An International Undergraduate Research Experience In Sustainable Engineering

The University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering (Pitt) recently launched a new International Research Experience for Students Program (IRES) sponsored by the National Science Foundation in sustainable engineering research. The Pitt IRES program presents an innovative international research experience in sustainable design for a select group of undergraduate engineering students who have high potential to pursue graduate education. Interns in the IRES program participate in a 12-week summer internship where they join a multidiscipline research team focused on a complex sustainability problem. Each team is co-led by faculty from the Pitt and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Campinas, São Paolo, Brazil. The first year included eight preparatory weeks in Pittsburgh before traveling to Brazil for four weeks in residence at UNICAMP. The program concludes with the team preparing and presenting a final research report at the end of the summer. Interns have an opportunity to continue in the program for a second year. This paper discusses the experience during and after the first year of the IRES program at Pitt. It also discusses the research conducted during this first year – focusing on sustainable drinking water systems. This will be a student-led presentation in which the students discuss their research and experiences with the program.