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Southwestern Central School Graduate Receives American Society Of Mechanical Engineering Award

Kyle Gaiser, a 2014 graduate of Southwestern Central School, was recently recognized by Siemens in a collaboration with Engineering for Change with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Gaiser, along with Hadijah Nantambi and Ian Williams, representing Uganda and the U.S., took the prize in the the Zero Hunger category in this year's Innovate for Impact design challenge. Their EcoLife Foods team introduced EcoLife Cold Room, a storage solution that aids rural farmers in lessening crop loss due to poor handling and storage techniques.

Targeting communities in central and southern Uganda, the cold room is made of locally sourced and recycled elements, resulting in a cooperative, affordable and sustainable design.

Engineering for Change is an organization dedicated to preparing, educating and activating the international engineering workforce to improve the quality of life of underserved communities worldwide.

The winners receive $10,000 to advance their prototypes, as well as expert consultation and promotion from the competition's hosts, the global technology firm Siemens, Engineering for Change and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The winning teams faced an avalanche of competition over the past six months when applications opened in early March. More than 23,000 people participated, submitting 220 designs.

Gaiser's parents, Ken and Carol Gaiser, are of Jamestown.