Student Projects

There is significant data regarding Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) at different levels from various organizations, but data regarding inclusive WaSH is scarce. The winning team of the 2016 Global Innovation Challenge, Team Veritas, aims to develop strategies that motivate key actors to prioritize inclusive WaSH in schools, in turn, promoting the education of all children, irrespective of gender, age, or ability (inclusive education).

Small-holder farms provide at least 50% of the agricultural output for domestic consumption in most low- and middle-income countries. Yet, they bear the brunt of food insecurity that is amplified by multiple challenges including limited access to capital, markets, land, information/training, and technology, political stressors, gender inequities, and more recently climate change. 

Many communities in rural India experience water shortages, partially due to unsustainable agricultural practices. 

Northern Ghana, a semi-arid region with rainfall occurring only 4 to 5 months in a year, has a long dry-season that renders farmers unemployed for 7-8 months in a year. This contributes to widespread poverty in the region - approximately 80% of people in N. Ghana live below the poverty line. The unemployment situation in rural communities motivates farmers to migrate seasonally to urban centers in the south to seek meager jobs to supplement their income. The return on investment is often insubstantial.

South Sudan, the world’s newest country, has experienced international and domestic conflicts since its secession from the Republic of Sudan in 2011. Fighting beginning in early July 2016 forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to Kenya, Sudan, and other regions within South Sudan, but primarily Uganda. The number of refugees entering Uganda increased from averages of about 200 per day the first half of the year to thousands per day starting in July, including more than 8,000 on July 21. Throughout September 2016, an average of 2,829 South Sudanese refugees crossed into Uganda each day; during a similar period, refugee settlements in the Adjumani region saw an influx of nearly 1,000 refugees per day. It is now the world’s largest refugee resettlement area. As of the end of 2016, Uganda hosted more than 600,000 refugees from South Sudan alone, adding to refugees in recent decades fleeing violence and other insecurities from Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other countries.

Community Service Alliance (CSA), a nonprofit organization located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic responds to key development challenges in the community and provides educational opportunities and resources. CSA programs include child and maternal health education, medical outreach, nutrition workshops, life skills workshops, and the Alerta Joven Youth Leadership Program.

According to the World Health Organization, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are two of the top prevalent non-communicable diseases affecting people worldwide[1].

Traditional homes in the rural village of Devgain, Jharkhand, India are constructed using local, natural resources which are extracted at no cost to families. This is critical, for the majority of families are engaged in subsistence farming. This form of housing, which is constructed with mud walls, responds effectively to the hot, temperate climate in regards to indoor environment. However, these homes face issues of water penetration and erosion which lead to frequent, time-consuming, and labor intensive maintenance which can cause greater issues if neglected.

In April 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal. The earthquake left 9,000 people dead, injured over 21,000 people, and left millions homeless. 

The annual Global Innovation Challenge is a competition and course open to all undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and nontraditional students focused on developing solutions to some of the major, unsolved global health challenges around the world. For one week, participants engage in team-building and creative problem-solving activities with international experts and UB faculty.