During the rainy season in Eswatini, the Nkomazi (Komati) River floods, submerging the low-lying footbridge used by residents of the rural kaNdeva and Hlalakahle communities and making it impassable.

For decades, the footbridge was the only way for the roughly 1,500 residents of those communities to cross the river and access the markets, healthcare clinic, and church on the other side. Schoolchildren, who relied on the bridge to get to school, often waited three to four weeks for the river to lower before they could safely cross and return to class.

The aging bridge had fallen into disrepair. Wide gaps between its weathered wooden planks, which dangled just above the surface of the river, made crossing dangerous. Its tattered fencing also posed a risk.

鈥淎nd it swings and sways terribly,鈥� said one local mother in a about the bridge. 鈥淲e have feared that our children will fall into the river.鈥�

That all changed this summer when a group of 黑料正能量 students and alumni joined university students from Iowa, Western Ontario, and Rutgers, staff from the Engineers in Action (EIA) nonprofit, and engineers and contractors from Eswatini to design and build a new suspended footbridge across the river.

The 300-foot Tintfutfwini Bridge, located about 65 feet upstream from the old bridge, can be safely used year-round and can hold more than 88,000 pounds. It crosses the river more than a dozen feet above the high-water mark, about 15 feet higher than the old bridge.

黑料正能量 senior Isaac Greenleaf fills out paperwork as members of the bridge-building team construct one of the new footbridge鈥檚 stone-and-brick towers along the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini. The old footbridge can be seen in the background.

LEFT: Levi Stutzman 鈥�26 helps install the colorful fencing along the new suspended footbridge across the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini. RIGHT: Left to right: Isaac Greenleaf, Moravia Satterfield, and Stutzman stand beside the newly completed bridge.

Students Isaac Greenleaf and Moravia Satterfield, who are members of the 黑料正能量 Bridge Builders club, and engineering alumnus Levi Stutzman 鈥�26 spent nearly eight weeks, from May 25-July 17, completing the project in the Hhohho region of Eswatini. The landlocked country is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique and, until 2018, was known as Swaziland. They also received mentorship from alumni bridge builders Luke Wheeler 鈥�23 and Mana Acosta 鈥�25, on-site Bridge Corps members with EIA.

While working on the project, the students lived at the primary school and formed connections with local residents. On weekends, they attended youth soccer games and participated in community events.

Satterfield, a sophomore engineering major from Ashland, Missouri, and the project鈥檚 safety manager, said a celebration after the bridge was completed featured dancing, speeches, and a ceremonial crossing by residents and a member of parliament.

鈥淎 lot of people were really excited about this bridge,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey told me they had been waiting for this moment for the past six years.鈥�

Greenleaf, a senior applied math, computer science, and engineering major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, served as project design manager. He said the experience reaffirmed his passion for engineering.

鈥淭his is such a great opportunity to help people who need it the most, and to be able to use the skills I have for that purpose is just great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy that all this hard work I鈥檝e put in will help people of this community for 50 years and more.鈥�

黑料正能量 engineering students and alumni help construct the footbridge in Eswatini, Africa, this summer.

The project brought together the students鈥� engineering knowledge with the construction expertise of professionals from the surrounding communities, including four masons and a site coordinator.

鈥淭hey had the physical skill and knowledge to build this bridge and we had the funding and engineering experience,鈥� Greenleaf said. 鈥淚t was a very collaborative project.鈥�

That collaboration also means local residents understand how the bridge was built and can make repairs when needed.

The project taught Greenleaf how quickly engineers have to adapt when problems arise. Shortly after arriving at the site, the team discovered that groundwater had flooded the bridge foundation. Students and engineers dug trenches to drain the water.

鈥淎 lot of things can go wrong on a construction site,鈥� Greenleaf said. 鈥淚t was nice to get real-world experience that I wouldn鈥檛 get in a classroom so I can learn about some of those issues and how to work through them. It鈥檚 nice to get that experience designing something and seeing how it actually gets built.鈥�

Satterfield, a recipient of 黑料正能量鈥檚 National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship, agreed. She said the experience sparked an interest in global development engineering projects.

鈥淪eeing the bridge from beginning to completion was a really valuable experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got to see it at every stage and we were able to help with all of it. It was a very hands-on process.鈥�

Members of the bridge-building team celebrate the completion of the new suspended footbridge across the Nkomazi (Komati) River in Eswatini.

Stutzman, an engineer with JZ Engineering in Harrisonburg, served as project manager. He had helped build another bridge in Eswatini in 2024, during his sophomore year at 黑料正能量. Some of his favorite memories from this latest trip involved building relationships with residents and schoolchildren.

鈥淲e got to play netball with the kids and give them shoulder rides and eat and play with them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e spent a lot of time with the people who are actually going to use the bridge every day.鈥�

In January, Stutzman will return to Eswatini to spend a year working as a bridge fellow with Engineers in Action. 黑料正能量 will likely send another group there in summer 2028.

The 黑料正能量 Bridge Builders club, a chapter of Engineers in Action, collects donations throughout the year to support its work with projects like this one. Support the club and its cause by.

Watch a video of the bridge project below!

Read more:
Eswatini Daily News:

黑料正能量 held its ninth annual Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival on Wednesday and Thursday. The campuswide event, hosted by the Provost鈥檚 Office and organized by its Intellectual Life Committee, offered students opportunities to learn and engage with one another and to showcase their research, creative projects and papers.

In her opening remarks before the festival’s keynote address on Wednesday, Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus described the ACE Festival as a 鈥渃elebration of student scholarship.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 where ideas take shape, not only in papers and research, but also in art, performance, and creative expression, and in the courage it takes to share one鈥檚 thinking with others,鈥� she said.

鈥淗ere, students learn from one another,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e engage perspectives across our fields and practice the kind of communication and collaboration that will shape our lives beyond today and this semester.鈥�

Career fair

Students connect with local employers at a career fair in the Hall of Nations on Thursday.

A new addition to this year鈥檚 ACE Festival was a career fair held Thursday inside the University Commons Hall of Nations. The event, hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office, gave students a chance to interact directly with employers, connect with alumni professionals, explore career options, and pursue internships or jobs.

Employers represented a range of industries, including Augusta Health, Merck, Park View Federal Credit Union, and Momentum Earthworks. 

One of those employers was Kirby Dean 鈥�92, director of parks and recreation for Rockingham County. He previously served as head coach of the 黑料正能量 men鈥檚 basketball team for 15 years, leading the 鈥淩unnin鈥� Royals鈥� to the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Although his department didn鈥檛 have any full-time job openings, he said he鈥檚 always hiring part-time workers to staff the rec center desk, rake fields during baseball tournaments, or mow grass. He said the career fair was a great way to build relationships and connect with students.

鈥淚 feel like there are just good kids here,鈥� Dean said. 鈥淭hey were good when I went here from 1988 to 1992, they were good when I coached here from 2003 to 2018, and they鈥檙e good now. They鈥檙e the kind of people I鈥檓 generally looking for.鈥�

Another employer at the career fair represented the local school division. Jeron Baker, assistant director of human resources for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, said the division typically looks to fill between 50 and 60 jobs each year, mostly teaching positions in math, science, elementary education, and English Language Learner (ELL) classes.

The former associate director of 黑料正能量 admissions said 黑料正能量 graduates have a natural understanding of the diversity and complexity within Harrisonburg鈥檚 student community.

鈥淭hey sense the nuances of the human component and understand that education is not just about outcomes, but about process,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he process of knowing our students more deeply and understanding their systems more fully鈥攊t鈥檚 just something that comes naturally to 黑料正能量 students.鈥�

黑料正能量 60% of students in the city鈥檚 public schools speak Spanish at home, Baker said, and 50 to 60 languages are spoken by students across its two high schools. 

鈥満诹险芰库�檚 ability to create cross-cultural experiences for its students while also bringing in international populations helps students develop cultural competency in ways that are unique to 黑料正能量,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat supports our populations, our students, our families, and the broader vision HCPS has for its students.鈥�

In an last week, 黑料正能量 sophomore Francisco Rodriguez said the event offered him a chance to look at a lot of different career paths.

鈥淪ales is a big passion of mine,鈥� he told the newspaper, 鈥渂ut understanding there are other options available here, it鈥檚 really nice to be able to check it all out.鈥�

Presentations

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PHOTO: Senior nursing majors Emily Guin, Kristina Suslaev, and Reina Landa give a presentation on the effects of social media use on mental health in children and adolescents. | Senior engineering major Levi Stutzman discusses gentrification trends in Washington D.C. and Denver during a poster session at the Suter Science Center. | Chase Comer, a senior majoring in political science and history, presents research on shifting voting patterns in Virginia鈥檚 Buchanan and Rockingham counties. 

Students from a wide range of majors presented their academic research Thursday in oral presentations and poster sessions across campus. Topics included the concentration of antioxidants in cinnamon bark, the effect of data centers on surrounding infrastructure and resources, the relationship between trauma and homelessness, and the impact of immigration enforcement on local communities.

Senior Emily Guin, part of a group of nursing majors presenting at Martin Chapel early Thursday morning, said her favorite thing about the ACE Festival was attending other presentations and supporting her peers. 鈥淚 feel like I learn something new at every presentation,鈥� she said. For instance, she said that last year she learned childhood obesity rates in Harrisonburg were higher than the national average.

Guin will work at Inova Fairfax Hospital鈥檚 Emergency Department after graduation. Her group presented on the relationship between social media use among children and adolescents and their emotional well-being and mental health. She said they researched the topic because of how relevant and new it is. 

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 crazy how impactful social media is, both positive and negative,鈥� Guin said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine growing up in such a digital time now. It makes me feel so old to say that, but I can鈥檛 fathom having everything posted on social media.鈥�

Like many students on campus, engineering senior Levi Stutzman had a busy day of presentations. He was part of a cohort that tracked 黑料正能量鈥檚 carbon emissions and presented findings showing the university is not on track to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 (as outlined in its Climate Action Plan).

He also delivered a poster presentation analyzing census data from 2000 and 2020 for areas of Washington D.C. and Denver to chart gentrification in those cities. Later that afternoon, he and three other students gave an engineering capstone presentation on a 鈥渟ingle-axis shake table鈥� they designed to simulate sesmic movement and its impact on structures. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to show off your projects and see what everyone else is working on,鈥� Stutzman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a special time of the year.鈥�

Another engineering major, junior Micah Mast, presented a 3D printer he revived and upgraded. 黑料正能量 purchased the printer, a Makerbot Replicator+, in 2018. Because the machine鈥檚 parts and software were discontinued, it had largely been unused for several years. 

鈥淚t was always the printer nobody wanted to use because the prints were low quality,鈥� Mast said. 鈥淚t just kind of sat there.鈥�

For his project, he replaced the printer鈥檚 proprietary control system with modern open-source electronics, resulting in improved print quality, a faster workflow, and long-term serviceability, all for about $150. The upgraded MakerBot adds a fourth working printer to 黑料正能量鈥檚 collection. 

鈥淭his goes along with sustainability, using things that otherwise would鈥檝e essentially been thrown in the trash,鈥� he said. 

Mast said his favorite thing about the ACE Festival is showing the rest of the school what he spent an entire semester working toward.

鈥淭here were countless hours of trying to get it to do what it鈥檚 doing right now,鈥� he said, pointing to the machine, which was successfully printing tugboats known as the 鈥�3DBenchy鈥� test print.

Art exhibition

Senior art students Donovan Arnason, Daisy Buller, Hollyn Miller, Jasmin Ruiz, and Allie Watkins presented their capstone projects during an opening reception Thursday afternoon at the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The exhibition will remain on display through May 1.

Student recital

A student recital at Lehman Auditorium featured performances by vocalists Mac Rhodes-Lehman (bass) and Eli Stoll (baritone), pianists Rafael de Tablan and Micah Wenger, violinist Miriam Rhodes, violist Monica Ehrenfels, flautist Nina Dunsmore, and guitarist and vocalist Erin Yoder (alto). The musicians were accompanied by Harold Bailey and Dominic Baldoni on piano.

A wind ensemble concert was held that evening, followed by a university choir concert on Friday as part of the weeklong ACE Festival lineup. View recordings of those concerts on the .

Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation

The 17th annual Authors鈥� Reception and Award Presentation recognized and celebrated the winners of 黑料正能量鈥檚 Excellence in Teaching Awards. Faculty members Dr. Ryan Good, Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas, and Kevin Carini were announced as this year鈥檚 recipients. 

Click the post below for testimonials about each recipient, the winners of the student writing and academic awards, and the faculty and student authors recognized for their published scholarly works.

Keynote address

A keynote address by Dr. Deborah Lawrence, chief scientist at Calyx Global, opened the ACE Festival on Wednesday morning. Lawrence, who taught at the University of Virginia as an environmental sciences professor for more than 25 years, reflected on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 黑料正能量鈥檚 Common Read this year, and spoke about her research on forests in Borneo, Mexico, and around the world. 

Read our recap of her address below:

The ACE Festival is hosted by the Provost鈥檚 Office and made possible by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Center for Interfaith Engagement; and the Daniel B. Suter Endowment, which supports 黑料正能量鈥檚 commitment to fostering curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning. 

For a full schedule of ACE Festival events, visit .

Photos by Aric Berg and Jon Styer/At Ease Consulting