Our Current Field Volunteers

EWB's success rests on the efforts of our dedicated management staff and volunteers. Take the next step, volunteer with EWB!

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Field volunteers

Rob Hughes -Water Filter Factory Development Advisor - Resource Development

International Cambodia

Rob Hughes is spending the next 12 months developing water filter technologies with RDIC. He will be working on improving the production and distribution processes in RDIC's factory, as well as training local staff and other NGOs in how to set up the process.

Heidi Michael- Management & Water Supply Project Advisor, East Timor 

Heidi is working with Bia Hula in managing and advising on a water supply project providing access to improved sanitation and clean water to villages in East Timor. The position also includes supporting organisational development practices and capacity building. Heidi has an environmental engineering degree from UWA and conducted her final year project on Water Quality in Timor Leste. She has worked in engineering consultancies for over 2 years in water supply and treatment, wastewater processes, and sustainable practices, and has been involved with the Western Australian and Victorian chapters of EWB, more recently project managing the Vic Chapter Sustainability Auditing Project.

Matt Blyde - Software Engineer - Medical Technology Transfer and Service (MTTS), Vietnam 

Matt is working as a software engineer, providing technical solutions for newborn and infant care in Hanoi, Vietnam. Matt became a EWB member while studying towards a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer)/Bachelor of Computer Science at the University of Newcastle. After several years working as a software engineer at a small defense company on the Gold Coast, this role is a welcome change in focus; he is glad to have found somewhere he can contribute his skills and experience.

John Kis - Electrical Engineer- Medical Technology Transfer and Service (MTTS), Vietnam 

John is working alongside Matt, as an electrical engineer. John obtained an electronic engineering degree from RMIT in 1997. Since then he has been involved in projects ranging from developing communication infrastructure to helping out with CERES sustainable technology projects. John is interested in music, camping, science and anthropology. 'I'm really looking forward to being involved with a project directly aiding other people's lives.'

Chris Landvogt - GPS/GIS Advisor- Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, Cambodia 

Chris is spending 12 months with Sahmakum Teang Tnaut - Phnom Penh, Cambodia from January 2010. Chris has several years experience in Land Surveying as well as a degree in Applied Science - Surveying from RMIT. He will be using his expertise in Geographic Information Systems and GPS measurement technology to assist the 'Housing Rights & Advocacy Unit' in implementing and training people in the use of GPS and GIS mapping, as well as supporting other initiatives to prevent evictions and housing rights abuses in Cambodia.

Michael Brown- Floating Toilet Project Manager- Live & Learn Environmental Education, Cambodia

Michael Brown will be based in Cambodia, volunteering as Project Manager on the Tonle Sap Floating Toilet project working to improve the water quality for residents of the Tonle Sap lake. He came across EWB after visiting Cambodia in 2008 and learning first hand the daily struggles of the residents of the Tonle Sap’s floating villages.  He is busy preparing for his assignment by learning Khmer from youtube. Michael graduated from a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering / Business from Swinburne Uni in 2005 and has 6 years experience in the Automotive industry, most recently being Program Manager on one of Holden’s alternative fuel projects. He is passionate about renewable energy and contributing to the development of zero emission transportation.
 

Ashwini Alluri - Project Manager - Digital Data Divide, Cambodia & Laos

Ash will be working in the capacity of Project Manager in Cambodia and Laos with Digital Divide Data. Like most International Development work, he believes he will be using his broad technical knowledge, influential personal skills and experiences to support and mentor his colleagues manage projects. Ash's experience in the realm of International Development in the Philippines as part of AusAID's Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development program, inspired him to pursue another volunteer project. By day, Ash practices as a User Experience Designer and the rest of the time he tries hard to be a ubiquitous voice over artist with an Indian accent, and of course, solve all pressing social issues with it.

Andrew McMillan - Program Development Officer,  Water Filtration - Byrraju Foundation, India

Andrew has taken 12 months leave from Worley Parsons to work with the Byrajju Foundation in South India. He will be working on their water filtration project, amongst other things. Andrew graduated from the University of Technology Sydney with a double degree in business and civil & environmental engineering.

 

Don Cooper - Curriculum Development - Sri Lanka School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Sri Lanka

Don is working with the Sri Lankan School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (SLSPO), which is being set up along the same lines as the Cambodian CSPO. Don has worked roughly equally in both industry and engineering education over the last forty years. He will be applying his background in statics, dynamics and education to give people the basic skills to carry out force and stress analysis, as well as select suitable processes and materials for prosthetic design and manufacture.

Chris Sullivan - Decentralised Sewerage Treatment System Project Coordinator - Pitchandikulam Forest, Auroville, India

Chris is an environmental scientist/engineer with experience in environmental legislation, research and assessment. He will be working as a decentralised sewerage treatment team leader with the Pitchandikulam Forest team in South Eastern, India. Chris will assist in the development of appropriate wastewater treatment solutions for a large eco-restoration project in central Chennai. Chris has a passion for decentralized wastewater treatment systems as a low cost, low energy wastewater treatment alternative, having worked with a variety of well credentialed designers in the water and wastewater field.

Rosie Sanderson - Waste Management - Exnora Green Pammal, Chennai, India

Catherine Ganley - Quality Manager - East Meets West Foundation, Vietnam 

Catherine departed Melbourne in mid-January 2010 to be based in Hanoi with the East Meets West Foundation as a Quality Manager. Catherine graduated from the ANU with degrees in mechanical engineering and economics. Most recently she has been employed at Hatch as a project engineer, as well as volunteering for the EWB national office! Catherine is already enjoying regular Wednesday night street food with other volunteers in Hanoi.

Rosie Sanderson - Waste Management - Exnora Green, India

Rosie has been volunteering with Exnora Green in Chennai India since mid 2010. She will be working on a community waste management project, which will involve quantifying waste streams and investigating cost effective options for waste management. She recently completed an Environmental Engineering degree in sunny QLD and decided upon putting those skills to use on the ground. She has been an EWB champion and involved with EWB through local QLD chapters for four years, including filling to role of the University of Queensland Chapter president. Rosie has also worked in environmental consultancy while completing her degree.

Jai Allison - South Asia Field Officer, India and Nepal

Since Jai was 10 years old he has wanted to be an environmental engineer, Before this, Jai fell asleep to stories of his parents travels in India and Nepal. Fast forward to 2009 and Jai is a practicing Water Engineer, He hopes to use his coordination and personal skills along with his passion for equality, (and Indian Sweets) to work as  EWB’s South Asia Field Office, working with EWB partner organisations and communities to make their lives better in various ways.

Gary Field-Mitchell - Rural Water Supply Engineer - East Meets West Foundation, Vietnam

Gary is a Kiwi who graduated from an environmental engineering degree in 2000, then followed this with a masterate in process engineering, mostly becuase Ihe wondered if there was more to life than poo (still undecided on this).  He arrived in Australia 3 years ago and after spending time as a tutor for Aboriginal Boys in NT, moved to WA to work in the Water Industry.  For the past 8 months he has been involved with EWB as part of the awesome Tenganan project team, which inspired himto put his hand up for a volunteer position.

Sarbagya Tuladhar - Stove Design Engineer - Child Welfare Scheme, Nepal

Sarbagya Tuladhar is based in Butwal, Nepal working as a Stove Design Engineer, partnering Child Welfare Scheme (CWS). The position will require him to research around different stove designs and design an appropriate one for the rural populace around Lumbini Zone. Sarbagya has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Kathmandu University, Nepal and at the moment pursuing his Masters in Engineering from University of Technology, Sydney with Energy Policy and Planning as his major. He will miss the opportunity to see the St. George Dragons lift the NRL Telstra Premiership this time not to mention the Oz summer along with the 3 Bs.

Bradley and Diana Schultz - WLED Commercialisation - KAPEG, Nepal

Brad is a Mechatronic Engineer and is working with Kathmandu Alternative Power and Energy (KAPEG) in DHulikel Nepal. Brad has spent the last 9 years helping to build a small technology company in Brisbane, after starting his career working in nanotechnology research in the USA. In that time he’s also travelled a lot with his wife, had some involvement with other NGOs and International Development study and has gained a desire to work within the field. Brad is assisting KAPEG commercialise a low cost WLED lighting system to help people cope with the long, frequent blackouts suffered in Nepal.  He’s also planning on tackling a few Nepali mountains on his bike…

Diana has 15 years of experience in a range of creative and child-centred jobs and volunteer positions. She is incredibly inspired by the resilience, depth, kindness and humour of young people. She studied Youth Work, Community Services and Primary Education, and dabbles in graphic design and illustrating. She is looking forward to connecting with the local community school near KAPEG, eating tasty vegetarian treats and photographing her Nepal adventures (including the tasty vegetarian treats...)!

Scott McDonald - Water Supply Engineer - RIDS-Nepal,  Nepal

'Scott has the great fortune to be spending 5 mths based in the mountains of Nepal. He is working with RIDS Nepal to assist with the supply of clean water to villages in the region of Humla and Jumla. As part of his role, he will be trekking for up to a week between the various villages where he'll be working. After years behind a desk, Scott is looking forward to finally getting his hands dirty and hopefully making the lives of the people in these communities a little bit easier.

Madeleine Jenkins - Water Supply Engineer - Santulan, India

Madeleine is working with Santulan in Pune India. Madeleine has always been fascinated by India and will spend the next year living as 1 in a billion people enjoying the incredible curries, keeping an eye out for Shahrukh Khan and trying her best to avoid becoming another road statistic. She is working alongside EWB partner organisation, Santulan, who focus on improving the rights, education, health and wellbeing of nomadic rock breakers working on quarry sites neighbouring Pune.  Her role will involve understanding best practice approaches for water supply on quarry sites and developing recommendations for Santulan to implement.  For the last 4.5 years, Madeleine has gained experience in stormwater drainage, flood modelling and water resources.

Kristen Wood - Community Health, Safety and Well being Coordinator - Santulan, India

Kristen was busily talking to herself in Marathi, and practicing bollywood dance moves in preparation for her placement with Santulan in India.  She is working with Santulan to improve the health and safety of the people living and working in the stone quarries near the city of Pune.  Kristen first thought that she wanted to work in mental health and completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) in 2004.  Since then she has mostly worked on state government education policy, before finally succumbing to her true passion for environmental sustainability.  She is now half-way through a Masters of Engineering (Sustainable Energy) at RMIT.  No matter which country she is in, Kristen can usually be found tearing through the backstreets on her pushie.

 

Helen Adair - Assistant Lecturer - Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Cambodia

Helen is volunteering with the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for 3 months. Continuing EWB's long standing partnership with CSPO, Helen will be assisting with the delivery of maths and mechanics lectures and helping with the development of some management systems.

A chemical engineer who cut her professional teeth on Bass Strait oil platforms, Helen now works in climate change and sustainability consulting with corporates, government and not for profits. As well as looking forward to the opportunity take some time out to apply her broad collection of skills to assist  CSPO, Helen can't wait to learn some Khmer and get to know more about Cambodian culture (which of course includes the cuisine).

Michael Evans - South East Asia Field Officer - based in Cambodia

Michael Evans is the South East Asia Field Officer in 2010 and is helping to coordinate EWB's activities across Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and East Timor.  While completing a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering/Commerce at UWA in 2005, he formed a strong desire to see that the special skills of engineers and related professions be made more achievable in the places they are needed.  Later, while working with GHD as a Water Supply Planner and to improve EWB's High School Outreach Program, his passion for developing capacity in community organisations to work as and/or with engineers grew.  He describes his work in assisting the maintenance and growth of EWB's partnerships and volunteer involvement as not merely an experience, but an opportunity for EWB to learn from a multitude of other organisations, for them to learn from EWB, and for all to become more effective at engineering a better world.

Isabelle Gensburger - Ceramic Water Filters R&D - Resource Development International, Cambodia

Isabelle is spending 12 months further developing the methods of production of ceramic water filters at RDIC. She is working on improving the production and distribution processes in RDIC's factory, as well as training local staff and other NGOs. It so happens that in her last year of University study  Isabelle had investigated the performance of ceramic water filters; so this is an excellent opportunity to continue her research on this very important subject! Why is it important? Because 66% of the people in Cambodia do not have access to safe drinking water. And 74% of Cambodian deaths are caused by waterborne diseases.

Doug Ruuska - Water and Sanitation Advisor - Plan TL, East Timor

Justin  Modra - Water and Sanitation Advisor - Rural Water and Sanitation Program, East Timor

Justin is excited to be working in Timor-Leste for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program (RWSSP). His role is to help build the technical capacity of local organisations working on various government water and sanitation systems. Justin has been involved as a volunteer with EWB for a number of years while also working as a mechanical engineer for a consultancy firm in Brisbane. He is hoping not to be attacked by a croc while snorkeling and diving the beautiful reefs of Timor-Leste.

Alice Lecocq - Curriculum Developer - Dili Institute of Technology, East Timor

Alice is working with DIT to support the academic team and students in the review and upgrade of the Civil engineering curriculum with a particular focus on Water Sanitation. Alice is a civil engineer with an interest in dam engineering and a growing passion for training and coaching others. She sees this one year placement as an exciting adventure and a great opportunity to actively join EWB and help others. Alice's motto? 'Do as little as possible yourself and empower others'. If you are interested in following or getting involved in this project, please get in touch with Alice and help her to live her motto.