Advances in Engineering Education - Volume 8 - Issue 2 - Using Human-Centered Design to Connect Engineering Concepts to Sustainable Development Goals

Oct 15, 2026

Engineering design can drive innovations addressing complex Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet training access remains limited for global communities facing SD-related challenges. The manuscript presents the Ignite program from Duke University’s Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies (GWHT), applying a human-centered design framework to SDG-aligned problems. Undergraduate students learn solutions focused on access to light at night, then partner with energy-poor communities to deliver and scale the curriculum internationally. Results highlight teaching reach from 2014 onward, emphasizing scalability and sustainability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

ABSTRACT

Background

Purpose

Design/Method

Results

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INTRODUCTION

| | Ad | vances in Engineering Edu | cation | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SUMMER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 Using Human-Centered Design to Connect Engineering Concepts to Sustainable Development Goals JENNA L. MUELLER University of Maryland College Park, MD MARY ELIZABETH DOTSON JENNIFER DIETZEL JENNA PETERS GABRIELA ASTURIAS AMELIA CHEATHAM MARLEE KRIEGER Duke University Durham, NC BAISHAKHI TAYLOR Middlebury College Middlebury, VT SHERRYL BROVERMANNIRMALA RAMANUJAM Duke University Durham, NC ABSTRACT Background. Engineering design is widely recognized as a field that can generate key innovations for complex problems, such as those elucidated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . However, engineering design training is not widely accessible to the global community, particularly to people experiencing the challenges that the SDGs are striving to address. Purpose. This manuscript describes the Ignite program created by the Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies (GWHT) at Duke University, which uses the human-centered design framework to apply engineering design concepts to address specific challenges associated with the SDGs. Design/Method. Undergraduate students participate in a design course (BME 290) to learn how to create and deliver a technological solution to increase access to light at night, which is a significant challenge in many communities around the globe. A subset of the undergraduate students partnered with an energy-poor community in which they implemented a curriculum based on the skills learned in BME 290. Results. Since 2014, 110 Duke students have taken BME 290, and 22 of those students traveled internationally, collectively teaching 275 students in Kenya, India, and Guatemala. Students in Kenya SUMMER 2020 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 1 ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION Using Human-Centered Design to Connect Engineering Concepts to Sustainable Development Goals formed an engineering club and taught the curriculum to an additional 52 peers. Duke students also trained 15 other university students, both in the United States and Guatemala, who have taught the curriculum to an additional 150 students in Guatemala, which illustrates the scalability and sustainability of the curriculum across countries, communities, and cultures. Conclusions. By integrating human-centered design and the SDGs into engineering curricula and targeting communities that work with women and girls, we believe the Ignite program can impact three of the SDGs – renewable energy, quality education, and gender equality. Key words: Multidisciplinary design; international programs; technology applications INTRODUCTION In a display of global unity, all 193 countries represented in the United Nation’s General Assembly agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 (Gostin and Friedman 2015) . The 17 goals, some of which include eradication of poverty, good health, quality education, gender equality, and renewable energy, provide a vision for transformative change across 169 targets by 2030 (Gostin and Friedman 2015) . This optimistic vision serves as a call to action for all who seek to create a better future for themselves and coming generations. While there is no one formula to achieve these goals, it is critical to create interdisciplinary problem solvers who have the confidence and skills to work within and outside their communities to develop solutions that will help meet the SDGs (El-Jardali, Ataya, and Fadlallah 2018) . Engineering design is widely recognized as a field that can generate transformative innovations for complex problems, such as those described in the SDGs. The intersection of biomedical engineering and global health has become a particularly attractive sub-discipline because it requires students to combine traditional engineering knowledge with insights from disciplines like public or global health, public policy, s

FAQs

What problem does the Ignite program address?

Ignite targets limited access to engineering design training for global communities facing challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially those the SDGs aim to support.

How is the Ignite curriculum delivered and where?

Undergraduate students learn in a design course (BME 290) and then partner with an energy-poor community to implement a curriculum. A subset of students delivers it internationally to communities in countries such as Kenya, India, and Guatemala.

What outcomes does the manuscript report for the Ignite program?

Since 2014, 110 Duke students have taken BME 290, with international travel by 22 students. Collectively, they taught hundreds of students across multiple countries, and trained additional university students who further delivered the curriculum in Guatemala.

Oct 15, 2026

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