Both Eric Moyer and John Swartzendruber serve on the Engineering Advisory Board that has supported EMU鈥檚 new four-year degree. Moyer works in aircraft design, while Swartzendruber is a consultant in information technology (IT).

鈥淚鈥檓 excited for their presentations at the seminar, as this will be a great opportunity to hear about important issues in industry today, and about how their careers in technical fields were influenced by their experiences at EMU,鈥� said physics professor . 鈥淭hey have shared knowledge of their respective fields 鈥� and a commitment to EMU education 鈥� as they have helped to shape our program.鈥�

Following the presentations, there will be time for conversation and audience questions.

The free seminar will be Saturday, Oct. 14, at 9:30 a.m. in Science Center room 106.

Eric Moyer

Moyer began working as a structural design engineer at Boeing鈥檚 Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, facility in 2006, but was then selected for extended work assignments in Charleston, South Carolina, and Everett, Washington, supporting Boeing鈥檚 new 787 composite airplane. In 2010, Moyer moved with his wife Jessica to Seattle to continue his support of the 787. Currently, he is a lead project engineer at Boeing鈥檚 new 777X Composite Wing Center facility in Everett.

Moyer grew up in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and studied math and science courses while at EMU from 1999 to 2001. After graduating from Drexel University with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering, he worked as a mechanical engineer for two years in a small contract machine shop in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Engineering program director and professor expressed appreciation for Moyer鈥檚 involvement at EMU and his passion for the projects of the Engineers for a Sustainable World club. 鈥淗e offers ideas and suggestions about students capstone projects, and shares insider information as a recruiter for students employment upon graduation,鈥� she said.

John Swartzendruber

Swartzendruber is an IT consultant who earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1979. He joined Eli Lilly and Company as an organic chemist in pharmaceutical research, developed software for the x-ray crystallography group and, in 1989, earned his master鈥檚 degree in computer science from Purdue University. He led the effort to build ELVIS, Lilly鈥檚 worldwide intranet, one of the first corporate intranets constructed.

As the enterprise architect for Lilly Global Infrastructure, Swartzendruber focused on ubiquitous computing and virtualization. In 2008, he joined Apparatus, an IT consulting firm, where he managed large virtualized infrastructures for enterprise clients. He retired in 2015, but maintains an active interest in distributed computing and privacy.

Tian said that Swartzendruber has also been a 鈥渟trong supporter鈥� of the engineering program at EMU and has provided 鈥渋nsight in technology and knowledge of cutting-edge development in computer science and computer engineering.鈥�

The Suter Science Seminars are made possible by the sponsorship of the and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs.

鈥淲e have a great administration and staff doing a lot of great sustainability work, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for good ideas for sustainable improvement to sprout, especially from the student body,鈥� Horst said. 鈥淭he mini-grant competition really lives up to the spirit of organic grass-roots growth that we are modeling here. Sometimes, we don’t need a heavy document or big announcement to make our campus more sustainable.鈥�

This year鈥檚 winners admirably fit the bill: an exercise bike that feeds volts back into EMU鈥檚 , drip irrigation and hoop house聽 materials in the that contribute to better efficiency and productivity, and a filtered water station to increase use of non-disposable bottles.

Judges looked for projects that are creative, long-term and visible and have strong educational benefit and community collaboration, Horst said. Sustainability Coordinator and Professor Tara joined Horst in judging the six proposals from students, faculty, and staff members.

The sustainable stationary bike project, which was given $250, came about through such collaboration. Hannah Chappell-Dick and Rachel Sturm, representing Student Athletic Advisory Committee, contacted Ben Zook, with Engineers for a Sustainable World, about entering in an application for the sustainability grant.

鈥淭hey needed someone to build the project and we were happy to volunteer,鈥� Zook said, adding that the bike will be built in the fall.

One possible attraction for athletes who ride the bike for conditioning purposes is a display that 鈥渨ill show how much energy you are pumping back into the grid as you pedal,鈥� Zook said. 鈥淭here will also be a comparison meter to show the energy compared to a car, or a horse.鈥�

members were pleased to hear they鈥檇 been awarded a $500 mini-grant that will increase productivity and efficiency of their , said Josh Nyce, garden coordinator. SFI has one garden on drip, but now plans to install a drip system for the remaining two gardens, as well as increase production space in the hoop house.

鈥淭his type of irrigation will make our whole operation more efficient, improve our production and yield, and allow us spend more time on other tasks and projects to hopefully grow SFI,鈥� he said. 鈥淲atering in the hoop house will be so much easier, and will extend our growing season to provide us with fresh vegetables all year long at the SFI produce stand.鈥�

As for the bottle filling station, library director says she sees these 鈥渆verywhere.鈥�

The $250 grant will pay for a spigot on the first-floor water fountain to allow for easier filling of bottles, as well as a filtering station on the main floor.

The 鈥渃owboys鈥� were part of a joint effort between the of the and the . Many of the cowboys were Brethren or Mennonite teenagers or young men from farm communities, but others came from a variety of backgrounds.

By the time the program ended in 1947, more than 7,000 volunteers had made the trip across the ocean. The work still continues today with .

Listening to his grandfather鈥檚 story was 鈥減retty amazing,鈥� said Styer, who is a graphic designer and brand manager in the marketing and communications office at 草莓社区. (He couldn鈥檛 resist taking a photo of his grandfather telling the story, which you can see to the right.)

鈥淚 had heard some of it before,鈥� Styer said, 鈥渂ut this was everything from when he first arrived to what happened on his trip back to Europe.鈥�

In November 2015, Ralph Witmer returned to Poland for the first time. Since returning to Ohio from his trans-Atlantic adventure, Ralph had been a busy entrepreneur: he had farmed the family land, partnered with his cousin (also a seagoing cowboy) to purchase and operate a combine, bought his father鈥檚 farm equipment business now known as , and also opened , an inn, shops and restaurant in Columbiana.

So much had happened in the years between that one might rightly think his activities in Poland could be forgotten. But not so.

On this trip, the 88-year-old was joined by his son, Nelson Witmer 鈥�87, and Nelson鈥檚 son, Alex, class of 鈥�15. And all three were surprised to find that Witmer and his fellow seagoing cowboys were much appreciated, many years later.

(All nine of Ralph鈥檚 children attended 草莓社区, and seven grandchildren are also alumni.)

Luckily for the rest of us who weren鈥檛 at the Witmer family dinner table at Christmas, the story of Ralph鈥檚 two trips to Poland was published in early December under the title 鈥溾�� in Farm and Dairy.

Editor Susan Crowell says she had never heard about the cowboys before she received the tip from a Witmers, Inc. employee. 鈥淚 was so fascinated by the seagoing cowboys, I think I was Googling them while I was still talking to him on the phone,鈥� she said.

Based in Salem, Ohio, has a print circulation of 30,000-plus and a readership of more than 75,000. Ralph Witmer, his family and their businesses are well-known in the area, so it鈥檚 not surprising that the article Crowell wrote has been shared and read and enjoyed by many.

Since then, Crowell has heard from one other reader who made two trips as a cowboy in 1946 and from historian Peggy Reiff Miller, the granddaughter of a seagoing cowboy, who has been researching the participants and the program since 2002. Miller too had interviewed Ralph Witmer about his adventures.

For those who are interested in learning more about the cowboys, Miller maintains a and a that are both great sources of information where many cowboys and their relatives have shared memories, photos, and reflections about the program that has changed so many lives for generations.

Among other projects with her research, Miller has published a children鈥檚 book and created a video documentary. She travels around the world to keep the seagoing cowboy history alive. In 2016, she will tour to promote her new children鈥檚 book. She’ll be visiting Harrisonburg and Bridgewater, Virginia; Goshen, Indiana, and other areas of northern Indiana; Elgin, Illinois; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania;聽North Newton/McPherson, Kansas; central California; Little Rock, Arkansas; and other areas.

“I am open to invitations,” she told EMU News.

Miller says that approximately 1,000 of the 7,000 cowboys were Mennonite. “I’d be happy to know or any cowboys [or cowboy’s relatives] who contact you after your piece is published. There are still many out there with whom I’ve had no contact,” she said.

If you are a seagoing cowboy and EMU alumnus, let us know! Email EMU news editor Lauren Jefferson at lauren.jefferson@emu.edu or call 540-432-4232.

SFI, who seeks to expand local sustainability and social responsibility in food production, began in 2010 when a concerned group of students witnessed large amounts of unused cafeteria food being thrown away. This led to a food donation program, a campus composting program, the planting of campus vegetable gardens and even a student-run Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which sold produce grown on campus to local buyers. However, when this core group of students graduated, SFI was left a ship with no captain, and its programs quickly fell into disarray.

Eshleman鈥檚 vision for the group focuses on longevity. 鈥淲e are a student club,鈥� the rising senior pointed out, 鈥渂ut have started to work towards being more of a coalition of local organizations and persons, to encourage better practices within our food systems, as well as helping groups fully utilize their own spaces to achieve healthier and more sustainable systems.鈥�

Partnering on and off campus

One key to achieving this longevity is partnering with other campus organizations, such as , the and (ESW), to draw interest and forge common connections. Already this summer ESW helped the SFI crew install solar panels on the campus chicken shed to power the heat lamps that burn throughout the winter months.

鈥淥ne of our visions for the next year is to share a meal made of locally grown food with as many campus groups as we can,鈥� said Eshleman. 鈥淲hat better way to show people what we do, than through the food itself?鈥�

The group also strives to promote EMU鈥檚 mission of sustainability outside and . 鈥淲e want to live the way we talk,鈥� said Malachi Bontrager, an major. 鈥淪FI is tangible and easy to access. We can fill a need and do so conscientiously.鈥� Such an ethos demonstrates the group鈥檚 commitment to building sustainable local communities through dedicated service.

One of SFI鈥檚 key partnerships has been with the Farm at Willow Run. The farm, located on Willow Run Road just minutes from campus, is owned by the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC), and was once the property of former EMU president Myron Augsburger and his wife, Esther. Tom Brenneman, the market garden coordinator at VMRC, has been working with VMRC鈥檚 dining services director Tobie Bow on a farm-to-table renaissance with the help of SFI students.

Forging real connections

Brenneman, a 1992 graduate with a degree in social work, lives at Willow Run and manages the gardens, in addition to his work with court-involved youth in the 26th District court service unit in Harrisonburg. Despite the enormity of the Willow Run project, which is now delivering produce directly to VMRC kitchens from 1.5 acres of cultivated land, Brenneman laughed when thinking back to its humble beginnings.

鈥淚 just had all this extra produce,鈥� he said, which he then passed along to his friend and 鈥渃o-conspirator鈥� Cal Redekop, who in turn shared the produce gratis with fellow residents in Park Village from a stand at the end of his driveway. The fresh produce has been a huge hit over the past four years. Soon a formal conversation began at the invitation of the executive team of VMRC about how local produce might be brought directly into dining services with sourcing from its own land and resources.

The Farm was quickly identified as a viable location, but who would do the work of growing it? Brenneman rallied volunteer support , some with the local network, which encourages community-building through creative skills-sharing. But the project gained steam when the partnership with SFI was formed. With five to six students working three to four days a week for two to three hours a day, Willow Run is now staffed with a consistent and dedicated workforce.

Mentors help with ag-business skills

鈥淲ithout the labor from SFI, this really couldn鈥檛 have happened,鈥� said Redekop, who often works side by side with the students. 鈥淭he Farm at Willow Run really provides almost unlimited opportunity to bring different generations together around common concerns, like how we raise our food or how we might show better reverence toward the earth.鈥�

鈥淭he farm-to-table initiative makes good sense for VMRC,鈥� said Judith Trumbo, VMRC president and CEO. 鈥淎s an advocate for aging well, VMRC continues to identify ways to help people live healthier lifestyles. We are pleased to have the support of EMU students to make the farm a success.鈥�

Along the way, the members of SFI have learned valuable lessons, not only about large-scale gardening, but also about how to keep their vision afloat. The opportunity to learn from local farmers such as Radell Schrock, a 2001 graduate who operates in Harrisonburg, has given SFI members a clearer sense of the realities of what they are attempting to accomplish.

鈥淓ffectively we鈥檙e running a small business,鈥� said SFI treasurer and nursing major Abe Thorn. It鈥檚 an experience the group will carry with them long after they have left EMU, and a legacy they hope to leave behind for future generations of students.

Engineers for a Sustainable World, referred to by its members as ESW, is only a year old, and though it has already achieved significant results, still has not been heard of by the majority of the EMU population.

ESW is a national organization with chapters at approximately 40 universities across the country, with the only Virginia chapter located here at EMU.

Esther Tian, assistant professor of engineering, started the organization her first year here in hopes of stimulating sustainable projects on campus.

鈥淚 thought [ESW] was a really good fit with the mission of the university,鈥� said Tian, who is excited with the inaugural successes of ESW.

Last winter, the club drew up plans for its first project ever: a new greenhouse for EMU鈥檚 Sustainable Food Initiative.

鈥淲e wanted to build a low-budget greenhouse with the materials we had on hand,鈥� said junior Jordan Leaman, student president of ESW and a computer science major. 鈥淭o make it more sustainable, we designed it to be completely solar-powered.鈥�

In a continued collaboration of EMU initiatives, EarthKeepers helped to fund the building of the greenhouse, which cost about $600.

Leaman, along with five other students, completed the building project in one impressive eight-hour workday in March.

In addition, ESW used the greenhouse project design to win second place in the undergraduate division of the American Society for Engineering Education regional competition last spring.

Leaman and a team of three others designed an informative poster detailing the structure and aerodynamics of the project.

Under the guidance of Tian and Leaman, ESW has several projects in the works for their second year, including a solar panel canopy to assist in charging the physical plant鈥檚 golf carts.

鈥淭here are so many possibilities with solar,鈥� said Leaman, 鈥渂ut right now, we鈥檙e doing what we can with the limited resources we have.鈥�

In defining ESW, both Tian and Leaman emphasized the discovery of workable solutions to everyday problems.

鈥淥ur projects benefit the university and the community,鈥� said Tian proudly. 鈥淥ur club is a little different because we plan projects instead of activities.鈥�

First-year student Isaiah Williams enjoys the practicality and project-based orientation of the club. 鈥淚t allows me to utilize what I learned in engineering class and apply it to real life scenarios,鈥� he said.

Like Williams, most members of ESW are students in the pre-engineering program. Others, like Leaman, found their interests sparked by Tian鈥檚 “Introduction to Engineering” class.

Leaman remarked, 鈥淓ngineering has always been my passion, but [Esther] really drew me into the club. I鈥檓 excited for the upcoming years; we have some cool projects planned.鈥�