When engineering science seniors were asked to develop their senior capstone and design research projects, Eli Katz's view of problem solving moved beyond the laboratory. Eli, who describes himself as committed to community service (he has just applied to the Teach For America program), sought out Thomas Colledge, faculty adviser to Penn State's Engineers for a Sustainable World, and presented his idea for incorporating his engineering skills and teaching interests into self help modules for engineers who are involved in community service projects. Says Eli, “The goal of my thesis is to develop two modules (weather station and survey) that will provide young engineers with practical tools to create strategies and identify resources that are both innovative, such as wind energy, and practical such as surveying land for infrastructure”. Once developed, the effectiveness of the modules will be assessed at Jacob’s Ladder, a 6,000 resident self-sustainable Mustard Seed community currently being developed for handicapped adults in Moneague, Jamaica. Eli notes, “If successful, these modules will serve as a template for similar future endeavors in economically challenged areas such as Nicaragua and Africa”. To learn more about Penn State’s Engineers for a Sustainable World, visit their website.