University of Southern Indiana Engineers in Action chapter prepares to build bridge in Eswatini

Next month, Dr. Jason Hill, Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Southern Indiana, and five students from the USI Engineers in Action chapter will start their trip to Emkhiweni, Eswatini, on an EIA project to develop a pedestrian bridge to connect two isolated communities.

Joining the students and Dr. Hill will be Koby Linder, a Mechanical Engineering major from Evansville who expects to graduate this year. Back in 2019, Linder traveled with the school’s EIA chapter to Eswatini to build a 100 meter-long footbridge.

In an article on the University of Southern Indiana’s website, Linder talked about the trip and the community who is being served by the bridge project, saying, "EmaSwati are hard-working people—they share what they have with everyone.” He also noted that the 2019 project in Eswatini has been successful thus far, saying, “Satellite images show the walking paths veering from their initial paths and merging to the bridge. These bridges give people safe, reliable, easy, and quick access to schools, hospitals, towns and more.”

Linder also talked about the benefits these kinds of trips have on the students who undergo them, saying, “These trips teach real-world construction skills. I've seen the EIA experience directly translate into the U.S. construction and project industry.” 

The USI students and staff will partner with EIA teams from Oregon State University and McGill University in the design and building of the Eswatini bridge. The bridge will serve the Esphumlweni and Kalashabane communities. The two communities contain over 4,000 residents, 3,000 of which are children. The teams hope that the bridge will serve as a boost to the economies of both communities. 

The other members of the team from the University of Southern Indiana traveling to Eswatini this summer are Melanie Cedeno, Electrical Engineering major, Lisa Botello, Civil Engineering major, Josiah Hollis, Mechanical Engineering major, and Miguel Pinto, Project Manager and Electrical Engineering major.

The EIA chapter of the University of Southern Indiana is part of the national EIA organization, which works to better the lives of thousands of people annually by building critical infrastructure such as clean water access and bridges in their communities. USI has sent student teams to Eswatini in 2019, West Virginia in 2021, and Bolivia in 2022.

Dr. Hill has been part of all of these teams and as such has seen the benefits for both USI students and the communities they assist after every project.

“The EIA bridge program at USI offers a unique experience to our engineering students. Not only do students gain knowledge in technical design and project management, but also get a unique cultural and bridge building experience,” he said.
 
All students, regardless of major, are invited to participate in EIA and bridge project events. More information about the EIA can be gained by contacting Dr. Hill by email at ajhill3@usi.edu

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