Engineers Without Borders-Auburn chapter advisor earns national organization’s Faculty Advisor Award for Outstanding Leadership
Published: Jan 20, 2026 8:35 AM
By Joe McAdory
Christian Brodbeck is driven to make a positive impact in the lives of students and in communities across Central and South America.
“Making a difference isn’t just about what you do yourself; it’s about showing others what’s possible and encouraging them to be part of something bigger than themselves,” said Brodbeck, director of engineering research operations and a faculty advisor for Auburn University’s Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student chapter since 2017.
His work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Brodbeck was recently named the 2025 EWB‑USA Faculty Advisor Award for Outstanding Leadership recipient — a national honor recognizing exceptional guidance, mentorship and support to student chapters — and elected to the EWB‑USA Faculty Leadership Council.
“Christian brings a rare combination of technical expertise, student mentorship and global perspective to the college,” said Dean Hendrix, associate dean for undergraduate studies and program assessment and the college’s director of global programs. “He helps students see that engineering is not just about solving problems, but about listening, serving and working alongside people to make a difference. Those experiences stay with students long after graduation and shape how they approach their careers and their communities. His work reflects the values we strive to instill across our undergraduate programs.”
EWB-Auburn, which rosters 60 active members, is an interdisciplinary student-led organization that partners with communities abroad to design and implement sustainable engineering solutions that address basic human needs.
Through drinking water and irrigation projects in Guatemala, Bolivia and various domestic locations, EWB-Auburn emphasizes collaboration with local communities, responsible design and continuity from one student generation to the next.
“We have a lot of students join us as freshmen, they’re with us for four years and we get to watch them grow outside of classroom work,” said Brodbeck. “That’s not just EWB — that’s Auburn University as a whole, right? Their classes, their labs and their internships. But this is a part of that education, and it’s a part where we get to watch that growth happen in real time.
“When we’re in another country, working with the community on construction, it’s long, hard days. You’re in the trenches. You’re gluing pipe. You’re making connections. You’re building the infrastructure. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s real work, and the students understand what needs to be done for us to be able to go home knowing that we accomplished what we went down there to do.”
Watching students take ownership of that responsibility, he said, is one of the most rewarding aspects of his role.
“They get into a rhythm,” Brodbeck said. “You see them working in small teams, understanding the objectives and the goals of the trip, understanding what must happen for the project to be successful. Everyone carries their weight, and when you see that come together, that’s always nice.”
Joining Brodbeck as EWB-Auburn faculty advisors are Tom Burch, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering, Jose Vasconcelos, professor of civil and environmental engineering, Joseph Ragan, lecturer in mechanical engineering, Jack Montgomery, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and Gerald John, research associate in civil and environmental engineering.
“When we arrive at a community in Guatemala or Bolivia, wherever we’re working, we’re there to work side-by-side with the villagers and find out what their needs are,” Brodbeck said. “Then we use our talents, which are different than their talents, to develop a solution that addresses those needs.
“At the end of the day, we’re all people and we all have the same needs. We’re just so much more fortunate here in the U.S. that we don’t think about some of the basic needs that sometimes aren’t available to other communities.”
EWB-Auburn returns to Central and South America later this spring and summer.
In May, students and advisors will complete the final phase of a multi-year potable water project in Parramos Grande, Guatemala. In May 2025, EWB-Auburn completed the first phase of construction while also conducting additional assessment work needed to design the remainder of the system. This spring, students will install an additional water storage tank, pressure-break infrastructure and approximately eight miles of pipeline, ultimately connecting 177 homes to clean, reliable running water.
Also in Guatemala, a subset of students will begin assessing the next potential project to maintain continuity into future years.
In August, a second EWB-Auburn team will travel to Quesimpico, Bolivia, and continue work on an irrigation system designed to support local agriculture. Building on the construction of a large water storage tank completed in 2025, the team will focus on installing distribution piping to deliver water to more than 20 agricultural fields, allowing farmers to irrigate their land more consistently and effectively.
To support its work, EWB-Auburn will host the fifth-annual Water Cycle on Saturday, March 28 at Pioneer Park in nearby Loachapoka. Proceeds from the multi-distance gravel bicycle race will help fund design, construction, assessment and long-term monitoring of the organization’s drinking water and irrigation projects in Guatemala and Bolivia. Interested participants can register, or contribute, here.
Donations to the student organization can be made here.
“I encourage anybody, faculty or staff at Auburn, to find a role where you can work with students,” he said. “Students are full of energy, full of ideas and that helps keep you inspired to keep doing good work because they’re energetic.
“To meet with them and advise them and listen to them as well, and to learn from them as much as they’re learning from me. That brings me a lot of joy.”
Media Contact: , jem0040@auburn.edu, 334.844.3447
Christian Brodbeck has served as an Auburn University Engineers Without Borders student chapter advisor since 2017, helping lead outreach trips to Guatemala.
