Vinka Craver: A Proprietor For a Cleaner Earth
Image Credit: Alessandra Herrera
KINGSTON - Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor, Vinka Oyanedel-Craver has not only dedicated years to The University of Rhode Island, but has also spent most of her life studying bacteria and water supply in developing countries such as Guatemala.
Born and raised in Chile, Craver grew up with a ‘social conscience’. She witnessed the hard times her people went through all her life. Craver’s family was constantly helping the community by solving many problems among the Chilean people. This, along with her ability to socialize and connect with almost anybody gave Craver some insight into what it was she really wanted to do in life.
“The same water that you use to wash the dishes, you use to flush the toilet, all the water was used,” Craver said when asked about how growing up in a beach town affected her. “When you don’t have water its very eye opener [opening]…You don’t even think about clean water, but when you don’t have it, its like how are we gonna [going to] do stuff…you see how much impact [it has] on everything.”
Moving to the United States was a conflicting decision for Craver because of the role it had played during the Chilean dictatorship. Although her family did not always agree with Craver, her husband played a significant part in her decision to move to the US. After moving to Virginia, fate led her into the current work she does today in Guatemala.
“When I got into engineering, you spend a lot of time in the lab,” Craver said. “It was a lot about me and my research…so when this opportunity came it was really great and I was like finally I can do something that somebody is using…you see this connection and working with people, it was very refreshing.”
Since 2006, Craver has traveled to Guatemala alongside students for URI through programs like the Seeds of Knowledge. Organizations such as these allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to accompany Geo-sciences professors to other parts of the world. During the couple of days they stay in Guatemala, Craver and other students devise solutions for the Guatemalan people in regards to clean water supply.
Much of Craver’s outreach to the community is done through schools in and around the area. The students have played a significant role in the success of their project. Her team provides schools with models for the children to assemble in order to become more knowledgeable in the work that has made their communities better.
“It’s something that at a point they don’t feel like they’ve never heard about that…they have a point to start and are not starting from zero in the future,” Craver shares about the work she has done within schools.
This experience has opened a new line of research for Craver. As an engineer, she has always used technology to fix things, but as an average person she has been exposed to different cultures that have also taught her things that cannot be discovered inside a lab. It’s an eye-opening experience when realizing that there is another world out there that she and others may not even know about.
“It [her research] has helped me see engineering in a new perspective,” Craver said. She has now realized that when designing things, one must think about the people. Little details must be looked at because they are the importance to the failure or success of any project.
For the next several years, Craver along with her team of experts look forward to continuing their work in Guatemala. Their ultimate goal is for the Guatemalan people to be able to replicate the filters and assemble the programs brought to their community.
Born and raised in Chile, Craver grew up with a ‘social conscience’. She witnessed the hard times her people went through all her life. Craver’s family was constantly helping the community by solving many problems among the Chilean people. This, along with her ability to socialize and connect with almost anybody gave Craver some insight into what it was she really wanted to do in life.
“The same water that you use to wash the dishes, you use to flush the toilet, all the water was used,” Craver said when asked about how growing up in a beach town affected her. “When you don’t have water its very eye opener [opening]…You don’t even think about clean water, but when you don’t have it, its like how are we gonna [going to] do stuff…you see how much impact [it has] on everything.”
Moving to the United States was a conflicting decision for Craver because of the role it had played during the Chilean dictatorship. Although her family did not always agree with Craver, her husband played a significant part in her decision to move to the US. After moving to Virginia, fate led her into the current work she does today in Guatemala.
“When I got into engineering, you spend a lot of time in the lab,” Craver said. “It was a lot about me and my research…so when this opportunity came it was really great and I was like finally I can do something that somebody is using…you see this connection and working with people, it was very refreshing.”
Since 2006, Craver has traveled to Guatemala alongside students for URI through programs like the Seeds of Knowledge. Organizations such as these allow undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to accompany Geo-sciences professors to other parts of the world. During the couple of days they stay in Guatemala, Craver and other students devise solutions for the Guatemalan people in regards to clean water supply.
Much of Craver’s outreach to the community is done through schools in and around the area. The students have played a significant role in the success of their project. Her team provides schools with models for the children to assemble in order to become more knowledgeable in the work that has made their communities better.
“It’s something that at a point they don’t feel like they’ve never heard about that…they have a point to start and are not starting from zero in the future,” Craver shares about the work she has done within schools.
This experience has opened a new line of research for Craver. As an engineer, she has always used technology to fix things, but as an average person she has been exposed to different cultures that have also taught her things that cannot be discovered inside a lab. It’s an eye-opening experience when realizing that there is another world out there that she and others may not even know about.
“It [her research] has helped me see engineering in a new perspective,” Craver said. She has now realized that when designing things, one must think about the people. Little details must be looked at because they are the importance to the failure or success of any project.
For the next several years, Craver along with her team of experts look forward to continuing their work in Guatemala. Their ultimate goal is for the Guatemalan people to be able to replicate the filters and assemble the programs brought to their community.