Through the introduction of an all-access computer center at San Quentin State prison, we propose a feasibility study and a pilot impact study of computer training in two distinct educational programs: one program will focus on instructing basic computer literacy to inmate students in the GED preparation class, and the other will concentrate on teaching advanced computer-aided design (CAD) to inmate-students in the prison’s vocational-training machine shop. This will be the first study of the ability of Information Technology to reduce the crisis of overcrowding in California’s prisons. This project has the full support of San Quentin’s administration and expands upon a thriving service-learning project that we coordinate, in which 70 UC Berkeley undergraduates teach and tutor weekly at San Quentin.
Awards: 1st Place
BTTR Ventures: Back to the Roots
BTTR Ventures (pronounced Better) stands for “back to the roots,” a phrase that encompasses the idea of creating a company that stands for sustainability, progress, and social responsibility. BTTR Ventures aims to turn one of the largest waste streams in the Bay Area, the tons of coffee ground waste generated daily, into a highly-demanded, nutritious, and valuable food product – specialty mushrooms. Along the way, not only do they play to create a healthy food source, but also to provide urban jobs, save thousands of tons of valuable substrate from being dumped into landfills, and donate substantial amounts of cash flow back into the communities from which the coffee ground waste originated. (Note: This project originally won in the Big Ideas “Social Innovation category.)
Magneto-Optic Technology Hits The Field: A pilot program to implement a new malaria diagnostic device in Southern Benin
Malaria is a disease endemic to regions of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia that continues to do serious humanitarian and economic damage to developing countries. A new diagnostic tool (the MOT device) has recently been invented that would improve access to accurate malaria diagnosis at low costs. To collect information on the best way to bring these devices to the communities that need it, we propose a fact-finding pilot program to provide MOTmalaria diagnosis and treatment centers to 25,000 people in Southern Benin. (Note: This project originally won in the Big Ideas “Science, Technology, and Engineering Policy” category.)
Medical Smart Card System for Patient Record Management
Rising healthcare spending is a serious issue for the United States. Electronic medical records are seen as an effective way to solve the problem, however they are difficult to implement. We propose the development of personal portable healthcare record smart cards and a corresponding framework to simplify maintenance and transfer of patient records as an incremental step towards a nationalized electronic records system. (Note: This project originally won in the Big Ideas “Science, Technology, and Engineering Policy” category.)
Engineering Health-Conscious E coli: Probiotics That Reduce Saturated Fats
Intake of saturated fats has been linked to heart diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Engineering probiotic bacteria that can turn saturated fats into unsaturated fatty acids, generally deemed healthful, could help reduce saturated fat intake and lessen the chance of developing a saturated fat linked disease.
The Economics and Business Perspectives of Philanthropy
This is an interdisciplinary undergraduate course that aims to give students a better understanding of philanthropy. There are insufficient resources available to fund all charitable causes, so funds should be prioritized to the projects that yield the highest returns in social benefit on dollars invested. Students will be challenged to prioritize causes with this framework, and will explore needs, roles, and strategies from the perspective of both donors and charitable organizations. By the end of the course, students should be better prepared to make educated decisions as future nonprofit leaders, policy makers, and philanthropists.