Sustainability for EWB Projects - Erin Stokes (EWB-NEU), Ron Pearlstein (Lehigh Valley Professionals)

Sustainable Development Practicum Session for EWB Regional Workshops
EWB-USA Projects must be environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. In order to explore and emphasize how sustainable development principles are applied in the execution of EWB projects, this session will engage participants in a case study exercise. Following a brief refresher on sustainability application in the developing world, session participants will form teams and work through a project planning and problem-solving exercise. The teams will be given a “post-assessment trip” EWB project scenario and tasked with developing a sustainable implementation plan. In this scenario, there will be resource constraints, socio-economic challenges, conflicting community needs and, of course, incomplete information. There might be a few surprises too. Each team will work together to develop a unique project plan and then make a brief “pre-iplementation TAC” presentation to the other teams. Finally, there will be a facilitated discussion amongst the entire group to review similarities and differences in their plan choices, before a final lessons-learned session wrap-up. 
Biography - Erin Stokes (EWB-NEU):
Erin Stokes was born in 1987 in New York City.  She is currently a senior in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University with minors in Biochemical Engineering and Psychology.  She works with the Engineers Without Border Northeastern Chapter on both the Uganda and Honduras Committees and was chosen to be on the Honduras travel team.  She plans to enter the Pharmaceutical industry for research drug development.

Biography - Ron Pearlstein (Lehigh Valley Professionals):
Ronald Pearlstein was born in 1962 in Philadelphia, PA.  After completing a BA degree in chemistry and a BS degree in chemical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 1884, he attended MIT where he earned a Ph.D. degree in inorganic chemistry in 1988.  In 1989, he joined Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. where he has been involved in various product and process research and development projects and is currently a research associate in the Global Technology department.  A founding member of the Lehigh Valley Professionals chapter of EWB, he has served on its communication committee and helped to develop the EWB‑ website.    He currently serves as the chapter’s treasurer and is president of the Talk of the Valley Toastmasters club.  He is co-inventor of 18 US patents and has authored more than 20 technical papers.  His interests include bicycling and renewable energy.