Tszchun Chow

What is your role in EIA?

I am currently the Ambassador for the University of Toronto chapter. I have also been an External Relations Director, Project Manager, and President of the UofT team.

How did you get involved in EIA?

I first wanted to join EIA so I could apply my knowledge from class to something impactful on society. EIA was one of the few clubs at school that could allow me to grow as an engineering student and also promote the importance of engineering in global development work. So I joined EIA as a bridge project specialist and have been with the club for four years.

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

I never considered getting involved in global development work when I entered university. It has become my new found interest after having been a part of 3 bridge projects. I hope to further my career in development work and stay involved with EIA or other similar organizations.

Saffa Ramsoomair

What is your role in EIA?

In my first year, I was the Operations Coordinator for EIA’s University of Toronto chapter. I was in charge of general team logistics, fundraising, and on-campus event operations. In my second year, I was elected Vice-President of our EIA team. I helped promote EIA and the work that the University of Toronto chapter does. This year, I am the Co-President and continue to promote the great work that EIA does both locally and internationally.

How did you get involved in EIA?

The summer before my first year at University of Toronto, I looked over the University of Toronto clubs list, and EIA caught my attention. I loved the aspect of global development and applying my academic skills in engineering to a meaningful cause. I believed in the work that EIA was doing, and knew I had to get involved throughout my years at University of Toronto.

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

EIA embodies global development. It allows us to apply our knowledge as global thinkers and developers in an international context. Being in an undergraduate degree in Ontario, it’s easy to forget how we can use our expertise in real-world situations all around the world. Our work as future engineers is not limited to one area, province, or country. Through EIA, I have been involved in thoughtful collaborations with working professionals and communities in different countries. These experiences have taught me that the skills and knowledge we have can be shared, applied, and built upon all around the world.

Chris Lagana

What is your role in EIA?

My role with the Bucknell chapter of EIA is Project Manager. As project manager, I helped lead the first group of Bucknell students to ever design a pedestrian footbridge with EIA. We came up with a design for an 80 meter suspension bridge for a community in Boliva for our tag along project with Penn State. Even though our design is not being used as we are a tag-along chapter, this experience was still valuable in helping our chapter understand the processes involved in designing pedestrian footbridges. I am also one of two Bucknell students traveling to help Penn State with their bridge build this year. I am excited to help out the local Puca Huasi community and bring back the knowledge of this experience to our Bucknell chapter.

In addition to being Project Manager, I am also on the Steering Committee for the Bucknell chapter. We received approval to establish a new chapter in the fall of 2018, and approval to travel in the spring of 2019.

How did you get involved in EIA?

During my Freshman Year, my dorm neighbor asked if I wanted to help start a club with her to bring engineering solutions to underserved communities in developing countries. After doing some research, we found EIA and decided to apply to become a Chapter.  Although we are now considered a Chapter, we still have a ways to go before we lead our own projects. We hope that by participating in this tag-along project with Penn State that we will be able to gain enough knowledge to lay the groundwork to be a successful chapter. The future of EIA at Bucknell seems very promising. We are currently discussing making a credited class designated to EIA. I'm looking forward to doing a lot with EIA in the near future.

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

Instead of pursuing a traditional internship this summer, I decided that I would rather be involved in this life changing experience of building a bridge. Being involved in EIA has opened my eyes to the many engineering needs worldwide – some more basic than others. While our Chapter is just starting to get involved with EIA, it’s exciting to realize that when working together, we can have a strong impact on a community. EIA is an organization that I plan to stay involved with long after graduation. 

Chase Mader

What is your role in EIA?

I am the Design Manager for Penn State’s chapter of EIA.

How did you get involved in EIA?

I got involved through a mixer held by the civil engineering department at Penn State so that civil engineering students could become acquainted with the various related clubs on campus. I ran into Penn State’s Project Manager at the mixer and she informed me that they were still in need of a design manager. I was amazed by what EIA had accomplished and I wanted to be a part of their next project. Design Manager sounded like something that I wanted and I knew it would give me some great experience. I went to the first general body meeting and the rest just fell into place.

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

With this experience, my plans for the future have surely changed. I interned for a land development civil engineering firm last summer and I enjoyed it, but I knew since sophomore year of high school that I had an interest in bridges. EIA was the first step to making that possible so that’s the path I hope to follow in the future.

Avery Rosh-Gorsky

What is your role in EIA?

I am the Founding President of Bucknell’s chapter of Engineers in Action.

How did you get involved in EIA?

I have always been interested in humanitarian engineering, and even wrote college essays about wanting to be a part of such an organization. I ended up attending a university without a humanitarian engineering program, and felt obligated to start a chapter. We initially started out with a different organization, but the fit wasn’t quite right. We were lucky enough to get in contact with Rod Beadle and the rest is history.

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

As a chemical engineer, I don’t build bridges. However, because of EIA I know that I want to continue humanitarian engineering after graduation. I want to become a professor and hope to be a part of a humanitarian engineering organization at my institution.

Vanessa Martinez

What is your role in eia?

I’m the bridge/design engineer for the Cornell University chapter. I lead the main design workshops and check off on the designs and drawings for the team. 

How did you get involved in EIA?

Initially as a freshman I had decided not to join any of Cornell’s project teams, but I decided to go to one of the fairs and look at all the teams. I went to all the traditional civil engineering teams, but none of them really grabbed my attention. Then on my way out of the building I saw the EIA (formerly B2P) team and I got super excited. They really inspired me by bringing up how bridges connect people. I grew up doing a lot of community service; I come from a small impoverished border town which instilled in me how important it was to help each other out. The team leads at the table had that kind of passion for community involvement and that engineering drive and it made me want to join. So I applied!

How has being in EIA changed your plans for your future?

Honestly I’ve wanted to be a civil engineer for a really long time. Being a part of the team made me realize that I’m most interested in bridge design and structural engineering. The team helped me realize I really like civil engineering because it has a direct impact that you can see the moment you step out your door. I have wanted to join the Peace Corps for a while, and after traveling with the team to Swaziland this past summer I find myself more and more inclined to work either with the Peace Corps or a similar organization later on in my future. 

Daniel Zirtzman

What is your role in eia?

As a member of Continental Crossings at the University of Iowa, which is a chapter of EIA's Bridge Program, I am one of the fundraising chairs.  I help raise funds for the upcoming bridge build project by organizing fundraising events, volunteering at fundraising/service events, and assisting with corporate fundraising.  I am continuing into my fourth semester with the organization.

how did you get involved in eia?

I joined Continental Crossings because I thought that the bridge building program was very unique and exciting.  I love the mission and vision of EIA's Bridge Program and that I can directly impact people's lives by ending rural isolation through building bridges.  As an Eagle Scout, the service aspect of the organization helps me to continue my love for volunteering from Boy Scouts.  My previous experiences in high school didn't thoroughly introduce me into topics of bridge building and this program really opened me up to new possibilities in Civil Engineering.

how has being involved in eia changed your plans for the future?

The bridge program helped me declare which engineering I wanted to pursue, civil engineering.