparing CEB to traditional masonry, CEB structures can be more energy efficient throughout their life cycle. When approached accordingly, they can are energy efficient to produce and transport, while conserving resources and reducing waste production. CEBs are better insulated due to their high thermal mass and thermal resistance. Subsequently, their high thermal inertia gives CEBs the advantage of humidity regulation, and evaporation of water in the earthen walls contributes to natural cooling. CEBs represent a cost effective, energy efficient, and sustainable solution that directly contribute to the ninth and eleventh UN Sustainable Development Goals, which address industry, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as sustainable cities and communities. CEBs indirectly contribute to many other SDGs through their impact on health, household incomes (through cost savings) and quality of life.

Sam Borton contributed to this post.

Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems here. We invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.

April 23, 2021February 17, 2022

Trees: A Prescription for Dallas

Over the past 100 years, more than a third of the planet’s old-growth forest disappeared. Each year we are losing 4.7 million hectares of forests. This is a problem not only from an environmental but also social and economic perspective.

Trees provide important ecosystem services with respect to air quality, climate amelioration, water conservation, soil preservation, and supporting wildlife. Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain, and wind. Trees provide food and shelter to an endless number of species. They offer social and spiritual value, increasing our quality of life and offering numerous health benefits. They provide significant economic value both as individual trees, such as by providing shade and reducing energy cost, and collectively as green spaces and landscape proven to increase property and neighborhood appeal and values. It has been estimated that trees provide an average of $500 million value in benefits each year to large cities like Dallas. According to the World Economic Forum, a systemic transformation to a nature-friendly economy could create 395 million jobs and deliver USD 10.1 trillion of economic value globally by 2030.

These topics were central at April 15th’s ImpactNights®. Few people know that Dallas is second only to Phoenix, Arizona for having the strongest heat island effect. This problem, just like environmental challenges in general, disproportionately impact under-resourced communities. Environmental equity is an especially pressing issue as under-resourced, often predominantly minority, communities are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The Texas Trees Foundation, along with the City of Dallas, has been at the forefront of implementing innovative approaches to tackle this challenge. Janette Monear, President & CEO of the Texas Tree Foundation, and Susan Alvarez, Assistant Director, Office of Environmental Quality & Sustainability for the City of Dallas, shared their experiences on the work they have been doing and insights about priorities going forward. This important conversation was moderated by Dr. Candice Bledsoe.

A key take-away of the event was the need for research and data to drive smart policy to ensure intentional actions and support are in place to protect, maintain and plant trees, especially in locations where they can provide maximum environmental, social and economic value, and citizen advocacy to lawmakers to emphasize the importance of these issues.

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ImpactNights™ is the physical manifestation of the Inclusive Economy Consortium where we connect, share, and act. This event is about like-minded people coming together to share experiences and knowledge from the local, national, and international community within the Consortium to share their best practices and expertise. Monthly discussions are around pressing social issues facing our society. All of this is designed to get collective action for a more inclusive economy. Follow us on Eventbrite to be the first to know when event details are published so you can register to join the conversation.

This event is generously sponsored by Target Corporation and hosted by the Inclusive Economy Consortium, an initiative of Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity located in Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.

Join us next time to be a part of the conversation to CONNECT – SHARE – ACT!

April 13, 2021

Winner of the Water Environment Association of Texas, Student Design Competition 2021

On Tuesday, March 30th, 2021, the Lyle Senior Design Team took First Place in the virtual Student Design Competition, sponsored by the Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT). The regional student design competition is typically held during the annual Texas Water Conference. The winning presentation entitled, “Intercontinental Airport WWTP Improvements and Expansion Project”, consisted of increasing the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, at the Houston airport, from 8 MGD to 11 MGD to accommodate the increased flow. The design report consists of treatment alternatives for Biological Nutrient Removal processes, solid handling processes, and odor-control technologies to ensure long-term sustainability for the plant.

WEFTEC, the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition, and Conference is the largest conference of its kind in North America and offers water quality professionals from around the world the best water quality education and training available today. More than 20,000 people register for the event each year. Attendees travel from all corners of the globe to meet with thought leaders and attend technical sessions more than 3,000 registrants from more than 80 countries attended the event in the 2019 year.

Harshada Pednekar, a Graduate Research Analyst at the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, served as Project Manager for the WEAT team. In addition to being responsible for communication as a primary contact, she also spearheaded the design options for the IAH wastewater treatment plant expansion. She had the opportunity to design the BNR process and technical report writing. Ms. Pednekar is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering. Currently, Ms. Pednekar is a teaching assistant for the Meteorology course. Also, previously she worked as TA for Geographical Information System and Lab & Field Method at Lyle school of engineering. Her combination of strong work ethic, academics, and fieldwork made her an asset in the improvement and expansion of the Intercontinental Airport WWTP.

In October 2021, the SMU team will go on to compete at the national level, representing the State of Texas, during the 94th Annual Water Environmental Federation Technical Exhibit and Conference (WEFTEC) Student Competition, in Chicago, Illinois.

April 13, 2021February 10, 2022

Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021

Today is SMU Giving Day – the one day of the year for all Mustangs to come together in support of the SMU causes and students we care about most. Giving day is not about how much we each give, it’s about the impact we can make as a collective. The more Mustangs who give, the more positive change we can create. Donations received are put into a matching program, making all donations even more impactful and appreciated.

For this year’s SMU Giving Day, the Hunt Institute is featuring a Global Development Lab project that is installing solar panels for Tintinto Primary & Secondary School, a school in a remote village in West Africa. The beginning of this pilot proved to be successful and we will be continuing the development of this project. Principal Amadou Kinteh, teachers, parents, and students are pleased with having access to clean energy and are excited to see the completion of this project with the final section of the school illuminated by Summer 2021!

During COVID-19, school administrators reported that having access to electricity created the opportunity for teachers and students to work remotely by having access to charge their cell phones in rotations at the school during the pandemic lockdown. When the schools were able to re-open, the teachers hosted additional tutoring times for students after school to help bridge any gaps that occurred during their absence due to the pandemic. As a result, Principle Kinteh reported that his students excelled in their exams (equivalent to state exams in the USA). Watch him talk about their experiences in the above video.

Mohammed Njie is an SMU student and Hunt Institute Social Entrepreneur who founded Janta Energy to provide sustainable, clean, and reliable energy to The Gambia, a West African country where just 48% of people have limited access to electricity, leaving the remaining 52% with no access. Recently, he published a website for this initiative called JantaGM.com.

In December of 2019, the Tintinto Primary and Secondary School agreed to be a beta test site for Janta’s pilot project. In January of 2020, a team installed five 330-watt 24-volt solar panels, two 250-amp 12-volt solar batteries, and a 50-amp solar charge controller to power four classrooms and a staff room. The pilot was designed to test the panel’s effectiveness as a solution to bring electrical connections for lights, fans, and eventually computers. Although the entire school is not yet powered, Njie has a vision: “As a pilot project, we were limited to installing a [certain] amount of panels. We used those panels to provide 100% energy for half of the school. The idea was that after we did a successful pilot project, then we will install more panels to extend the power to the other side of the school.”

Join us as we prepare to finish installing the necessary panels to complete this project for the Tintinto Primary and Secondary School so that all teachers and students will have access to electricity in their classrooms.

Eventually, Janta will use this concept to build a micro-grid, with the school at the center, to help power the entire village. Looking ahead to the future, Janta Energy seeks to replicate the model used in Tintinto across other rural villages as well, eventually spanning the entirety of the country. You can help make a difference in the lives of Gambians by contributing to the Hunt Institute’s project for SMU Giving Day to finish this pilot project. All proceeds will go toward this project in The Gambia.

April 13, 2021 all day giving day #SMUDayOne resulted in meeting our goal.

Check back for updates as this project progresses!

The Hunt Institute and everyone in the Tintinto Primary & Secondary School appreciates your support for this Global Development Lab project.

March 1, 2021February 28, 2022

Natalie Owings

Natalie Owings is currently pursuing a BBA in Marketing with minors in French and Graphic Design. She is intending to graduate in May of 2023.

Natalie is involved on campus as Intern for SMU Athletics Hospitality, and as a Design Editor for the SMU Lookbook. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, working out, taking photos, and making personal projects within the Adobe programs.

In her role as an Undergraduate Social Media Marketer at the Hunt Institute, Natalie will be managing the digital marketing day-to-day campaigns and compiling analytical data to inform decisions for the communication’s team strategy. She also helps to implement the communication for the marketing of events for the Institute, the Inclusive Economy Consortium, and project-related events. In the future, she plans to pursue a career with a marketing team for internationally connected brands or sports industries.

When asked what drew her to work at the Hunt Institute, she replied “I was drawn to the Hunt Institute because it provided me an opportunity to expand collaboration with my peers while creating impactful projects for national and international communities. To me, it satisfied my desires to involve myself into a purposeful organization at SMU and intertwine my fascination with foreign matters.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

March 1, 2021February 28, 2022

Sofia Murillo

Sofia Murillo is currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science, and she is intending to graduate in May of 2024. Sofia is a member of both the SMU Distinguished Scholars and the SMU Discovery Scholars programs.

Sofia is involved on campus as a Chief Marketing Officer at SHPE SMU and as a Hilltop Scholar. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the violin, drawing both traditionally and digitally, and playing tennis.

In her role as Undergraduate Web Developer at the Hunt Institute, Sofia will be curating coding content, working with web development, and providing technical support to any initiatives throughout the Institute. In the future, she plans to pursue a Computer Science Ph D and create innovative tech solutions that change the world for the better.

When asked what motivated her to work at the Hunt Institute, she replied, “”It is beyond gratifying to work with World Changers at the Hunt Institute in order to solve and impact pressing world problems.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

February 5, 2021August 10, 2021

Kijiji Innovative Sustainable Solutions Design Competition

Kijiji Innovative Sustainable Solutions (K.I.S.S.), in partnership with SMU’s MASD Program, the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity and three universities in Tanzania, has officially launched an architectural design competition for the building of the Rulegura Center.

The primary purpose of the Rulegura Center, which will be located in Kasisa Village in northern Tanzania, will be to provide a place for education and training in sustainable methods and practices in the areas of energy, construction, clean water, agriculture, aquaculture, sanitation and health. The Rulegura Center is at the heart of K.I.S.S.’s mission, to promote sustainable development in rural Tanzania and protect the country’s wildlife and natural resources. The center will also serve as a community space for gatherings and meetings.

17 teams comprised of 31 students from 3 universities in Tanzania: Ardhi University, University of Dar es Salaam, and Mbeya University of Science and Technology have entered the competition. Each student team will be drafting building plans for the Rulegura Center, which will then be judged by a panel of 4 jurors. Since the building itself will stand as a model for appropriate sustainable design in rural Tanzania, students are highly encouraged to incorporate local materials into their designs as well as ensure energy efficiency and sustainable maintenance.

It was important to Clara Ford, founder of K.I.S.S., to involve local students in crafting the building plans. “It is part of our mission to empower and encourage young folks to be aware that they have the ability to solve problems facing the local community. I hope through this project to inspire self-confidence and self-determination among the young generation in Tanzania,” Ford says.

The community involvement will continue throughout the entire process of building the Rulegura Center, as K.I.S.S. begins the process of educating and training citizens on how to construct efficient, durable, and resilient buildings. Creating sustainable and durable buildings is just 1 of 9 objectives that K.I.S.S. sets out to achieve. Ultimately, Ford’s goals for K.I.S.S. are to reduce cyclical poverty and empower the local people with technical skills to improve their quality of life.

“Our program is designed to source solutions from the people living there on the ground. We understand the local folks are much more aware with problems they face in their daily lives and our role to showcase how these solutions can be implemented effectively for efficiencies and sustainability. For this strategy to succeed it is crucial to involve these folks and the local communities we hope to impact.”

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest for updates on the Kijiji project and to find out the winning student team of the architectural design competition!

February 4, 2021February 28, 2022

Brianna Flores

Brianna Flores is currently pursuing a BFA in Film & Media Arts and a B.A. in Journalism with minors in Arts Management and Photography at SMU, and she is intending to graduate in May of 2023. Brianna is a recipient of the Meadows Artistic Scholarship and Fulton Communication School Scholarship.

On campus, Brianna has been involved as Communications Coordinator for McElvaney Residential Commons and as Student Facilitator for the Emerging Leaders Program, a leadership development program for first-year students. In her spare time, she enjoys her job as a taekwondo instructor and discovering new restaurants in Dallas.

In her role as Undergraduate Videographer at the Hunt Institute, Brianna will be planning and producing a variety of visual content based on the projects and events going on in the Institute.

When asked what about the Institute was appealing to her, she replied that it “not only lets [her] learn about others’ innovative ideas, but also allows [her] to create something powerful with their ideas in order to inform people.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

January 6, 2021February 28, 2022

2021 Social Enterprise Cohort

2021 Hunt Institute Social Enterprise Cohort of Intrapreneurs

Since the launch of the Social Enterprise Program in 2019, we had the opportunity to work with some amazing social entrepreneurs whose work is improving lives and livelihoods locally and around the world. This year’s cohort is no different. What is new, however, is that this cohort is dedicated to “social intrapreneurship”. This is a reflection of the challenging times we are experiencing and to highlight the unique role that social intrapreneurs can play in achieving scaled impact towards a climate-smart and inclusive economy.

From governments to leading think tanks and corporations, we have observed expressions of support and anticipation that social enterprises will play a critical role in rebuilding after the pandemic and steering our society towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. However, the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs remain significant. The purpose of our program is to help understand these challenges, identify proven best practices to tackle them, and to empower the most promising social entrepreneurs in our community to put their ideas into action and maximize their impact.

There has been considerable attention on “intrapreneurship” in recent years. Intrapreneurship involves acting as an innovative entrepreneur but within the ecosystem of a larger, more traditional organization. These organizations can be private, public, or nonprofit; the concept of intrapreneurship is an important one across sectors. Intrapreneurship can bring together the best of both worlds: the innovation and dynamism of entrepreneurship and the resources and value chain of existing organizations. Social intrapreneurship is a more recent and somewhat lesser-known concept. Social intrapreneurship combines social entrepreneurship, the mindset of pursuing bold ideas and innovative solutions to address social and environmental problems, with intrapreneurship. As an example, M-Pesa is a successful social enterprise offering mobile-phone based money transfer and micro-financing services to over 40 million users in Africa, Asia, and Europe. A little-known fact is that M-Pesa is the product of social intrapreneurship; developed by two employees of Vodaphone and Safaricom from within their established companies. M-Pesa has been a driving force of economic empowerment and has had a significant impact on reducing poverty, especially among women.

I am pleased to announce the 2021 Cohort of the Social Enterprise Program: Pharr Andrews (City of Dallas), Dr. Candice Bledsoe (Action Research Center, Women of Color Collective, SMU), Julianna Bond (Slalom Consulting) and Matt Sheldon, (Toyota North America).

They are social intrapreneurs from across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors who are pursuing transformational ideas for a climate-smart & inclusive economy—the kind of innovators and leaders we desperately need to rebuild better.

Stay tuned to learn more about our social intrapreneurs’ initiatives and follow us on social media to get regular updates!

Eva Csaky, PhD MSF is the Executive Director of the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity, the founder of the Social Enterprise Program, and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.