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Dokimoi Ergatai Fall 2024 Newsletter

Faith, Partnerships and Engineering with Dereck Plante

Jolie Lloyd ’25

Left: 2023 Scouting trip to Rays of Peace Orphanage in India. Right: Summer 2022 site team trip to Nepal

The Collaboratory has worked on over 140 projects for over 40 partners in 24 countries. Dereck Plante, engineering projects manager at Messiah University’s Collaboratory, has spent eight years in the role building the relationships that lead to these impactful projects.

Plante assesses project progress, provides support as needed while also evaluating timelines to determine project conclusions and future opportunities. Plante also actively seeks new partnerships.

“Part of that means I am supporting our faculty who are leading those projects individually,” he said.

Since he first started, he has seen God orchestrate partnerships in unexpected ways, allowing him to develop his trust that God will work things out.

“How the Collaboratory finds partners is kind of a God thing,” Plante said. “They come from many different sources.”

One unexpected partnership started with a conversation at a conference in North Carolina between Plante and a worker from International Nepal Fellowship.

This coworker stated that they have a hospital and do prosthetic work while also importing wheelchairs. He told Plante, “‘You gotta come and we will find a project [for the Collaboratory].’”

After this interaction, Plante and Timothy Van Dyke, an associate professor of engineering, traveled to Nepal to further the connection.

“The challenge was that we didn’t have a project lined up, so there’s a little anxiety about what we’re actually going to do,” Plante said. “We were learning about them and they were learning about us, so you kind of have an unknown that’s there.”

After meeting with people and discussing potential projects, Plante and Van Dyke decided to start the Nepal Wheelchair Project, an ongoing project for the past four years.

“In Nepal, whether we met people in the hospital or went to a restaurant, every interaction is special,” Plante said. “It was really neat getting to travel there with Dr. Van Dyke who had been in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the 1980s, so he could still speak the language.”

Throughout his time at the Collaboratory, Plante has enjoyed every chance he has gotten to travel abroad on scouting trips.

“Part of a scouting trip is to cement relationships and really make a good connection and have a lot of time to just talk about each other,” he said. “I think what’s really cool is if you’re a person who enjoys cultures or has a missions heart or likes to serve people, it’s such a blessing to go, whether it’s a scouting trip or a Collaboratory trip for students, it’s so neat to get to be immersed in that culture in that country, and get to meet people there.”

On scouting trips, Plante and his colleagues assess potential partners based on shared goals.

“We say our ideal project, if we could hand pick all our projects, they would be a faith-based organization, either trying to serve underprivileged people, that their mission kind of aligns with ours, to foster justice, empower the poor, promote peace and care for the earth,” Plante said. “So we are always taking those things into consideration.”

Most recently, Plante has established the Collaboratory’s partnerships with Living Love Ministries. He and Engineering Projects Manager Andy Erikson traveled to Kenya in March over spring break on a scouting trip to establish the partnership and start the projects Land Development Kenya and Sewage Management and Control.

Plante has seen his personal faith grow through his involvement with the Collaboratory, learning to trust God in uncertainty.

“It’s a little bit easier to sit back and know that, ‘ok, this may not work out, this might not be the right project, if something falls apart, but something else always seems to take its place,’” Plante said. “It’s been encouraging to see God work that way. It’s a good metaphor for life.”

Site team in Bhaktapur, Nepal, summer 2022

Summer ’24 Site Team Trip Recap

Jenna O’Connell ’24

Left: Dr. Randall Fish using improved water pump in Zambia. Right: Gabe Henry ’25 explaining the new pump designs and improvements on site in Zambia

This summer, five site teams from the Collaboratory traveled to various locations, implementing their projects and honing their engineering skills through a lens of missions and a heart of stewardship led by Christ’s example. From designing sustainable water filtration systems to developing renewable energy solutions, our dedicated students were able to tackle real-world challenges and form connections with the communities that they served. Below highlights each team that traveled, their initiatives and experiences that took place.

India

Clean Accessible Water Solutions - Designed and installed a water purification system that would ensure the campus would have access to clean drinking water.

Regan Meals ’25, “Having the opportunity to go on this trip, I learned a lot about God’s calling for us as engineers – to use our skills and talents that He has given us to extend love to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Land Development - Performed a survey, helped start the construction of the sports court they designed and evaluated stormwater conditions on their campus.

Caleb Hilton ’25, “The trip to India was very impactful for me as it was a pleasure to get to meet and interact with all of the children and staff at Rays of Peace that our work will be helping.”

Solar PV - Helped install a solar PV system to provide reliable access to electricity during regular power outages.

Autumn Derstine ’25, “I greatly enjoyed using my technical expertise to help a ministry serve its community well and forming relationships with the ministry leaders and children.”

Guatemala

Coffee Decaffeination - Successfully implemented a decaffeination system, trained the Chica Bean staff for ongoing testing and connected them with a local university to conduct HPLC testing.

Luis Roca-Ruano ’25, “This trip was especially meaningful to me as it not only allowed me to apply my engineering skills but also gave me the chance to share my culture with the team in my home country of Guatemala.”

England

Functional Electrical Stimulation - Visited their partner, PhysioFunction, and other clinical settings; in total they went to three clinics, and received feedback on their device function, guidance on potential improvements and witnessed the biomedical clinical setting.

David Alunni ’25, “The trip was a real revival of spirits for the continuing of the project especially seeing and talking with the clinicians and patients; this clearly highlighted the hypothetical people we can help as tangible and real image-bearers as opposed to the far-off need that can slip into your mind in the droning writing of documentation.”

Stance Control Orthosis - Discussed their brace prototype with both patients and orthotists who provided feedback on how to improve their design.

Laurel Pettitt ’25, “Getting the opportunity to travel with the SCO team was fantastic; I had the chance to grow closer to my team members, while receiving valuable input on how to continue development of our project.”

Zambia

Better Pumps - Implemented a new bearing design into several hand pumps to improve their durability.

Aidan Pryor ’25, “This experience deeply impacted us by showing how engineering can directly serve and uplift communities in need.”

Intelligent Water Project - Installed multiple water presence sensors in the surrounding area of Lusaka.

Stefan Leitzel ’25, “The trip completely changed how I view my work and its implications, creating a strong desire to benefit those in need.”

Peru

Streamlining Wind Turbines - Installed two turbine monitoring systems for the nonprofit, WindAid, so that they can collect reliable data about their turbine performance.

Noah Hege ’26, “This trip led me to appreciate Latin America much more, as being immersed in Hispanic culture and meeting people in the Espanglish House was so tangible compared to just consuming Hispanic media while living in America.”

Regan Meals ’25 and Sam Dykes ’26 digging a trench for the water purification system in India
Stance Control Othosis and Functional Electrical Stimulation site team at Physiofunction Clinic in England
Andy Erikson meeting with partner, Rays of Peace, on 2023 Scouting trip to India

Guiding Faith-Driven Engineering at the Collaboratory

Erin Timmins ’25

Andy Erikson has been heavily involved in the Collaboratory at Messiah University since 2015. According to Erikson, this organization has been at the forefront of the development of engineering students, finding solutions to real-world challenges which helps to shape them as the next generation of leaders.

Initially hired “to provide support and safety guidance to all the Collaboratory projects,” Erikson’s role included suggesting improvements, ordering parts, and training students in the laboratory. Over time, his role evolved as he took on greater responsibilities, including serving as a Project Manager for the Biodiesel/Straight Vegetable Oil project in 2017 which allowed him to guide the team from launch to completion.

Erikson’s role expanded in 2020 to being a sector leader for the Civil and Environmental engineering projects which “requires seeking out new partnerships and relationships, initiating new projects, as well as following the projects through completion.” Currently, Erikson remains connected to all Collaboratory projects, but his focus has shifted to ensuring civil and environmental projects receive the necessary support to make a lasting impact.

Similar to many of the students who commit to Messiah’s engineering program, Erikson shared that “the Collaboratory is a big reason [he] wanted to work at Messiah.” One of the most rewarding and exciting parts of serving in the Collaboratory is “working with and helping to shape future decision makers as they solve real-world problems for the underserved,” according to Erikson.

The unique environment that the Collaboratory fosters where both students and faculty are guided by faith and service is central to the program’s success. “The heart and the mission of the Collab are so important, and I am glad we have a way to integrate being the hands and feet of Jesus into the work we do — seeing people in need and responding in love.” It is this commitment to integrating faith with action that continues to draw admiration from all involved in the Collaboratory.

“The Collab has opened my eyes to the very real needs of others [and] has allowed me to meet some of the most amazing people,” Erikson said.

This has happened through his experiences of traveling to multiple continents where he was able to witness firsthand the impact the Collaboratory projects have had on communities. These encounters have not only strengthened his faith but also inspired him to encourage students and family to engage in similar life-changing experiences.

Working closely with both students and partners has shown Erikson the profound ripple effect small actions can create.

“I have come to learn that we never know the huge impact one small gesture will have and how God will use it — truly a butterfly effect,” Erikson said.

A single conversation or a small partnership can lead to transformative changes, such as clean drinking water for entire communities or a student discovering a lifelong calling to serve.

Throughout his time in the Collaboratory, two project experiences have stood out to Erikson as particularly rewarding. The first was with the Solar PV team in Guatemala where the team installed solar panels and batteries at an orphanage. The project came together just before the team’s departure, but the true reward came when they received a follow up from the partner several months later that they had been hit with severe storms. Everyone around their community had lost power “but their electricity kept on working.” Knowing that their work provided reliable electricity during a crisis was deeply fulfilling.

Another rewarding experience occurred during a scouting trip to a children’s home in southern India with Dereck Plante.

“Every morning at 6 a.m., I would be awakened by the children singing and praying with such joy and energy. It still warms my heart to remember sitting in the dark next to my window listening to the children’s joyful praise,” Erikson said.

This scouting trip had impacted the community by providing clean drinking water and reliable solar electricity, but it also impacted him as he has fostered lasting relationships with the children and the organization’s pastor and his family.

The journey within the Collaboratory has been one of continuous growth and connection for Erikson and others involved. Erikson has left an indelible mark on both students and the communities the Collaboratory has supported. Through his dedication, Erikson has helped the Collaboratory fulfill its mission of integrating faith, service, and engineering to create life-changing solutions.

2022 Site team trip to Guatemala

Introducing the new director: Matt Wilkins

written by Engineering Department Head, Dr. Brian Swartz

I am excited to introduce our new director – Matt Wilkins! Our prior director, Jeremy Freimark, followed a call to ministry at the end of spring 2024. We launched a search, even prior to his departure, prayerfully seeking new leadership for the Collaboratory. Throughout several months, we patiently waited for God to make clear his choice for a leader in this next season.

I am deeply grateful to our core team, including professional staff Bryce Watkins, Andy Erikson, Dereck Plante and Tim Van Dyke along with student leaders Regan Meals, Gibson Armstrong, Elizabeth Anthony, Erin Timmins, and Jenna O’Connell, who stepped up this summer and early fall to keep the Collaboratory moving forward.

Matt Wilkins comes to us from the staff of a local church, Daybreak, where he guided children’s ministry programming and led three short-term mission trips to Cuba. Prior to that, Wilkins had been engaged in industry where he applied his formal training in mechanical engineering. Considering our mission, we are excited to bring in someone with a combination of engineering and ministry experience.

Wilkins brings excitement to the Collaboratory and commitment to its mission which we expect will bear great fruit. He embodies a contagious energy that we anticipate will encourage the wide variety of Collaboratory stakeholders, especially our students.

We are thankful for each leader and contributor God has brought through the Collaboratory for over two decades, and we continue to see a bright future even through a time of transition. Welcome aboard, Matt! We look forward to serving with you.

The Mission of the Gear and the Globe

Matthew Eason ’27

The Collaboratory has a new logo! While it may be a sudden and seemingly insignificant change, the logo of any organization is the image that people remember. Spending time to adjust and improve a logo was important as it conveys the message and mission of the Collaboratory. “The original logo was intended to communicate the combination of soft and hard sciences and the interplay between them to accomplish our God-given mission,” said Collaboratory Program Manager Bryce Watkins. Watkins, and many others, believed that a new logo could better reflect the purpose of the Collaboratory, so with the help of David Kasparek and students from his graphic design class, several designs were drafted and brought before a committee. After presenting two logo options to students, staff, and faculty, the final design was chosen. It combines a gear and a globe, representing the Collaboratory’s mission of global impact through engineering. The Collaboratory hopes this logo will represent its core mission, reminding those who see it of the values it strives to uphold.

Student Voices

Compiled by Jenna O’Connell ’24

How have the connections you’ve made through volunteering with the Collaboratory helped you to grow as an engineer?

Will Quinn ’26

Nepal Standing Wheelchair

Volunteering with the Collaboratory helped me grow as an engineer through real-world project experience. The connections I made with professors and classmates provided mentorship and valuable insights into applying engineering to benefit communities while strengthening my teamwork, communication, and project management skills.

Bella Dimarco ’27

Modular Mobility

Volunteering with the Collaboratory has helped me learn how to work alongside others and notice the advantages of combining many people’s talents and abilities. Additionally, the Collaboratory has helped me make connections with more of my classmates as well as upperclassmen, who can help me grow both intellectually and in my character.

Candace Bell ’26

Clean Accessible Water Solutions

Volunteering with the Collaboratory offers lots of opportunities for bonding experiences which may mean crawling through a full cistern or running down a volcano. More importantly, though, it has helped give me exposure to the engineering process. I have learned to be flexible and diligent in making sure that my work is top tier.

Gavin Kinch ’27

Cunningham Clubfoot Brace

What I love about the Collaboratory is that it has connected what I have been learning in my classes to real-world scenarios. These practical ways for me to apply my knowledge and skills through volunteering have helped me to grow as an engineer.”

Giving

The Collaboratory could not continue to increase hope and transform lives without a broad team of sponsors. Visit messiah.edu/collabgiving to give online or see our other giving options. The Collaboratory Fund is the area of greatest need.

Connect

There are many ways to be involved with the Collaboratory.

About the Collaboratory

Mission: The Collaboratory is a center at Messiah University for applied research and project-based learning, in partnership with client nonprofit organizations, businesses, governments and communities in our region and around the world. Areas of engagement include engineering, science, health and information technology. Our two-fold mission is:

  • To foster justice, empower the poor, promote peace and care for the earth through applications of our academic and professional disciplines.
  • To increase the academic and professional abilities of participants, their vocational vision for lifelong servant-leadership and their courage to act on convictions.

Vision: Increasing hope and transforming lives through education, collaboration, innovation and service.

Identity: The Collaboratory is an organization of students, educators and professionals affiliated with Messiah University. We are Christians who aspire to obey the instructions of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to love neighbors as ourselves and to share his Gospel. As God enables us to serve others today, we seek to grow as disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to serve as God’s stewards over the resources of our academic disciplines and to bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Student staff

Student director: Regan Meals

Assistant student director: Gibson Armstrong

Student administrative assistant: Elizabeth Anthony

Marketing team leaders: Jenna O’Connell and Erin Timmins

Professional Staff

Director: Matt Wilkins

Program manager: Bryce Watkins

Sector leaders: Dereck Plante, Andy Erikson, Matt Wilkins, Bryce Watkins

Marketing team advisor: Bryce Watkins

Stay connected

Web: messiah.edu/collaboratory

Email: collaboratory@messiah.edu

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