FEATURE STORY Next Generationof


MechE Innovation Students ReceiveAccolades for Achievements at Home andAbroad


While recent issues of CarnegieMech have showcased the impressive achievements ofMechE faculty and alumni, this issue spotlights the next generation of success stories: our outstanding students. The Department ofMechanical Engineering is currently home to 162 graduate students and 318 undergrads,


each contributing their time and talent to continuingMechE’s more than 100 years of excellence.While we can’t highlight the achievements of everyMechE student, the following four individuals personify the drive,diversity, and dedication of the nearly 500 students currently pursuingMechE degrees.


Last year,Brad Hall became the firstMechE student to earn the title of “Fifth-Year Scholar.” Founded in 1991, the Fifth-Year Scholar program provides a


small number of outstanding students with an opportunity to broaden their undergraduate education during an additional year of study, supported by free tuition and a fellowship.Scholars also propose and implement a project that betters the CarnegieMellon community,which they begin work on during their senior year. Hall,now in his fifth year, is using his award to enhance his


undergraduate experience by taking courses that relate to industrial design, a discipline he hadn’t had time to explore during his four years inMechE.For his Scholar project,Hall created a chapter of EngineersWithout Borders (EWB) at CarnegieMellon.This inter- national organization—which partners socially conscious engineers with projects in developing countries—has more than 12,000 members and 300 chapters in the U.S.,but lacked a presence at CarnegieMellon.Hall created the University chapter to allow students the chance to help solve water, sanitation, renewable energy, and other engineering problems both at home and abroad. “By using technology,we can


solve problems in the developing world,”Hall says. In his role as chapter


Brad Hall


President,Hall led the newly formed group in its first project: judg- ing the Spring Carnival booths for their use of recycled materials and overall sustainability.Hall also coordinated a joint project with the professional EWB chapter in Pittsburgh,which focused on improving water quality in a small village in Ecuador. Now a nationally recognized student EWB chapter, the


CarnegieMellon group is developing new projects and initiatives. “We’re continuing the Ecuador project and are looking into two


local water projects,”Hall says.“I’m really excited about these local projects because they come back to my Fifth-Year Scholar goals.” Meanwhile,Hall spent 10 weeks inTanzania this summer as part


of a newly launched internship program, iSTEP (innovative Student Technology ExPerience).The program,managed by theTechBridge- World research group in CarnegieMellon’s Robotics Institute, sent five students and recent alumni to Dar es Salaam,Tanzania,while one student supported the team from Pittsburgh.The students worked on three projects to create and customize technology to helpTanzanian communities. Hall led a technical team that focused on improvements to


the BrailleWritingTutor, an electronic device that teaches Braille writing through audio feedback and automated programs.To make this tool more accessible for local residents,Hall updated the Tutor’s existing functions to Swahili and altered the spoken English commands to include aTanzanian accent.He also developed a new learning game for the device,designed an audio menu, and wrote its user manuals.Hall’s work on the project helped the teachers and


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