Engineering the Future

Rebecca Alcock, an engineering student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, boarded a plane to Guatemala in 2018 with uncertainty about her future. But after three months volunteering through Engineers Without Borders, building infrastructure and directly improving the lives of local people, there was no question about her calling. These experiences transformed her perspective on engineering itself. Rebecca decided to dedicate her career to global health and development work. Little did she know that less than two years later, the path she chose would equip her to rise to the greatest public health crisis in nearly a century.

Rebecca Alcock is now playing a foremost role in an effort to distribute emergency medical supplies in underdeveloped and developing countries such as Guatemala, Yemen, Malawi, and Sudan. The team is collaborating with diverse organizations including governments and manufacturing facilities to design and produce essential materials to combat COVID-19. These supplies include face masks and shields, ventilators, and sanitation products. Rebecca’s background in biomedicine and systems engineering has made her a perfect fit for the project. She has created a production guidebook for countries around the world to anticipate needs, design supplies, source materials, and revamp manufacturing facilities.

Rebecca Alcock is using her engineering expertise to make a significant and timely impact across the globe, and she’s not alone.

Most people try not to think about what goes in their toilets. But for wastewater engineers, it means keeping their communities and environments safe. Never has this been more true-but not in the way you might think. Amina Stoddart, an expert in wastewater treatment, has parlayed her experience into innovative new applications to tackle the challenges of COVID-19.

Face masks have been in massive demand and low supply throughout the pandemic. Single-use N-95 surgical masks have been especially scarce. These filter out 95% of very small particles, making them the primary option for healthcare workers. However, shortages have caused many to wear these masks far past the recommended use, putting themselves and their patients at risk. Amina Stoddart used her diverse background to take a unique approach to this challenge. By modifying the UV light technology used on public wastewater, she has helped develop a method of disinfecting N-95 masks. Using UV light is advantageous because it is contactless, leaves no residue, and does not affect the integrity of the mask, unlike harsher chemical cleaners. As far as effectiveness, the results have been promising. This creative application of technology would allow healthcare professionals to safely reuse N-95 masks, a major step forward in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

That’s not all. Amina Stoddart is also using her knowledge of water treatment in another original application. She is leading a project developing techniques to test sewage water for COVID-19. There are limited COVID tests available, and asymptomatic carriers can spread the virus without even knowing it. However, by testing sewage water, researchers can detect any presence of the virus, even as little as one person infected in a group of 100,000. This technique essentially allows scientists to test entire facilities at once - warning of an outbreak before it happens. Using this method could be especially helpful for hotspots such as extended care facilities, or even entire cities. “Engineers are trained to be problem-solvers and trained to think about applying the skills that they have to whatever situation arises,” Amina said. Her unique method is helping detect COVID-19 on a wider scale than ever before.

These women have very different backgrounds, but both have used their skills to aid a world racked by COVID-19. Whether distributing life-saving medical supplies across oceans, developing revolutionary new ways to sterilize equipment, or testing entire cities at once, their feats of engineering are immeasurable. Though they had very different approaches - one woman passionate about volunteering, another an expert in wastewater treatment - by stepping up to the needs around them, they have taken part in engineering a healthier future.

Annotated Bibliography:

Auld, A. (2020, October 22). Dal researchers help develop wastewater test that could act as an early warning sign for COVID‑19 outbreaks. Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/10/22/dalhousie-researchers-help-develop-a-wastewater-test-that- could-.html
An in-depth look into the technique of wastewater testing Amina Stoddart has been working on.

Charlton, M. (2020, August 10). A new method of "light" cleaning for critical protective equipment. Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.dal.ca/news/2020/08/10/a-new-method-of--light-- cleaning-for-critical-protective-equipme.html
Details about UV light disinfection for disposable face masks.

INWED 2020: Amina Stoddart, PhD, P.Eng. / Carolina Ontiveros. (2020, June 10). Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://engineerscanada.ca/news-and-events/news/inwed-2020-amina-stoddart-phd-peng- carolina-ontiveros
Further information on the UV disinfection technique with commentary from Amina Stoddart and a fellow researcher.

Ray, C. (2020, June 15). Researchers turn to wastewater to find new ways to track COVID-19 | CBC News. Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/researchers- wastewater-track-covid-19-1.5612926
More reading on the wastewater testing technique with insight from fellow researchers.

Ziemer, T. (2020, July 23). Grad student helping organize PPE production, COVID response in developing countries. Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.engr.wisc.edu/news/grad-student-helping- organize-ppe-production-covid-response-in-developing-countries/
Details on Rebecca Adcock’s work to distribute medical supplies in foreign countries.