Join Engineering Students for Music, Art, Wine, and a Good Cause

UC Irvine’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is holding its annual Art Gala fundraising event this Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. The gala, featuring food, wine, live music and a silent art auction, will be held at the Norman Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo.

EWB is a national non-profit organization that partners with developing communities around the world to improve their quality of life through engineering projects. UCI’s student chapter develops student teams with interests and expertise in many disciplines: from engineering and public health to education and business. Proceeds from the Art Gala will support the group’s international projects. 

The students’ Kenya team is developing an improved cook stove project with communities in the Laikipia District of Kenya. Some of the most prevalent health issues in this area of Kenya are upper respiratory diseases caused by inefficient stoves and lack of ventilation. The region is also highly deforested, leading to a lack of fuel for cooking.

“We are partnering with community groups in the area to design and implement a more efficient stove and ventilation system, using local tools and materials,” explains Melinda Malley, a mechanical engineering and English student and president of EWB at UCI. The team is planning an assessment trip to Kenya in August.  “We are also monitoring a past project from 2011, when the team worked with the local secondary school to build latrines and hand washing stations.

“We encourage anyone interested to come out and support our cause,” says Malley. “It’s a great way to learn more about Engineers Without Borders, and the projects we are working on.”

Tickets to the event are $20 and can be purchased at the door or online at ewb-uci.eventbrite.com.  For more information, see www.facebook.com/ewbuci