The Office of Global Engineering Programs and the College of Engineering schools and programs continue work to expand the overseas reach of Purdue University.

Global Engineering is the center of the college's efforts in international education, research and engagement. It offers a number of opportunities through the East Asia Program, the Exxon Mobil Foundation-supported Engineering in Latin America Program and a minor in global engineering.

The U.S. Department of State and the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) has announced the 25 emerging entrepreneurs Purdue University will host from June 17 to July 31 as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

On April 1 the Office of Global Engineering Programs hosted an exposition for the Innovation for International Development projects conducted by students and faculty.

The Student Support Award recognizes Learning Communities who plan events that introduce students to helpful resources on campus and provide opportunities for direct interaction for support. Global Engineering Cultures and Practice Learning Community leaders include Erin Cromer, graduate teaching assistant in the Department of English; Anne Dare, postdoctoral research associate in the Global Engineering Program; Mary McCall, graduate teaching assistant in the Department of English; Arvind Raman, associate dean for global engineering programs and the Robert V. Adams professor of mechanical engineering; and Elena Shvidko, graduate teaching assistant in the Department of English.

Volunteer Assignment and Impact: Anne provided training and technical assistance (field assessments and demonstrations) for local organizations and small producers of Meta Department, addressing the subject of sustainable wastewater managements for households, farms, and agricultural processes.

Anne’s assignment was fairly recent. She expects that sanitation-related recommendations will improve environmental and public health resulting in increased confidence in products marketed by the farm and improved quality of life indicators. Nutrient management-related recommendations can increase production and reduce food/fodder expenses.

Take-away messages/quotes: For Purdue, it was a great opportunity to have Anne do a F2F assignment. She is part of the Global Engineering Team (GEP), and the Purdue Water Community. The GEP already has many initiatives in Colombia with universities, and so the opportunity to link this team to on-the-ground actions and recommendations to promote greywater management in this area of Colombia, where water management and conservation is such a critical issue, has been gain for Purdue as well as the project beneficiaries.

Purdue's Center for Global Food Security (CGFS) is taking up the challenges associated with the rising demand for food, feed, and energy with current technology and agricultural resources and helping to ensure that we have enough food, feed, and fuel for the 21st century and beyond.