Seventeen Global Social Impact Fellows, representing every undergraduate college at Lehigh, joined faculty at the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) 2025 at the Colorado School of Mines from Oct. 22 - 25. They presented 12 peer-reviewed papers that reflect the collective work of 56 Impact Fellows, faculty mentors, and two collaborators from Almaty Management University. Read below for student reflections on the conference, and visit our Instagram (@lehighcreativeinquiry) for more photos.
Angelina Penza ’26, Population Health
Even though I’m not an engineer, attending the 2025 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference showed me how strongly humanitarian innovation and engineering intersect with public health. It reminded me that improving health outcomes often depends on creative, cross-disciplinary collaboration to meet real human needs.
Samantha Sandhaus ’28, IDEAS
The conference was formative for me as an IDEAS student. It highlighted career paths that bridge engineering and social needs in ethical, sustainable ways. It was also my first time presenting my own research, which strengthened my technical communication skills and deepened my commitment to micronutrient fortification.
Shelly Deng ’28, Chemical Engineering
GHTC was an excellent opportunity to sharpen my presentation skills and build meaningful connections with people advancing humanitarian projects.
Elizabeth Ehrhardt ‘28, Population Health & Molecular Biology
Having the opportunity to look at public health issues through an engineer's eye was very intriguing and cemented my passion for such an interdisciplinary field!
Nicholas Evaristo ’27, Bioengineering
IEEE GHTC helped me realize how many different factors go into developing projects like Swello. It also pushed me to improve how I present research in a clear and meaningful way.
Olivia Meyer ’27, Mechanical Engineering
The conference was an incredible experience and a great opportunity to share, listen, and learn from other humanitarian-focused engineers.
Papers to be published in the 2025 IEEE GHTC proceedings:
- S. Sandhaus, S. Deng, and K. Mehta, "Bouillon Cubes as Vehicles for Micronutrient Delivery: A Systematic Review of Fortification Approaches and Productization Opportunities."
- O. Meyer, R. Ruiz, L. Wu, M. Young, A. John, K. Famolari, V. Kuzma, M. Angle, E. Obeysekare, and K. Mehta, "Designing an Off-Network Paging System to Improve Continuity of Patient Care in Low-Resource Settings."
- D. Weir, E. Ehrhardt, J. Menicucci, and K. Mehta, "Towards Low-Sodium Diets: Industrial Approaches to Advancing Public Health in Underserved Communities."
- E. Ehrhardt, L. Tong, T. Chelvam, K. Mehta, and J. Menicucci, "Front-of-Package Labelling as a Global Public Health Tool: A Comprehensive Review of Nutritional Labelling Systems and Their Role in Reducing Diet-Related Non-Communicable Diseases."
- E. Najarian, L. Gana, A. Zaman, T. Spear, N. J. Bielma, K. Mehta, and E. Obeysekare, "Cultivating Future Innovators: A Review of India's Atal Tinkering Labs."
- M. Thomas, J. Magarelli, C. Higgins, G. Quinteros, E. Obeysekare, and K. Mehta, "Scaling Humanitarian Design and Social Enterprise (HDSE) Education in India: The HDSE Virtual Academy and Leadership Intensive."
- A. Penza, T. K. Patel, J. P. Sferratore, E. J. Jovanovic, L. H. Blum, M. Yelgezek, D. Jumagalieva, and D. R. Seshadri, "Bridging Neurological Care Across Borders: A Comparative Study of Kazakhstan and U.S. Healthcare Systems."
- N. Evaristo, M. Yelgezek, D. Jumagalieva, and D. R. Seshadri, "Assessing Stroke and Dysphagia Care Practices in Kazakhstan."
- L. Rwasoka, J. Kramp, and K. Mehta, "Stigma to Screening: Generative AI and Self-Sampling Tools to Expand Cervical Cancer Screening in Low- and Middle-Income Countries."
- M. Wainwright, S. Bhatnagar, K. Smith, F. Villa, B. Monteiro-Carvalho, S. Vassilaros, and K. Mehta, "TrackTB: An Accessible Solution for Improved Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence in the Philippines."
- E. J. Kandie, C. Chan, J. E. Killar, M. M. Boughner, E. Gudoor, D. M. Kramp, F. Wakeel, and R. Obiora, "Iterative Development of the Mothers of Sierra Leone Cinema Kit: A Culturally-Responsive Humanitarian Engineering Approach to Improving Maternal Health."
- O. Holst, N. D. Carcamo-Paiz, A. Ogden, N. Hirsch, A. Fry, J. Feuerstein, X. Cheng, and K. Mehta, "Strengthening the Sickle Cell Care Pipeline: A Systems-Based Approach in Sierra Leone."