About
Our Chapter
EWB projects are not just about the engineering. We welcome all students who are motivated and eager to serve. From building a social and cultural connection with a community, to putting together a comprehensive education program for the given technology we implement, we need students of all different majors and training.
Through our experiences innovating, traveling, and learning, our UC Berkeley EWB student group has become a tight-knit community within Berkeley.
Check out our recent internal and community events!
Our Story
The UC Berkeley Engineers Without Borders chapter was founded in 2009, and we obtained our first project (the Peru Project) in 2011. We exist to bring together talented students – both engineers and non-engineers – to work towards a common goal of philanthropic engineering abroad. We strive for sustainability in all of its forms: ensuring our projects utilize materials from the community, and guaranteeing that the necessary infrastructure and community acceptance is present to sustain the project after its implementation. The EWB Berkeley model emphasizes working with the community – the project belongs to the community members and it is essential we work together throughout the process.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, our chapter unfortunately froze, but now we are back and better than ever! Please join us on our journey to rebuilding our club culture and impact!
Our Mission Statement:
The UC Berkeley Chapter of Engineers Without Borders works with diverse communities to develop sustainable engineering solutions that meet basic health and sanitation needs. By providing students of all backgrounds with hands-on experience, we bridge our community with others around the globe, fostering cultural awareness through social and technological innovation.
Meet Our Mentors
Hoa Lam
Hoa Lam recently retired after nearly 25 years as a civil engineer with the National Park Service, Pacific West Region (NPS-PWR). She specialized in designing small water and septic systems, ensuring they met regulatory standards. Hoa also provided oversight for architect-engineer consultants working on project scoping, cost estimating, and design. Before joining the NPS-PWR, she spent 11 years with the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon, designing small water systems and managing regulatory compliance programs.
Steven Bosiljevac, P.E.
Steven Bosiljevac, now retired, has 45 years of experience in engineering and construction, including over 28 years as a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). He specialized in rural potable water and wastewater systems, working on projects within the Navajo Nation. As a regional civil engineer for the San Francisco Regional Office of the National Park Service (NPS), he completed over 100 projects in various states. Steven has also been a volunteer mentor for over 14 years with the University of California, Berkeley, student chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Dominic Molinari, P.E., LEED AP
Dominic Molinari was a founding member of UC Berkeley's EWB chapter in 2009, serving as President and travel team member on the Peru arsenic water remediation project. After graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering Science and MS in Energy, Civil Infrastructure, and Climate he served as President of the San Francisco EWB Professionals chapter, traveling to Fiji to work with biosand filters and gravity-fed water distribution systems. He has his Professional Engineering license in Mechanical Engineering and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He currently works at the global engineering consulting firm Arup, where he leads projects focusing on energy equity, sustainability, and Native American communities.
Chapter Leadership
Meet our leadership! Our leadership team is dedicated to creating an inclusive community of introspective, empathetic, and interdisciplinary engineering, locally and globally.
Flavia Valente
President
Flavia is a senior at UC Berkeley in chemical engineering and comparative literature. She is president of EWB UC Berkeley, having restarted the chapter after COVID. She also serves on the You Advisory Council for EWB International, representing the US West Coast.
Alongside her passion for access to clean water and sanitation, Flavia is curious about the universe through the study of quantum mechanics. She is a member of the Utzat Lab at UC Berkeley, which studies molecular nanophotonics.
More broadly, she seeks to understand herself and humanity deeply through philosophy and science and how this intersection shapes what it means to be an engineer and a self-aware citizen.
Outside the laboratory, Flavia sings with the UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus and grew up ballroom dancing.
