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COLLEGE of ENGINEERING
2021
The constructed bridge connects the community of Guayabitos to the nearest health center, market, and school. For an average of 300 days per year, the Pojo river is considered difficult or impossible to cross, creating dangerous conditions for the residents of the community, especially the young and elderly. The team successfully completed the design in partnership with Virginia Tech during the 2020-2021 academic year. However, due to travel restrictions emerging form the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was unable to oversee the contruction on site.
Location
Guayabitos, Bolivia
Community Members Served
120
Bridge Span Length
63 m
Meet the Team
Grace Brach
Role: Project Manager
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Class: 2021
Grace Brach is a senior studying Civil Engineering and is serving as the Project Manager for the 2020-2021 NDSEED Team. She began working with NDSEED as a VCA last year on the bridge that was to be built in Eswatini, helping mainly with the business and logistics side of the project. Grace has spent the past three summers studying abroad in London, England and working multiple internships. Her first internship was with a civil and environmental consulting firm where she was able to gain technical and professional skills with regards to civil engineering. This past summer she interned for Engineers in Action (EIA) where she worked on outreach projects to promote the mission of the EIA bridge program. This allowed her to learn about the structure and processes of the organization from a new perspective. On campus she has been a part of her dorm community, Howard Hall, serving both as an event commissioner and ultimately as Vice President. She has also worked on numerous Student International Business Council teams and is a member of Society of Women Engineers. Grace also enjoys engaging with the Center for Social Concerns, from participating in Appalachia Service Trips to taking seminars on Energy, Climate, and Social Change. Grace is constantly inspired by the NDSEED community and is incredibly grateful to be a member of the 2020-2021 NDSEED team. She is excited to be part of a project that is so much bigger than herself and ultimately serve as a force for good.
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Class: 2021
Grace Brach is a senior studying Civil Engineering and is serving as the Project Manager for the 2020-2021 NDSEED Team. She began working with NDSEED as a VCA last year on the bridge that was to be built in Eswatini, helping mainly with the business and logistics side of the project. Grace has spent the past three summers studying abroad in London, England and working multiple internships. Her first internship was with a civil and environmental consulting firm where she was able to gain technical and professional skills with regards to civil engineering. This past summer she interned for Engineers in Action (EIA) where she worked on outreach projects to promote the mission of the EIA bridge program. This allowed her to learn about the structure and processes of the organization from a new perspective. On campus she has been a part of her dorm community, Howard Hall, serving both as an event commissioner and ultimately as Vice President. She has also worked on numerous Student International Business Council teams and is a member of Society of Women Engineers. Grace also enjoys engaging with the Center for Social Concerns, from participating in Appalachia Service Trips to taking seminars on Energy, Climate, and Social Change. Grace is constantly inspired by the NDSEED community and is incredibly grateful to be a member of the 2020-2021 NDSEED team. She is excited to be part of a project that is so much bigger than herself and ultimately serve as a force for good.
Will Tjaden
Role: Design Engineer
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Class: 2021
Will Tjaden is a senior Civil Engineering major serving as the Design Engineer for the 2020-2021 NDSEED Team. He was a Volunteer Course Assistant for his first year. where he spent most of the year updating the publicity, including on-campus posters and the website. On last year's team, Will was the Construction Manager manager where he was in charge of producing a schedule and bill of quantities for the bridge. Will has always had an aptitude for building things: starting from legos as a child to balsa wood bridge builds in highschool to ultimately having construction-related internships with Kiewit Corporation. In addition to his love for building things, Will also has an aptitude for helping people. This desire to help people is what ultimately led him to NDSEED where he felt it was the perfect opportunity for him to combine his God-given talents and with that same desire to help people to help make the world a better place one-foot bridge at a time.
Leonardo Falquez
Role: Safety Manager
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Guayaquil, Ecuador
Class: 2021
Leonardo Falquez is a Senior Civil Engineer student from Guayaquil, Ecuador. He has always had a strong passion for engineering and helping others in need. Thus, he is fully committed to being part of the NDSEED for a third year. In this place, he found out that making a difference in the world can be achieved by helping the most vulnerable through the construction of footbridges. He knows that the work that he does here will have a long-lasting impact on many different communities. Therefore, as the Safety Manager in this year's team, he hopes to help the team achieve the great goal of building a bridge safely and wholesomely.
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Guayaquil, Ecuador
Class: 2021
Leonardo Falquez is a Senior Civil Engineer student from Guayaquil, Ecuador. He has always had a strong passion for engineering and helping others in need. Thus, he is fully committed to being part of the NDSEED for a third year. In this place, he found out that making a difference in the world can be achieved by helping the most vulnerable through the construction of footbridges. He knows that the work that he does here will have a long-lasting impact on many different communities. Therefore, as the Safety Manager in this year's team, he hopes to help the team achieve the great goal of building a bridge safely and wholesomely.
Brett Greiner
Role: Business Manager
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Class: 2022
Brett Greiner is a Junior Mechanical Engineering major and a second year NDSEED member working as the Business Manager for the 2020-2021 team. Throughout high school Brett participated in weeklong service retreats, which instilled a driving desire to help others through his work. With a strong individual passion for business and marketing, Brett is excited to use his skills to help the team and to learn new ones in an inevitably challenging year and project. He is looking forward to not only helping provide a town with a safe bride, but also making meaningful relationships with the people of the community and learning about their culture and the individuals that live there.
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Class: 2022
Brett Greiner is a Junior Mechanical Engineering major and a second year NDSEED member working as the Business Manager for the 2020-2021 team. Throughout high school Brett participated in weeklong service retreats, which instilled a driving desire to help others through his work. With a strong individual passion for business and marketing, Brett is excited to use his skills to help the team and to learn new ones in an inevitably challenging year and project. He is looking forward to not only helping provide a town with a safe bride, but also making meaningful relationships with the people of the community and learning about their culture and the individuals that live there.
Emily Brady
Role: Construction Manager
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, CA
Class: 2021
Emily Brady is a senior studying Civil Engineering with a minor in Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems. She is serving as the NDSEED 2020-2021 Construction Manager. Emily first became interested in engineering through a high school pre-professional program and discovered her passion for international development through spring break mission trips to Piura, Peru. She has been able to reconnect with the community in Piura through the Pulte Institute where she helped to create an assessment of the area based on the Sustainable Development Goals. During her summers, Emily has worked on construction sites as an assistant project engineer for W.E. O’Neil. An avid traveller, Emily has studied abroad in both Spain and Ireland. On campus, she has been engaged with the Center for Social Concerns through immersive service trips to Appalachia and an Urban Plunge in Los Angeles. Emily has been very involved in residential life as a lector at Farley Mass, defensive lineman for the the Finest flag football team, and now as an RA. She is honored to be a part of this year’s NDSEED team and looks forward to working alongside the community.
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, CA
Class: 2021
Emily Brady is a senior studying Civil Engineering with a minor in Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems. She is serving as the NDSEED 2020-2021 Construction Manager. Emily first became interested in engineering through a high school pre-professional program and discovered her passion for international development through spring break mission trips to Piura, Peru. She has been able to reconnect with the community in Piura through the Pulte Institute where she helped to create an assessment of the area based on the Sustainable Development Goals. During her summers, Emily has worked on construction sites as an assistant project engineer for W.E. O’Neil. An avid traveller, Emily has studied abroad in both Spain and Ireland. On campus, she has been engaged with the Center for Social Concerns through immersive service trips to Appalachia and an Urban Plunge in Los Angeles. Emily has been very involved in residential life as a lector at Farley Mass, defensive lineman for the the Finest flag football team, and now as an RA. She is honored to be a part of this year’s NDSEED team and looks forward to working alongside the community.
Marilyn Zizumbo
Role: Community Relations Manager
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Corona, CA
Class: 2022
Marilyn Zizumbo is a junior Environmental Engineering student and will be serving as the team’s Community Relations Manager. Growing up in the Golden State, Marilyn’s community was frequently impacted by environmental events, such as the infamous earthquakes, forest fires, and droughts. From an early age, she knew she wanted to help design and implement solutions to environmental challenges communities face, which is why she decided to pursue environmental engineering. When she heard about NDSEED, she was inspired by the NDSEED mission statement of empowering communities through cooperative construction. Outside of her classes, Marilyn is an active member of the Latino community on campus. This year, Marilyn is serving as Coro Primavera President and is a Group Leader of the Latino Freshman Retreat, in which she mentors five first-year students. In addition to the friendships she’s developed in the Latino community, Marilyn has made friends in the AnBryce Scholars Initiative. As an AnBryce Scholar, Marilyn has had the opportunity of traveling to Ireland and Washington D. C. Marilyn is continually learning about what it means to be a global citizen and is eager about working on this year’s NDSEED team.
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Corona, CA
Class: 2022
Marilyn Zizumbo is a junior Environmental Engineering student and will be serving as the team’s Community Relations Manager. Growing up in the Golden State, Marilyn’s community was frequently impacted by environmental events, such as the infamous earthquakes, forest fires, and droughts. From an early age, she knew she wanted to help design and implement solutions to environmental challenges communities face, which is why she decided to pursue environmental engineering. When she heard about NDSEED, she was inspired by the NDSEED mission statement of empowering communities through cooperative construction. Outside of her classes, Marilyn is an active member of the Latino community on campus. This year, Marilyn is serving as Coro Primavera President and is a Group Leader of the Latino Freshman Retreat, in which she mentors five first-year students. In addition to the friendships she’s developed in the Latino community, Marilyn has made friends in the AnBryce Scholars Initiative. As an AnBryce Scholar, Marilyn has had the opportunity of traveling to Ireland and Washington D. C. Marilyn is continually learning about what it means to be a global citizen and is eager about working on this year’s NDSEED team.
Kassidy Fender
Role: Research and Media Director
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Tyler, TX
Class: 2022
Kassidy Fender is a junior Mechanical Engineering student serving as the Research and Media Director for the 2020-2021 NDSEED team. On campus, she has been involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as a Dorm Director. In addition, she completed two semesters of undergraduate research in the bioengineering department focusing on tissue engineering. A construction project in the Dominican Republic during her junior year of high school first sparked her interest in international development and she has also participated in the Appalachia Seminar focusing on home repair in West Virginia. As a first year member of the team, she hopes to gain experience in both the business and communications aspect of project management as well as integrate the technical skills she has learned through her engineering course load with her interest in service work. She is excited to work with a very talented group of people on this team as well as learn and grow as an engineer and teammate.
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Tyler, TX
Class: 2022
Kassidy Fender is a junior Mechanical Engineering student serving as the Research and Media Director for the 2020-2021 NDSEED team. On campus, she has been involved with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as a Dorm Director. In addition, she completed two semesters of undergraduate research in the bioengineering department focusing on tissue engineering. A construction project in the Dominican Republic during her junior year of high school first sparked her interest in international development and she has also participated in the Appalachia Seminar focusing on home repair in West Virginia. As a first year member of the team, she hopes to gain experience in both the business and communications aspect of project management as well as integrate the technical skills she has learned through her engineering course load with her interest in service work. She is excited to work with a very talented group of people on this team as well as learn and grow as an engineer and teammate.
Keegan Siebenaler
Role: Quality Control Manager
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Kalispell, MT
Class: 2022
Keegan Siebenaler serves the 2020-2021 NDSEED team as the Quality Control Manager. Through his adventures in the mountains of Northwest Montana, Keegan has gained an appreciation for both environmental sustainability and the importance of critical infrastructure in challenging geographical conditions. Throughout high school, Keegan was involved with the Whitefish Lake Institute examining the impact of human activity on a watershed. During the summer of 2019, Keegan traveled to rural Nepal for a conservation internship. This area, not accessible by cars and primarily relying on suspension footbridges, closely resembled the sites that NDSEED is tasked with improving. As Quality Control Manager, Keegan will be instrumental in ensuring the construction process meets design parameters. Keegan is excited to develop close relationships with the host community and measurably improve their quality of life.
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hometown: Kalispell, MT
Class: 2022
Keegan Siebenaler serves the 2020-2021 NDSEED team as the Quality Control Manager. Through his adventures in the mountains of Northwest Montana, Keegan has gained an appreciation for both environmental sustainability and the importance of critical infrastructure in challenging geographical conditions. Throughout high school, Keegan was involved with the Whitefish Lake Institute examining the impact of human activity on a watershed. During the summer of 2019, Keegan traveled to rural Nepal for a conservation internship. This area, not accessible by cars and primarily relying on suspension footbridges, closely resembled the sites that NDSEED is tasked with improving. As Quality Control Manager, Keegan will be instrumental in ensuring the construction process meets design parameters. Keegan is excited to develop close relationships with the host community and measurably improve their quality of life.
Arianna Bordogna-Jurkowitz
Role: Volunteer Course Assistant
Major: Environmental Engineering
Minor: International Development Studies
Hometown: South Bend, IN
Class: 2023
Arianna Bordogna-Jurkowitz is a sophomore Environmental Engineering major and International Development Studies minor serving her first year on the team as a non-travelling Volunteer Course Assistant. Beyond engineering, she’s interested in social and political questions and in exploring the global intersections of these questions with engineering and environmental degradation. Arianna is very excited to approach NDSEED as an extracurricular opportunity that ties together her interests in engineering with her interests in sociology and international development and is excited to gain an experience like none other while serving on this team.
Major: Environmental Engineering
Minor: International Development Studies
Hometown: South Bend, IN
Class: 2023
Arianna Bordogna-Jurkowitz is a sophomore Environmental Engineering major and International Development Studies minor serving her first year on the team as a non-travelling Volunteer Course Assistant. Beyond engineering, she’s interested in social and political questions and in exploring the global intersections of these questions with engineering and environmental degradation. Arianna is very excited to approach NDSEED as an extracurricular opportunity that ties together her interests in engineering with her interests in sociology and international development and is excited to gain an experience like none other while serving on this team.
Kyle Copley
Role: Volunteer Course Assistant
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, California
Class: 2022
Kyle is a junior Civil Engineering major with a minor in the Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems, and he will be acting as a Volunteer Course Assistant for the 2020-2021 NDSEED Team. More specifically, Kyle will be serving as the Assistant to the Design Manager. As a returning non-traveling member, he already has a solid understanding of how NDSEED runs during the course of the school year. Moreover, Kyle spent his 2020 summer interning for the design firm AECOM where he routinely assisted professional engineers with their design efforts by reviewing AutoCAD files and written reports for a variety of projects. It was this internship that provided him with a more solid understanding of the design process that will allow him to hit the ground running in his new role. From his previous experiences, Kyle understands how much work and dedication goes into a project as large as designing and implementing a bridge. This year, he looks forward to assisting the Design Manager and the rest of the team in any way he can, and continuing to learn along the way.
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, California
Class: 2022
Kyle is a junior Civil Engineering major with a minor in the Resiliency and Sustainability of Engineering Systems, and he will be acting as a Volunteer Course Assistant for the 2020-2021 NDSEED Team. More specifically, Kyle will be serving as the Assistant to the Design Manager. As a returning non-traveling member, he already has a solid understanding of how NDSEED runs during the course of the school year. Moreover, Kyle spent his 2020 summer interning for the design firm AECOM where he routinely assisted professional engineers with their design efforts by reviewing AutoCAD files and written reports for a variety of projects. It was this internship that provided him with a more solid understanding of the design process that will allow him to hit the ground running in his new role. From his previous experiences, Kyle understands how much work and dedication goes into a project as large as designing and implementing a bridge. This year, he looks forward to assisting the Design Manager and the rest of the team in any way he can, and continuing to learn along the way.
Dean Maloney
Role: Volunteer Course Assistant
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Engineering Corporate Practice
Hometown: Parker, CO
Class: 2022
Dean Maloney is a junior studying Civil Engineering and with a minor in Engineering Corporate Practice serving as a non-traveling Volunteer Course Assistant on this year’s team. Dean is motivated by his passion to serve and improve the lives of others. On campus, he participates in Notre Dame Men’s Club Boxing and has helped the club raise funds for the Holy Cross Mission in Bangladesh through the annual Bengal Bouts boxing tournament. Additionally, he has gained valuable experience with design and construction of roadways and bridges through previous internships. He has worked as a design engineer intern with AECOM and most recently a field engineer intern with Kraemer North America. He looks forward to expanding on this knowledge through his involvement with this year’s team. Dean is most excited about the ability to combine his interests in engineering and service work through his involvement with NDSEED and work towards providing innovative and sustainable infrastructure to a community in need.
Major: Civil Engineering
Minor: Engineering Corporate Practice
Hometown: Parker, CO
Class: 2022
Dean Maloney is a junior studying Civil Engineering and with a minor in Engineering Corporate Practice serving as a non-traveling Volunteer Course Assistant on this year’s team. Dean is motivated by his passion to serve and improve the lives of others. On campus, he participates in Notre Dame Men’s Club Boxing and has helped the club raise funds for the Holy Cross Mission in Bangladesh through the annual Bengal Bouts boxing tournament. Additionally, he has gained valuable experience with design and construction of roadways and bridges through previous internships. He has worked as a design engineer intern with AECOM and most recently a field engineer intern with Kraemer North America. He looks forward to expanding on this knowledge through his involvement with this year’s team. Dean is most excited about the ability to combine his interests in engineering and service work through his involvement with NDSEED and work towards providing innovative and sustainable infrastructure to a community in need.
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