Humanitarian Engineering Student Selected for Inaugural Station1 Fellowship

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Media contact: Eric M. Eckert, (254) 710-1964

WACO, Texas (June 27, 2018) – Alina Gavrilov, sophomore engineering student with a concentration in humanitarian engineering in Baylor University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, has been selected for an inaugural summer fellowship with Station1, a nonprofit organization with a mission of providing frontier, socially directed, science and technology-focused research and internships to more students nationwide.

Gavrilov will take part in the Summer@Station1 program based in Boston, Massachusetts, beginning in June. The fellowship will incorporate team-based research and development projects in science and technology that apply to social impact.

“Station 1 focuses deeply on research and hands-on experience because they are promoting an interdisciplinary education,” Gavrilov said. “Being a student in the BIC, the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, has helped me see the value of approaching education in this way, and it gave me the opportunity to find a direction for my own education at Baylor that focuses on the intersection of humanitarian work and engineering.”

Humanitarian engineering is a mission-minded concentration that blends a technical education in engineering with a desire to serve others.

Gavrilov will work on a research project with partners Harvard University, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Kennedy School of Government and the Data-Smart City Solutions Initiative. The groups will focus on the adoption of data projects at the local government level, including predictive analytics and civic engagement technology.

“Using technology, our generation’s STEM students have a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the crime and shootings happening all around us,” Gavrilov said. “I’m just grateful to experience a small part of the road to a solution to make our cities safer.”

Humanitarian engineering prepares graduates to serve in a variety of international relief, development and missions organizations in accordance with the Christian tradition. Students are required to spend time abroad working on technical problems in a developing country. For example, teams of students have built solar electricity systems for an orphanage and school in Haiti, and another team worked in Uganda at a vocational school to build a multipurpose gasoline powered vehicle.

“We are excited that Alina was selected for this summer fellowship with Station 1,” said Dennis O’Neal, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science. “Alina is just one example of how our students want to explore how their education can be used to serve and positively help people.”

As a future humanitarian engineer, Gavrilov is excited for the connections she has the chance to pursue.

“Experiencing life outside of Baylor will be challenging but so important to both my intellectual and spiritual growth,” Gavrilov said. “Above all, however, I am excited about the work to better integrate technology into the government with the intent of making cities safer for everyone.”

by Liesbeth Powers, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

With more than 10 percent of Baylor University’s freshman class pursuing major courses of study in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), the focus remains on preparing graduates for professional practice and responsible leadership with a Christian worldview. ECS majors include bioinformatics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, general engineering and mechanical engineering. Among ECS graduate programs are Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in all disciplines, and several dual-degree programs. The Teal Residential College for Engineering and Computer Science, in which students and faculty live, fosters the pursuit of wisdom, academic excellence, and meaningful relationships for the development of diverse, innovative leaders.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.