ASME and Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) have entered into an enhanced strategic partnership that will leverage each organization’s strengths and enable future joint initiatives and objectives.
Through the alliance, ASME will be established as a EWB-USA Principal Partner. This designation will enable the Society to help EWB-USA continue to address the needs of the developing world and provide EWB-USA access to skills of the mechanical engineers that comprise the Society’s membership.
+ A team from the University of Colorado works with peruvians to build a solar-powered pump. Image courtesy Engineers Without Borders-USA.
ASME’s collaboration with EWB-USA began in 2003 when the Society served on the EWB-USA board of directors as the first engineering society to provide dedicated resources to support EWB-USA’s mission. Today both organizations share similar strategic interests, including the development of the engineering workforce, making an impact on global needs and contributing to renewable energy initiatives.
The participation of ASME student and professional members and engineering mentors in EWB-USA global projects will serve to educate the next generation of socially conscious engineers to the needs of developing communities. With their common core values, both organizations will benefit from each other’s strengths and contribute to a more sustainable world.
“We are very proud to be partnering with EWB-USA,” said Thomas G. Loughlin, executive director of ASME. “This partnership is the natural next step in our ongoing relationship with the organization. The future outcomes of this enhanced collaboration will not only aid the engineering community in upcoming initiatives, but it will provide developing communities additional resources and solutions for the challenges they face.”
“Having the support of an association like ASME allows us to bring our missions and values together in order to more positively affect communities around the globe,” said Cathy Leslie, executive director of EWB-USA. “Not only are we working together to improve the lives of those in need, but this partnership also allows us to concentrate on ways in which we can strengthen the engineering community. We are thrilled that ASME is working with us during this incredibly exciting time.”
EWB-USA is a nonprofit humanitarian organization established to support community-driven development programs worldwide through partnerships that design and implement sustainable engineering projects. EWB-USA is comprised of professional and student engineers (or other disciplines) who work with local communities and NGOs in over 45 developing countries around the world on projects such as water, renewable energy, and sanitation. The organization has grown from little more than a handful of members in 2002 to over 12,000 members today and has over 400 ongoing projects worldwide. EWB-USA maintains over 250 dedicated chapters, including university chapters on 180 campuses in the United States, and has touched the lives of more than one million people.
To find out more about Engineers Without Borders-USA and its programs, visit
www.ewb-usa.org.