Sunrises and Selfies are the words I would describe week 3, and you’ll soon see why :))
We began the week at Universidad APEC (UNAPEC), where we met Dr. Emin Rivera (Dean of Engineering) and Dr. Emma Kareline (Physics professor). During their presentation, we learned about the unique history of the university, various international collaborations, and the university’s research interests in addressing some of the Dominican Republic’s (DR) most pressing issues. These include water purification, renewable energy systems (some parts of the university are solar-powered), waste management, and sargassum—a type of large, brown seaweed that floats in clumps on ocean surfaces.
With the ideal temperature conditions of the Caribbean, sargassum poses a health risk and is recognized for causing major disruptions to the DR’s significant hotel and tourism sectors. Therefore, finding a way to monitor and clean up sargassum has become a pivotal point of research at the university and for the government. As someone unfamiliar with sargassum, learning about it and the projects undertaken by the university highlighted the importance of focusing on the needs and challenges specific to local settings. It reminded me that the DR, despite some of the similarities I see day-to-day, is still an island with different challenges than those of Texas, my home state.
Later in the day, we met with students from Cemprende: the Center for Entrepreneurship, Business Development, Innovation, and Technology Transfer at APEC University. Their bubbly energy was infectious as they presented what constitutes innovation, avenues to pursue entrepreneurship at UNAPEC, and thought-provoking questions that made us reflect on ourselves.
We finished the day by touring the different labs with Professor Carlos Hernandez. Each room was dedicated to a different subject, and it was fascinating to see the similarities between these labs and those at Rice. We’re looking forward to taking classes in these spaces in the coming weeks!
The next day, we met virtually with Dr. Floren at UNAPEC to discuss the background and specifications for neonatal warming beds with the professors. Our hospital visits and literature review highlighted the need for inexpensive and safe warming beds that can be readily manufactured and distributed to various hospitals’ delivery rooms. Key considerations discussed included the temperature sensor, type of material used, and the distance and type of lamp used. The current prototype draws inspiration from designs commonly found in high-income countries; however, its high cost is a significant barrier for many hospitals in the DR. While we are still in the initial background and brainstorming phase, it will be exciting to see where this project stands by the end of the summer.
We finished the evening by presenting our Rice360 projects (No Mo’ Silo and ScarStretch) to UNAPEC electrical engineering students. It was refreshing to talk with them and exchange ideas on ways to improve these projects. Since ScarStretch has many electrical components beyond my understanding, they provided helpful suggestions on potential motors, coding ideas, and overall design improvements I could try out this summer. We also learned about their semi-finalist Sargassum project! Despite only meeting them on Tuesday, the students’ warm welcome made it easy for us to connect. One of our new friends, Maryam, even took us to Santo Domingo’s Chinatown on Sunday—a community I would have never imagined to see this far away from home.
From Wednesday to Friday, we journeyed with Teresa (Director of DOFMI and a former nurse) to the southern Dominican Republic, visiting Hospital Municipal De Polo, Hospital Jimani, and Hospital Provincial San Bartolome (Barahona, Neyba). With our home base in Barahona, where we enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sunsets, we started our days at 5:30 am, traveling to a new hospital each day. These early mornings and car rides were worth it when we arrived and participated in the training sessions for proper newborn care and resuscitation measures. As Dr. Colon and Dr. Floren emphasized the importance of the “Golden Minute” last week, these skills are critical for all nurses and doctors to know. Doctors and nurses like Teresa travel to different clinics across the DR to lead these full-day training sessions, drawing in healthcare professionals from surrounding areas to learn these life-saving skills. Using the NeoNatalie model, presentations, videos, and interactive demonstrations that simulated real-life scenarios, the 30+ daily participants gained a comprehensive understanding of how to resuscitate a neonate. Ansh, Anathea, and I were able to help facilitate the pre- and post-assessments and saw the impact of the training firsthand, with scores improving drastically afterward.
Photos from Wednesday at Hospital Municipal De Polo. Nurses and doctors were in the conference room and practiced with the NeoNatalie Models in small groups in the hallway.
Photos from Thursday for Hospital Jimani at a community center & sunrise photos. Each table had their own NeoNatalie Model where they can follow the Doctor and Nurse leading the training.
Photos from Friday at Hospital Provincial San Bartolome (Barahona, Neyba), provided by photographer.
This trip once again left me amazed at the sheer power and impact of DOFMI. The drive and dedication to their mission embodied by each member of the organization is felt through every interaction. From donating essential equipment to hospitals, performing needs assessments, facilitating nationwide training, collaborating with universities and manufacturing companies to design devices for identified needs, to trying something new (e.g., first introducing Pumani to the DR and now creating the first maternity waiting home in the country), DOFMI is not afraid to explore new avenues in achieving their mission. Special thanks to Teresa for letting us be a part of this training experience! I can’t believe three weeks have already passed—time is flying by so fast—but I’m super grateful for every moment! My time here has already provided unique opportunities and allowed me to meet so many wonderful new people <3
~ Zoe
Extra Fun Photos:
On our drive back from a clinic, we briefly stopped at a park known for their many iguanas. The ground was also filled with many fossils indicating the area was used underwater. The photo on the far right is of a solar charging station students at UNAPEC created.
What a beautiful week.