EPICS in IEEE Marked Anniversary with Record Achievements

EPICS in IEEE, an Educational Activities program, celebrated its 15th anniversary last year. The Engineering Projects in Community Service initiative provides nonprofit organizations with technology to improve and deliver services to their community while broadening undergraduate EE students’ hands-on experience with engineering-related topics.

The program reached new heights last year by distributing more than US $226,000 to 39 projects, engaging more than 900 students and 1,400 volunteers and IEEE members including proposal reviewers, mentors, and project support participants.

The standout year caps Stephanie Gillespie’s three-year term as chair of the EPICS in IEEE committee. An IEEE member, she is an associate dean at the University of New Haven engineering college, in Connecticut. Under her leadership, the EPICS program streamlined processes for collecting data and boosted storytelling efforts to illustrate the impact of its activities. Proposal applications nearly doubled, and approved projects increased by 44 percent.

“During my three years as committee chair, I’ve loved seeing so many students worldwide have the opportunity to engage with their community and truly consider the needs of their project stakeholders,” Gillespie says. “There are so many ways in which those positive experiences can trickle through their professional and personal lives.

“New leadership will bring new ideas, and I’m excited for the future of EPICS in IEEE and the continued growth of this outstanding program.”

Pedro Wightman is this year’s committee chair. He is an IEEE senior member and an associate professor in the engineering school at the Universidad del Rosario, in Bogotá. Wightman, who has been an active committee member, helped lead an EPICS project himself.

“EPICS in IEEE represents a bridge between engineering theory and community needs,” Wightman says. “It brings these two realities together for humanitarian purposes and helps polish an engineering student’s academic experience so that they’re not only technology experts but humans first.

“I hope the program continues to grow and strengthen, because there’s so much need out there but also so many young engineers around the world willing to put their energy and knowledge toward improving the well-being of people.”

The following projects, all funded last year, showcase the enthusiasm and dedication of students to create and deploy solutions to help people.

A lack of access to trained teachers and quality educational programs threatens students’ development, especially in rural areas with poor infrastructure and limited resources. A team from the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) in Jamshoro, Pakistan, addressed such challenges with its Augmented Reality 3D System for Interactive Learning in Rural Elementary Schools project. It reached hundreds of pupils in underserved areas with a virtual, sustainable, and hands-on learning platform that engages students and teachers alike. The team received a$4,115 grant to design and deploy their prototype.

“Many rural areas lack access to qualified educators and modern teaching resources,” says Sameer Qazi, an IEEE student member and a MUET senior. “Our project seeks to bridge that gap by providing an interactive and immersive learning system that delivers an innovative educational experience with a focus on science, art, and history.”

The team from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, in Jamshoro, Pakistan, assembles its augmented-reality prototype of its distance learning system. Mehran University of Engineering and Technology EPICS in IEEE project team

The project involved nine students and two faculty supervisors from the university’s electronic engineering department. Each member contributed to one of the three project modules: content development, power management, and the display system. Qazi was project lead for the display system module.

The team partnered with the Fast Rural Development Program, an organization dedicated to transforming underprivileged areas and driving sustainable development in rural parts of Pakistan’s Sindh province. The partnership helped ensure the team’s solution was aligned with community needs and could be more seamlessly integrated into the target schools’ curriculum.

“I hope the program continues to grow and strengthen, because there’s so much need out there but also so many young engineers around the world willing to put their energy and knowledge toward improving the well-being of people.” —Pedro Wightman

“From funding to mentorship, EPICS in IEEE provided us with essential support that allowed us to bring this project from concept to reality,” Qazi says. “I encourage anyone considering an EPICS project to seize the opportunity. It’s a chance to make a tangible impact on society while growing as an engineer and leader.”

Solar-powered greenhouse

A creative team of students from BridgeValley Community and Technical College in South Charleston, W.Va., used its $3,200 grant to establish their Solar PV–Powered Smart Sustainable Greenhouse project. It is designed to optimize plant growth by maintaining ideal conditions and conserving energy through remote monitoring. The team used Arduino and other technologies, and it partnered with Café Appalachia, an eco-friendly nonprofit with its own farms.

The group developed a greenhouse system featuring solar-powered lithium-ion batteries, smart irrigation, fan control, and IoT integration for real-time data monitoring. Other components included tracking charge controllers, soil-moisture sensors, solenoid valves, flow meters, temperature and humidity sensors, a 356-millimeter fan, and a Wi-Fi module with data logging capabilities.

“We chose to work with Café Appalachia because they had an interest in sustainable greenhouse practices and offered space for the system,” says team lead Joshua “Youngil” Kim, an IEEE member. “Their dedication to giving back to their community and addressing climate change aligned with our goals.” Kim, a former BridgeValley educator, now is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Charleston Southern University, in South Carolina.

The team expressed gratitude for the funding from the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, an EPICS in IEEE partner.

“EPICS’ support of this greenhouse project has been instrumental in allowing us to contribute to our community and offer educational opportunities to our students,” Kim says. “Thanks to EPICS in IEEE’s generosity and commitment to fostering educational growth, it’s been a valuable experience for everyone involved.”

To learn more about EPICS projects or to submit a project proposal, join the mailing list and receive monthly updates.