Engineering Students’ Projects for Community Service
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2020—Students from Santa Clara University and San Jose State University next week will showcase their engineering projects created to solve environmental and social problems in Silicon Valley—and beyond.
The second annual Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Expo will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wed., March 4, at Santa Clara University’s Locatelli Student Activity Center.
During the Expo, participants will present student-led, technological solutions-based projects designed by Santa Clara University and San Jose State engineering labs, including:
- A paper-based test for testing donated breast milk for E. coli at Mother’s Milk Bank in San Jose
- A rugged and weather-proof “natural disaster communication box” with three different power sources and long range connectivity, for use by nonprofits, apartment complexes and buildings in the Bay Area
- Hydration Automation, an energy-efficient, small form factor system for automation of irrigation systems for farms in California’s Central Valley
During the event, student teams will have an opportunity to network with corporate and nonprofit representatives, and financial grants will be awarded to help bring their projects to market. San Jose State University and Santa Clara University will each receive $10,000. The grants are made possible through the EPICS in IEEE program, a priority initiative of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Foundation.
The March 4 event will also feature three speakers at the forefront of finding technological and other solutions to global poverty:
- Tom Coughlin, IEEE-USA Past President
- Erna Grasz, CEO of Asante Africa
- Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech and Tech Matters.org
The EPICS Expo is a collaboration between Santa Clara University’s Frugal Innovation Hub, San Jose State University’s EPICS program, and EPICS in IEEE. Registration is available online.
About EPICS in IEEE
EPICS in IEEE empowers students to work with local service organizations to apply technical knowledge to implement solutions for a community’s unique challenges. In this way, EPICS in IEEE not only assists communities in achieving their specific local community improvement goals but also encourages students to pursue engineering for community improvement as a career.
About EPICS at San Jose State University
EPICS@SJSU is a service-learning program in the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering at SJSU. Multidisciplinary teams of students serve local community partners by designing and building custom engineering solutions.
About Santa Clara University and the Frugal Innovation Hub
Sponsored by the School of Engineering, the Frugal Innovation Hub (FIH) mission is to engage students and faculty in humanitarian and sustainable projects through partnerships and programs.
Event Contact
Mostafa Mortezaie | IEEE | mortezaie@ieee.org | 408-306-1919
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121