Fall Roles
Here you will find information on all of the Fall Roles that our team held. The 'Meet the Team' has been updated for the Spring Roles.
Nina Lobo - Project Manager
Nina is a fourth-year Civil Engineering student who became a part of PUC because she was interested in understanding just how she could help others with her degree.
As the Project Manager for Team India, she writes weekly reports that are sent out to the members of Service Learning Advisory Board (SLAB) and she keeps everyone organized and on-schedule, helping out whenever someone is in need of assistance.
Upon graduation, she plans to have a full-time job in the field of renewable energy or clean water. She hopes to attend graduate school in a few years and pursue an environmental topic. International work would be amazing.
“I love helping people, and that's something I always want to keep central to my work. International work is also a good challenge because you have to understand different cultures and practices to succeed in other countries. PUC allows me to do both. I'm excited to be on this journey and become a better person through it.”
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Contact: nina-lobo@utexas.edu
Harsha Rao - Communications Manager
Harsha is a fourth-year student in Chemical Engineering.
As the Communications Manager, he is responsible for communicating with our NGO contact and community in India. He is the team’s line to understanding what we need to do and the best way for us to serve this community’s needs.
PUC has been the most influential class he has been a part of in his years at UT. Harsha’s favorite part of this class has been working with a phenomenal team of engineers and social work students to make a positive impact on a community in another part of the world.
He says, “Working and collaborating with our NGO on the other side of the world has been an experience of itself and it has been a pleasure interacting with a group that really cares about making a long term impact in India.”
In his free time, he enjoys biking around Austin or playing guitar.
Technical Triad
Kiera Brown - Assistant Project Manager & Technical Manager
Kiera is a fourth-year civil engineering major who is extremely grateful and excited to be a part of PUC India.
As a Technical and Assistant Project Manager for the team, she will be drafting building designs and plans, researching U.S. and Indian construction methods, and coordinating with contractors to ensure a safe, durable building is built.
This project is an unparalleled opportunity for her to apply her engineering skillset in order to bring about change with a community in need.
After PUC and graduation, she hopes to join the Peace Corps and work on similar humanitarian engineering projects abroad.
Additionally, she hopes to complete a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and/or Environmental Engineering and to continue building a career in the non-profit sector, either domestically or abroad.
Erin Hynes - Technical Manager
Erin is a third-year Civil Engineering student who looks forward to tackling and implementing a real-word project.
She is part of the Technical Management Team.
Erin likes that PUC will provide project experience that is more realistic than most other opportunities available to her as a student engineer.
“PUC projects require students to use negotiation and communication skills to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders, while also raising thousands of dollars and learning how to design and build a structure from start to finish.”
After she graduates, she plans to work with a civil engineering firm and is considering graduate school to acquire a more specific focus to pursue her research interests.
Danish Tharvani - Technical Manager
Danish is a second-year mechanical engineering student who loves to play sports and volunteer in the local community.
When Danish first learned of Projects with Underserved Communities, he knew it was something that he wanted to be a part of. He is now a member of the Technical Management Team.
His combined love for engineering and service make him a valuable part of PUC, as he lives out PUC’s core values.
He believes that education serves as the foundation on top of which one can improve their quality of life and hopes that others feel the same way and will support our project.
After graduation, Danish would like to gain practical experience and later attend graduate school.
Arvind Ramachandra -
Logistics & Infrastructure Manager
Arvind is a second-year Mechanical Engineering student who enjoys biking, swimming, and playing ultimate frisbee.
As the Logistics and Infrastructure Manager, he will be organizing the team’s international travel, in-country travel, housing, and most importantly meals, assessing all opportunities and the risks associated.
He was drawn to PUC because of the unique opportunity it provided – to utilize skills we have learned in the classroom to find solutions to “real-world” problems . He says, “PUC sets the table for what students can expect to see post-graduation - specifically in terms of understanding the many new challenges that the latest generation of engineers will be tasked with solving.”
By the end of his time at university, he hopes that he will be able to apply what he has learned to better assist a community, whether local or abroad.
After graduation, he has plans to go into the workforce and then return for an MBA.
Emily Han - Quality, Standards, Risk And Safety Manager, Cultural Research
Emily is a third-year student in the School of Social Work.
She is excited to be a part of PUC this year. She looks forward to creating a positive social impact in the world and gaining a new perspective on things from being on a team with fantastic engineering students.
As the Quality, Standards, Risk & Safety Manager and Primary Cultural Researcher, she will be assessing all activities planned for the in-country portion and assuring that the risks are known, calculated and minimized.
In the future, she has a plan to join the Peace Corps and work with international populations. Currently, she can be found studying on campus, most likely wearing a cat shirt.
She hopes PUC Team India can count on your support!
Anna Wittenmyer -
Cost, Resource, Schedule Manager
Anna is a fourth-year Civil Engineering and Plan II student.
As the Cost, Resources, and Schedule Manager, she is responsible for creating a budget, setting a project timeline and managing the procurement of building materials in country.
She is very interested in humanitarian engineering – projects with social impact and lasting change-- and is excited about this project. She says, "The Community Learning Resource Center can change lives. Packianathapuram [our village] has asked for a place to gather as a community to learn, share, and grow. They've asked for access to resources that will catalyze economic progress, independence, and stability. This is a project that is community-driven and human-centered with endless potential.”
Caroline Bik - Fundraising Manager
Caroline is a second-year student in Aerospace Engineering.
As the Fundraising Manager she manages the team blog and HornRaiser campaign platform. She will also be the contact between companies and NGOs as the team looks for additional funds.
She joined PUC because she was interested in trying something different. “There are so many paths one can take through engineering, and I was intrigued by the concept of humanitarian engineering; an experience I would not likely have otherwise in an Aerospace curriculum.” She is excited for the interdisciplinary project experience and answering a call for social action in India.
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Outside of PUC, Caroline enjoys spending time outdoors - sailing, cycling or laying in a hammock. She also builds model airplanes with the UT Design-Build-Fly Team.
After Caroline graduates with her bachelor’s, she plans to take a gap-year working internationally in outdoor education and then plans to return to university for a Masters in Engineering before going into the workforce.
