University of Southern Indiana students participate in Engineers in Action Bridge Build in South Africa

This past June, the University of Southern Indiana sent students from its Engineers in Action chapter, as well as Dr. Susan Ely, on a trip to Lubombo, Eswatini in South Africa. The group was tasked with building a pedestrian bridge as part of Engineers in Action’s mission to connect isolated communities to various other locations such as churches, co-ops, clinics, schools, shops and more. Dr. Ely serves as an Assistant Professor of Engineering at USI.

This trip was especially remarkable as it was the university’s first year serving as EIA’s Lead Institution, making it the leader of the project’s design, construction, and quality control. Up until this trip, USI had only served as a co-lead institution. The students from the University of Southern Indiana were joined in their project by students from the University of Iowa as well as Eastern Mennonite University.

In an article about the project, Dr. Ely talked about how intensive the project was, saying, “The designing and planning of the project equates to the workload of one of the College’s engineering courses. In fact, many of the students utilize their Senior Design to complete the work necessary for this project.” 

The students from USI teamed up with volunteer organizers between the months of October 2023 and April 2024 in order to complete the design phase of the project. Upon completion, the design was awarded the official Principles and Practice of Engineering seal of approval. The bridge is 106.5 meters long, and is the largest ever made by the University’s EIA chapter. It took nearly two months to finish. The new bridge replaced an older bridge that had fallen into disrepair due to seasonal flooding. The design of the new bridge will allow for safe crossing regardless of season for members of the communities in the area, which equals over 4,000 residents, nearly half of whom are children. 

Dr. Ely talked about how important the project is to those children, saying, "We spoke to children that hadn’t been able to go to school during the rainy season and parents who couldn’t get to work because the river was too dangerous to cross. While the bridge only took eight weeks to complete, lives in these communities are forever changed because of the work that was done.” 

Throughout the two month project, the students worked, socialized, slept, and ate with the local community, where they worked to learn the customs and language of its people. Each of the students brought their own unique skills to the table.

Electrical engineering major Melanie Cedeno (class of 2024) served as the project manager for the trip. She oversaw every aspect of the build for both the volunteers and the other students. She worked with every member of the student teams to make sure that they were working together properly, were communicating efficiently, and were collaborating with the community and other volunteers. She was also the main point of contact for leaders of the local community and the EIA. For her work on the project, she earned EIA’s Builder of the Year award, which is the highest honor a student team member can be awarded. She was also hired on as a fellow with the EIA to be stationed in Eswatini after her graduation. This project was her second of the kind during her time at the University of Southern Indiana.

Cedeno spoke highly of her time on the project, saying, “I am deeply inspired by the ongoing opportunity to support individuals through engineering. Seeing the excitement of a community as a new bridge connects them to vital resources and opportunities fulfills me immensely.” 

Electrical engineering major Miguel Pinto (class of 2025) worked on the project as the Cultural Relations Manager. His job was to focus on the interactions between the local community and the university teams. Pinto helped develop a culture of communication and collaboration by organizing community soccer matches, leading community members and students in dancing and singing events, and introducing members of the community to American foods such as banana bread and pancakes. This project was his third since coming to the University of Southern Indiana.

Electrical engineering major Josiah Hollis (class of 2025) worked on the project as the Construction Manager. His duties included ensuring the correct tasks were completed on schedule and at the correct time, as well as managing the construction schedule as a whole. Hollis was able to work with professional masons on the construction site as well as the other students and members of the community, where he made sure that the correct supplies and materials were on hand when needed. He also was in charge of assigning work duties to each laborer. Through Hollis’ leadership and organization skills, the project was finished on schedule. This project was his third since coming to the University of Southern Indiana. 

Manufacturing engineering major Jonas Hollis (class of 2027) worked on the project as the Quality Manager. It was his job to validate and verify the critical construction points during the construction process. He worked together with the other students, working to verify measurements, material quality, as well as the process steps throughout the entire process. This was his first build project with the university, and will be returning on the next trip as the Project Manager for the university.

University of Southern Indiana’s Engineers in Action chapter is part of the larger EIA organization which works to improve the lives of thousands of people every year through the construction of critical infrastructure such as water access and bridges. The university has sent teams of students to Eswatini in South Africa in 2019, West Virginia in 2021, Bolivia in 2022, and Eswatini in South Africa in 2023. 

The funding for the trip was granted by the USI Foundation.

Students are invited to participate in EIA and bridge project trips regardless of major. More information can be gained by contacting Dr. Ely at sely@usi.edu.

More information about University of Southern Indiana can be found at the school’s website.