AU Engineers Donate Services to Help Less Fortunate

After graduating from Auburn with degrees in civil engineering, Todd and Shana Davis were looking for a way to make a difference in the world, and found it in the nonprofit Christian development organization Engineering Ministries International (EMI).

EMI is comprised of architects, engineers and land surveyors who donate their skills to help children and families around the world step out of poverty and into a world of hope. Stretching its services over 75 countries, EMI has designed, and on a more limited basis, supervised construction of 500 projects including schools, hospitals, orphanages, churches and other structures satisfying community needs.

Currently partnering with local churches in Louisiana and Mississippi, EMI is providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims and recently extended a hand in the tsunami relief efforts in India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, donating more than $67,000.

Alumni Todd and Shana Davis have teamed with Engineering Ministries International in an effort to improve quality of life for the poverty-stricken.

The Davises initially traveled to Guatemala in 1998 to design a vocational school for the urban poor in Guatemala City. Nine months later they moved to Guatemala to oversee its construction. Six years and 30 projects later, they have settled in Guatemala and serve as directors of the EMI regional office they founded in 2001.

With only four design professionals and a small staff, the EMI office in Guatemala is seeking juniors and seniors or recent graduates in civil engineering, construction management or architecture who are eager to participate in a hands-on internship for three to six months. Students may also request to volunteer in one of four other offices worldwide. EMI is also seeking more experienced professionals to serve as volunteers on a one- to two-week design team with a destination of any of 75 countries. For more information on volunteering or making a donation please visit www.emiusa.org.