Students, Arooj Masood and Emma Balevic, present at the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

In October, two of our students presented research at the 2024 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) in Villanova, Pennsylvania. This annual conference brings together leaders, innovators, and researchers in humanitarian technology to discuss impactful solutions and practices for communities worldwide. Our students Arooj Masood, MS student in Creative Technology and Design, and Emma Balevic, PhD student in Mechanical Engineering, showcased their work on enhancing the effectiveness of humanitarian engineering projects through community engagement and professional volunteer development.

Community Engagement in Short-Term Humanitarian Engineering Projects

Arooj's work explored a critical component of humanitarian engineering projects: community engagement. Her study focused on short-term humanitarian engineering initiatives, which often face unique challenges in ensuring solutions are tailored to community needs and remain sustainable after the project ends. By examining 43 projects from 2022, Arooj found that while 70% of projects included community training after implementation, only a few engaged communities throughout all project stages. Her findings highlight key opportunities for expanding engagement with diverse community stakeholders and call for more robust accountability and support structures for technical teams.

Motivations and Barriers for Professional Volunteers in Humanitarian Engineering

Emma’s research addresses the experiences and challenges faced by professional engineers volunteering in humanitarian engineering projects. Through a survey with a large humanitarian engineering organization, her study investigates the motivations, obstacles, and career impacts of volunteerism. Preliminary findings were presented, including that most volunteers cited personal relationships and friendship-building as a strong motivator for volunteering. Her research aims to deepen understanding of how professional volunteer programs can better support, train, and incentivize engineers to take part in effective and ethical humanitarian work, enhancing both project outcomes and the personal development of volunteers.

We’re incredibly proud of Arooj and Emma for representing our group at IEEE GHTC and contributing to the broader conversation on improving the impact of humanitarian engineering efforts. Their work not only brings insight into the complexities of HE projects but also supports our group’s mission to advance knowledge and practices that empower communities and engineers alike.

We’d also like to acknowledge the IEEE Humanitarian Technology Board for their support in carrying out this research.

Stay tuned for more updates on their projects as they continue to develop!