The University of Tulsa’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB), in collaboration with Food on the Move, is partnering on the development of a solar-powered solution to help feed economically challenged communities in Tulsa. Food on the Move provides food grown at their facilities to impoverished areas and homeless shelters. The local nonprofit also teaches how to grow food gardens and startup food-production businesses.
A large portion of the organization’s food comes from a “grow pod,” a transportable shipping container with a fully functional vegetable garden. To make the pod more efficient and easier to transport, UTulsa’s EWB team is fitting the pod for solar panels, powering the water pump and the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
“Food on the Move’s project aligned perfectly with our values and goals as a chapter,” said chemical engineering senior Braden Stanfield. “After hearing their story, we knew we wanted to help them in any way we could.”
The team is being advised by Laura Ford, Ph.D., associate professor of chemical engineering. From Ford’s advising, they are implementing with their research a technical philosophy, blending in coursework from UTulsa’s chemical engineering department. Each team member has daily assignments, from designing the blueprint of the solar fitting to submitting weekly updates to EWB. The solution’s final blueprint is still in development, pending approval from the EWB’s Community Engineering Corps committee.
“This project has enhanced our education immensely here at UTulsa,” Stanfield said. “The biggest takeaway we all had is how important food access is. It is so easy and empowering to get involved with this mission and make a difference.”
