ExSJ Awards and Funding

The Engineering Exchange for Social Justice (ExSJ) honors partnerships and seed-funds projects through a variety of awards, and is funded by grant awards and generous donations from private donors.

Photograph of a USD faculty member (right) and community member (left) standing side by side.

Awards Granted by the ExSJ

Seed Fund Awards, supporting the design and development of an engineering solution to a community need.
  • $5,000 awarded to Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR) to support the establishment of a community based waste-upcycling business in Los Laureles Canyon; Tijuana Mexico. Funded by the USD Strategic Initiative. (2019)
  • $2,000 to support Tobago’s collaboration with Primo Energy to use wind turbine technology to power small farm systems. Funded by the USD Strategic Initiative. (2020)
Project Development Awards, supporting the co-development of a community-defined problem brief.
  • $1,000 to Brenda Sutter on behalf of the Laurel Tree Charter School in Arcata, California, to facilitate a partnership between the school and Primo Energy, a company that specializes in wind and solar energy technology. Funded by the USD Strategic Initiative. (2020)
  • $500 to Rochelle Harris and Christie Greene on behalf of the Blind Community Center of San Diego (BCCSD) to support collaborations between the BCCSD and USD. For multiple semesters, BCCSD community members have partnered with student teams in Dr. Odesma Dalrymple’s ENGR 103 User-Centered Design course. Funded by the USD Strategic Initiative. (2020)
  • $2,500 (funded by USD Strategic Initiative) and $2,500 Community Scholar Award (funded by donors) to Debbie Stein to honor three years of facilitating collaborations between USD and the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. (2020)

Apply for a Seed Fund or Project Development Award for your community project.

Grants and Donor Support

Please contact us at ExSJ@sandiego.edu to make a donation.