Auxiliary members, guests and friends attending the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition from Nov. 11–15 in Seattle will be afforded a very special experience and the affirmation of a person who is trying to change our world for the better.

Bernard Amadei, founding president of Engineers Without Borders-USA and co-founder of Engineers Without Borders International, will address the Congress on Sunday, Nov. 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Bernard Amadei

Amadei's passion and the mission of his organizations are to improve the quality of life for people in developing global communities through the implementation of sustainable engineering projects and to promote the education of internationally responsible engineering students and professionals.

Since the founding of EWB-USA in 2000, this nonprofit organization has grown to 8,000 members who have worked to implement 224 engineering projects in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to improve the lives of some of the world's neediest populations. Engineers Without Borders-USA harnesses the engineering talent and expertise of professionals, academics and students to work on projects that provide economically efficient, sustainable, clean water, sanitation, electricity and enduring compassion to people in over 43 countries of the world and thereby improve — and sometimes save — the lives of countless individuals.

Amadei's passion to make a difference grew from his trip to Belize in 2000. In the tiny Mayan village of San Pablo, he witnessed the effects of the absence of clean running water, sanitation and electricity on the impoverished population and believed he could make a difference. Amadei returned to Boulder, Colo., and enlisted the assistance of university colleagues, civil and environmental engineering students, and a local civil engineering professional to design a water distribution system for the village powered by a nearby waterfall. The project was a success at a cost of $14,000.

Subsequent to the Belize project, Amadei founded Engineers Without Borders-USA, which now boasts 235 established university and professional chapters. The following year, he co-founded EWB International, which now has a presence in 45 countries, including India, Kenya, Rwanda and Palestine.

Amadei received a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Toronto and a doctorate in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Amadei has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the 2006 ASME Ralph Coats Roe Medal from ASME, the 2007 Hoover Medal, and the 2007 Heinz Foundation Award for the Environment (co-recipient with Susan Seacrest, founder of the Groundwater Foundation). He is working on a new book titled "Engineering with Soul."

On the occasion of his award from the Heinz Foundation in October of this year, Amadei said, "The success of Engineers Without Borders is due to two overriding factors. First is the tremendous need. There are literally thousands of remote villages around the globe that need the basic necessities of life, such as clean water, sanitation, energy, shelter, education, health, etc. About 1.2 billion people (out of 6.4 billion) do not have access to clean water in the world today. We have begun to address such demand by virtue of the tremendous spirit of compassion that exists within the extended engineering community and like-minded partnering organizations. I am grateful to the staff of EWB-USA, my numerous colleagues, and to the many bright and committed engineering students and professionals around the country who share our passion for making an enduring difference in the lives of so many beyond our borders."

If you are planning to attend the Congress this month, I hope you are able to attend the keynote presentation by this truly inspirational engineer.

— Kathy E. Smith
Auxiliary publicity chair
Visit the ASME Auxiliary Web site

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