Back in San Cris, not only to visit the 2023 Loewenstern interns with Cántaro Azul, but with my CEVE 314 class as part of the iSEED program.  We are running this program in Mexico for the first time, where we teach ENGI 350, Needs Identification and Design Implementation, taught by Dr. Deirdre Hunter, and CEVE 314, Sustainable Water Purification for the Developing World, that I teach.

The first cohort of students included: Eli Blasini (Chemical Engineering), Ben Bridges (Mechanical Engineering), Ric Chang (Chemical Engineering), Megan Enriquez (Mechanical Engineering), Anadaysi Lopez (Architecture), Julian Riley (Mechanical Engineering), Ben Smiley (Environmental Engineering), Sabrina Sun (Mathematical Economic Analysis), and Niyah Troup (Mechanical Engineering).  Gustavo Raskosky, video and photography specialist from Rice, joined the group and took some of the pictures displayed in this post (the good ones!)

We started the trip in Mexico City, were we spent three days learning about the city’s water cycle, the legacy of the Aztecs and Spain on the city’s water infrastructure, and visited a chinampa to understand how agriculture works in a lacustrine environment.  We also visited a rainwater harvesting NGO, a maker space, and the first Maker Faire in Mexico City. We even had time for soccer!