Faculty Mentor/s:
Ganesh Balasubramanian, Mechanical Engineering; Co-PI: Dr. Elmer Soriano, Civika Asian Development Academy
2023 Students Team:
Dayanara Cabrera ‘26
Emily Rafikia ‘25
Nelly Nguyen ‘25
Okeorisa Nkululeko ‘25
Sebastian Gaertner ‘25
Vrushti Patel ‘26
Project Description:
Much of the world exists in a state of hunger crisis. In the Philippines, the urban/rural divide, an absence of public infrastructure, economic resources, and occasionally misdirected aid structures combine to keep many in a state of poverty and food insecurity. This project team will work closely with the Civika Asian Development Academy and the Development Academy of the Philippines, Philippines-based organizations that develop public and private sector leaders throughout Southeast Asia through project-based work. The direct focus of this project is the creation of a “Zero Hunger College” using data-driven and data-centric approaches to alleviate hunger and food supply challenges in smaller provinces and villages of the Philippines. The Zero Hunger College will do this by inviting women from small villages to attend a six-month “school” that leverages indigenous knowledge as well as modern agricultural techniques to help them grow more food to supply their villages with nutrition and sustenance. The team is currently in the design phase, developing a curriculum and establishing partnerships, and the goal for the upcoming year is to pilot-test “classes” and refine the model before conducting fieldwork in the Philippines. All majors are welcome, particularly those with strong interests in food systems, systems engineering, global studies, agriculture, and data analysis.