In the Philippines, a simple “Kumusta ka?”- how are you?- can open the door to warmth, connection, and meaningful conversation. This summer, 16 Lehigh students along with three faculty mentors–Khanjan Mehta, vice provost for Creative Inquiry, Thomas Gartner, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Sean Vassilaros, adjunct professor of computer science and business–will be asking that very question, not just as a greeting, but as an invitation to listen, collaborate, and co-create solutions with local communities during two weeks of fieldwork in and around the sprawling capital city of Manila.

From July 17 to August 1, four student teams will engage in fieldwork on multi-year projects spanning the fields of public health, sustainable materials, and circular economies, each rooted in long-standing partnerships and research through the Global Social Impact Fellowship program. The teams will gather critical data, test prototypes, and strengthen relationships with local collaborators across the Philippines.

The four interdisciplinary projects heading into the field include:

  • PlasTech Ventures – This team is addressing the growing crisis of single-use plastic waste by repurposing discarded sachets into functional community products. During fieldwork, they plan to assess operations at a Materials Recovery Facility, engage with local partners, and explore potential collaborations with 3D printing organizations to scale production efforts.

     
  • AgriWrap – Focused on converting agricultural food waste into biodegradable packaging, this team is exploring environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastics in the Philippines’ food sector. Their goal is to gain firsthand insight into bioplastic production processes and identify approaches that can be replicated and further developed at Lehigh.

     
  • TrackTB – This public health-focused team is deploying a low-tech, mobile-based system to support tuberculosis treatment adherence in clinical settings. Fieldwork will include rolling out the TrackTB system in select clinics, gathering user feedback, and training healthcare professionals on the platform’s SMS-based tools and data portal.

     
  • MetalMatter – Aiming to build a circular economy around metal recycling, particularly aluminum, this team is studying how improved recycling practices can reduce carbon emissions and resource depletion. They will work closely with stakeholders to map material flows, explore solid-phase processing methods, and identify scalable solutions to strengthen local recycling networks.

     

For many students, this trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity to connect theory and knowledge to real impact on the ground. 

“I’m excited to visit different bioplastic manufacturers, see the process, and explore how our team could adapt that into a system at Lehigh,” says Alex Azzara ’27, an IDEAS major and member of the AgriWrap team. The team has spent months researching bioplastic applications and is eager to better understand how sustainable materials can integrate into the Filipino food market. 

One team member, Jeremy Reed ‘26, a mechanical engineering major, has been a Mountaintop Fellow this summer and has been making and testing various forms of bioplastics in preparation for fieldwork. 

“Mountaintop has given me the time and space to fully focus on our project,” says Jeremy Reed ’26, a mechanical engineering major. “This summer, we’ve been able to make real progress by testing different bioplastic formulas, understanding their properties, and creating physical samples we can bring to the Philippines to demonstrate our work.”

For the TrackTB team, the highlight will be meeting with local health partners and patients. After a semester of virtual collaboration, the team is preparing to conduct user acceptance testing in the field, gathering real-world feedback on how their system can improve tuberculosis treatment adherence using the simplest tools: basic mobile phones and text messaging.

“We’re excited to finally meet our partners and work directly with patients,” said Sophia Smith ‘26, a psychology major on the team. “Throughout the spring semester, we focused on refining our business model to secure funding and debugging the technology, running simulations to ensure everything is field-ready.”

While the issues they’re tackling are complex, GSIF students are guided by the beliefs that their solutions must be co-created, human-centered, locally grounded, and globally informed. Whether collecting data, observing manufacturing processes, or sitting down with community health workers, each conversation - each kumusta ka - is a chance to build trust and deepen impact.