Throughout the world, millions of people go through daily life without adequate shelter, clean water, sanitary systems, or access to reliable civil infrastructure. Financial constraints along with political and structural barriers leave those stricken in poverty decades behind the rest of the world. Innovative approaches that focus on reliability, feasibility, sustainability, and viability are essential to creating solutions that will eradicate these problems facing developing countries. DYNAMO Lab focuses on using engineering as a tool to empower people and build capacity of communities, researching solutions to practical problems of the developing world. Learn more about Notre Dame's activities in Global Development, including the work of the DYNAMO Lab, in the video below.

 

A Multi-Hazard-Resilient Housing Model for Haiti: Rebuilding Communities and Livelihoods through Sustainable Solutions

On January 12, 2010, the nation of Haiti experienced an earthquake that caused death and destruction beyond comprehension. One of the hardest hit sectors was urban housing, which was susceptible to such a disaster because of poor materials, poor construction practices, and a lack of resources and engineering knowledge. The goal of this project is to create an urban housing paradigm built on the four tenants of resiliency, feasibility, sustainability and viability. This paradigm will not only provide housing, but also seed industry through new local materials, create jobs, and build capacity in the human-capital-rich nation of Haiti.

[Fact Sheet | www | Publications]

Interdisciplinary Studies in Tsunami Impacts and Mitigation

sell the project in 100 words

[Fact Sheet | www | Publications]

ND SEED: Notre Dame Students Empowering Engineering Development

In 2008, Notre Dame Students Empowering through Engineering Development (ND SEED), formed as a partnership with the non-profit organization Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to allow undergraduate engineering students to aid the developing world. Annually a team is formed to finance, design and construct a footbridge in a developing country that connects small rural communities with the lifelines and resources available in larger cities. This student-led project, under the supervision of Dr. Kijewski-Correa, has built bridges in Honduras (2009), Guatemala (2010), and Nicaragua (2011). 

[Fact Sheet | www | Blog]

CONTACT

Lab Facility: * University of Notre Dame, 107 Cushing Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA ( 574.631.3914 : dynamo@nd.edu

Dr. Kijewski-Correa: * University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA ( 574.631.2980 : tkijewsk@nd.edu