Maria Reed, President
Major: CHEMICAL Engineering (SUStainable energy)
Hi! My name is Maria Reed, and I am a senior at USC studying chemical engineering with an emphasis in sustainable energy. My pronouns are she/her. I am from Oxnard, CA, and I love traveling, camping, running, and any beach activities. I joined EWB because of my passion for service and collaborating with communities to make lasting change. I have been in EWB since my freshman year and have learned so much from my experience. I have been inspired by the opportunity to use my engineering skills to work with my amazing peers and make sustainable impacts on communities around the globe.
Enrique Perez, Senior Project Manager
Major: Electrical and computer engineering
Hello, I'm Enrique Perez! I'm a junior studying electrical and computer engineering from Guadalajara, Mexico. My pronouns are he/him. I love working at EWB–everyone is so passionate about helping others, promoting inclusivity, and doing the most for the ones around them. As senior project manager, I’m excited to be able to participate and collaborate in both the Bolivia and Malawi projects. I will be assisting the PMs to make sure they’re successful, keeping contact with EWB-USA and other chapters. Outside of EWB, I'm also involved in research and Makers. Outside of engineering, I am an avid birdwatcher.
Winnie Hou, Co-Director of Finance
Major: computer science and business administration
Hello! I am Winnie, one of the co-directors of finance in EWB USC. My pronouns are she/her/hers and am originally from Taiwan. I am also a junior studying Computer Science/Business Administration. I love contributing my effort to help uplift underrepresented and underserved communities, especially from both an engineering and business/financial standpoint. I really enjoy being on the Bolivia team to help the Yannani community to obtain reliable water resources as well as working on fundraising for the organization in order to realize the implementation trips. Outside of EWB, I am passionate about supporting women in engineering in the Society of Women Engineers and also love traveling and getting to know different cultures in the world.
Mellissa Zhang, Malawi Project Manager
Major: computer science and business administration
Hi, I’m Mellissa Zhang! I’m currently a junior at USC studying Computer Science and Business Administration with a dance minor. I’m from Naperville, a Chicago suburb, and my pronouns are she/her. I’m one of the Malawi project managers. I joined EWB because I am extremely passionate about using engineering and business to help those in the world that are less fortunate than I am. Outside of EWB, I am involved in the club Society of Women Engineers and my sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. In my free time I love to dance, workout, and go to the beach!
Maia Calderon, Co-Vice President
Major: Civil engineering (structural)
My name is Maia and my pronouns are she/her. I’m from San Diego, CA and the youngest of three. My parents are Mexican immigrants. I joined EWB after meeting Kat when I visited campus during my senior year of high school. I became interested in the project that the club was working on and what they stood for as an organization. A fun fact about me is that I used to own six cats!
Megan Dopheide, Co-Director of Marketing
Major: Civil Engineering (Environmental)
Hey everybody, my name is Megan and my pronouns are she/her. I was born and raised in Michigan and I’m a super junior. My major is Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering; I chose this partially because Civil is such a social form of engineering and I hope to use the intersection between my interests in sociology and engineering in the future. I joined EWB because I am passionate about helping others and advocating for communities that are underrepresented. Outside of EWB, I’m on eboard for the USC chapter of ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) and a concrete canoe design team captain. I am also a member of TACO (Team Awareness Combatting Overdose) USC, and I volunteer periodically with Water Drop LA. I love roadtrips and any outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and hammocking.
Yusan Wong, Co-Director of Finance
Major: industrial and systems Engineering
Hi, my name is Yusan and I'm one of the current co-directors of finance. I’m a senior majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering. I joined EWB in my sophomore year, and had the opportunity of contributing to underserved communities both in the US and abroad. I enjoy playing sports - tennis, squash, badminton, ping-pong, volleyball, skiing and snowboarding - so hit me up if you’re down for a game! In addition to EWB, I’m the current president of Hong Kong Student Association.
Lauren Anderson, Bolivia Project Manager
Major: Environmental engineering
Hi, I’m Lauren! My pronouns are she/her. I’m a junior from Omaha, NE studying environmental engineering. I joined EWB to help others—in fact, it’s the same reason I wanted to do engineering. I’m interested in resource recovery and improving access to potable water worldwide. Besides EWB, I’m the Director of Middle School Programming for Troy Camp and a trip lead for Peaks & Professors. I also love running, watching horror movies, and taking care of my plants!
Ciara Anderson, Director of Internal Events
Major: Environmental Engineering
Hey, I’m Ciara (she/her)! I’m a sophomore studying Environmental Engineering and I’m from LA/The Valley. I’m a big fan of baking, hiking, listening to Taylor Swift, and spontaneous late night walks. I’m on the Bolivia Team and the Director of Internal Events for EWB, and I joined because I was looking for an outlet for my goal of using engineering to help others. I’m also involved in research on campus, FLOW, and Peaks and Professors. I’m super excited for our projects to get designing this year and for some incredibly exciting general body meetings!
Neha Yadav, Co-Vice President
Major: biomedical engineering
Hi, I’m Neha! I use she/her pronouns, and I’m currently a senior at USC. I joined EWB-USA’s USC chapter my freshman year because I’m super passionate about using engineering to better humanity and improve people’s quality of life, and I want to continue providing affordable solutions to underserved communities in my career. This club was actually one of the reasons I applied to USC, and I’m so glad I joined. It has allowed me to meet so many cool people and learn so many new things, and I can’t wait for more of both in the next year! Being one of the project managers for the Malawi project last year was one of the most rewarding things I have done in college, and I’m excited to continue working on the project this year. Also, fun fact: in my free time, I love going on road trips, hiking, watching soccer, and eating spicy food.
Jennifer Law, Co-Director of Marketing
Major: Biomedical engineering
Hi! My name is Jennifer and I am a senior studying biomedical molecular-cellular engineering. I was born in Hong Kong (learned Cantonese and Mandarin there) and moved to San Francisco California at age eight. I love to bake, read, swim, play PC and Nintendo Switch games, and get bitten by my cat Wintermelon. A few fun facts: I flew on the plane on my own when I was six, and my favorite fruit is a lemon. I have been a part of the Bolivia team since my sophomore year and am currently a co-director of marketing with Megan. I learned about EWB while I was applying to USC and met the EWB-USC president before I was even a freshman! I joined EWB because I want to contribute to our and other communities alongside engineering students outside my major. By joining bodies like EWB, AOE, GCSP, SIGC, taking classes outside of engineering like linguistics, sailing, and international ballroom dancing, and studying abroad in Berlin through sheer passion and curiosity, I feel that I am able to find my individuality, contribute, and learn during my experience in the university.
Nadia Fernandez, Malawi Project Manager
Major: environmental engineering
Hey, I’m Nadia! My pronouns are she/her. I’m a junior studying Environmental Engineering, from Monterrey, Mexico. I am currently one of the Malawi project managers. I’m very excited about the possibility of traveling to Malawi and implementing the project this year. I joined EWB because I wanted to apply my engineering skills in the real world. I also wanted to join a club that actually makes a tangible impact on society. Besides EWB, I’m involved in AAEES and USC polo. I also love reading, going to the movies and Formula 1.
Valentina Calaza, Bolivia Project Manager
Major: mechanical Engineering
Hey! I’m Valentina and I am currently a junior studying Mechanical Engineering. My pronouns are she/her. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina but I also lived in Brazil for three years before coming to Los Angeles. This year, I am Bolivia Project Manager along with Lauren, and I am very excited to see this project become a reality and hopefully go on our implementation trip this year! I joined EWB-USA’s USC chapter my freshman year of college because I have always liked to be involved in volunteering and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so while also exploring the different fields of engineering and using our skills to better people’s environments. I am also very interested in environmental sustainability and using engineering to make society and our lifestyles more ecological. So far, I’m loving my experience at EWB-USC and I can’t wait for what this next academic year brings!