engineering

"One of the issues faced by many Guatemalans is having access to pure and clean water. According to the Guatemala Ministry of Health, 98 percent of the country’s water sources are contaminated with water-borne diseases such as typhoid fever, hepatitis A, cholera, giardia, and amebiasis,” states the thesis of Aguapura, a water purifier developed by students from three different universities including CalTech, the Art Center College of Design, and Landivar University, which is based in Guatemala.

Engineering schools around the world are focusing more and more on bottom of the pyramid designs that will improve quality of life. And at courses like CalTech’s “Design for Development course” (taught by Professor Ken Pickar) high-design is fused with rigorous engineering and an experiential component. CalTech students from Pickar's class spend time in the field understanding the needs of Guatemalan's and bringing their insights to their design.