Who We Are
Our WashU EWB chapter partners with communities to improve their quality of life through the implementation of environmentally sustainable, equitable, and economical engineering projects while developing internationally responsible engineers. Throughout the school year, our chapter of undergraduate students meet weekly to research, brainstorm, and collaborate on designs to achieve the partner community’s specific needs. Professional engineers and faculty from WashU and the greater St. Louis area provide mentorship in technical aspects of the projects to ensure that the students’ self-guided development process meets professional guidelines and expectations.
After months of preparation, a group of students from each project makes a trip to the partner community to complete the next phase of the project, be that an in-depth assessment of the viability of the project (through communication with community leaders), the implementation of an engineering design, or the development of a community plan for maintenance and operations moving forward.
PROJECT TEAMS
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Diego Valverde
President
d.a.valverde@wustl.edu
Diego is a senior from Scottsdale, Arizona majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in Spanish and biomedical data science. He has been a member of the Bulubandi project since his freshman year working on water treatment and the safe room. In his free time, he loves to travel, eat new food, watch shows/movies, hike, and play tennis.
Nate Sapp
Vice President
n.j.sapp@wustl.edu
Nate is a sophomore from Colorado majoring in mechanical engineering.
Aaron Peters
Treasurer, St. Francis co-lead
a.m.peters@wustl.edu
Aaron is senior from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma majoring in biomedical engineering on the pre-med track. In addition to being the treasurer, he co-leads the St. Francis project with Gabby Day. He has been on the St. Francis project since his freshman year. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and traveling.
Amira Sinclair
Director of Public Relations
a.o.sinclair@wustl.edu
Amira is a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Creative Practice for Social Change. She has been on the Bulubandi Project Team working on the menstrual sanitation/safe room since her freshman year. In her free time, she enjoys finding new music for her radio show, exploring nature, field sketching, and traveling near and far.
Gabby Day
St. Francis project co-lead
d.gabby@wustl.edu
Gabby is a grad student from Denver, Colorado majoring in electrical engineering
David D’Alessandro
Bulubandi Project co-Lead
d.a.dalessandro@wustl.edu
David is a senior from Massachusetts majoring in mechanical engineering.
Riley Merrigan
Bulubandi Project co-Lead
merrigan.r@wustl.edu
Riley is a senior student-athlete from San Diego, California majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in energy engineering. He has been a member of the Bulubandi Project since his sophomore year working on the storage and distribution system for the water. Apart from playing on the WashU football team, he enjoys hanging out with friends, playing video games, and golf.