Do you want to travel and explore life in developing communities?
…and apply your knowledge to empower marginalized people?
…and engage in research endeavors that lead to publications?
The Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program provides several transformational integrated learning, research and entrepreneurship opportunities. HESE brings together passionate students and faculty from various disciplines to develop innovative and practical technology-based solutions to address compelling global challenges. Paterno Fellows can participate in seven sets of real-world ventures that range from low-cost greenhouses and ceramic filters to telemedicine systems, cellphone apps and innovative science education programs. Students will be working on various aspects of research, design, field-testing and implementation of these ventures in the Spring 2012 semester with travel to Kenya, Tanzania, Nicaragua, India or the US for three weeks in the Summer (Travel is optional).
Interested students are required to take both EDSGN 452 and EDSGN 497 during the spring semester. Students can receive regular (or honors) three credits for EDSGN 497 (EDSGN 497H) and have the option of traveling to project sites in the Summer and participating in a follow-up honors course on reflection and research dissemination in the Fall semester. Credits count towards a certificate in Engineering and Community Engagement and the minor in Sustainability Leadership.
These courses are open to undergraduate and graduate students from all majors and all semester standings. Only 35% of participating students are engineers and every single college is represented…Enter the intersection!
Read a blog post from Amy Copley (BS, International Politics & Applied French, 2012) discussing her experiences working on HESE ventures:
I’ve been working as a part of the HESE Affordable Greenhouse Venture team for several months now, and I couldn’t be more excited about our progress and the future of our venture!
The greenhouse venture focuses on providing a low-cost greenhouse technology to small-scale commercial and subsistence farmers because it can help them increase their agricultural productivity by up to 50%. While the initial greenhouse team designed and field tested the greenhouse in rural Kenya and Tanzania, my teammates and I are currently creating an operable business model that will ensure the sustainability and scalability of our venture.
During my time working on this venture, I’ve engaged in developing and presenting several different types of business pitches, designing our venture website, and preparing application materials for submission to national and international grant opportunities. As an international politics major with a passion for food security, taking this class has been particularly meaningful to me because I feel like my teammates and I are working towards achieving real-life social, economic, and environmental goals that will someday impact the future global food security landscape. Although learning the technical intricacies of developing a sustainable business plan has been challenging at times, our in-class discussions, group interactions, and team meetings with Prof. Mehta have made us all well-versed in the concepts and practices that lead to successful social enterprises.
The most exciting part of this experience is knowing that soon we’ll be traveling halfway across the globe to implement the business plans that we’re developing in class. No other course at Penn State has given me the chance to apply the knowledge I’ve acquired in class to such a real-world opportunity. I’ve found that the HESE classes really teach you to become a skilled public speaker, a knowledgeable business person who understands and can explain engineering concepts, and a successful social entrepreneur, because when you’re traveling and working abroad you will assume these roles and responsibilities as you’re developing relationships with local partners, pitching your venture to potential investors, and working on the ground to get your venture up and running. I highly recommend the class to anyone interested in taking part in a multidisciplinary, cross-cultural initiative that makes a difference in the lives of people all over the world.
For more information, please visit www.hese.psu.edu
Watch HESE teams in action in Kenya on the Global Penn State TV Program: