From Utah to Panama Following a Humanitarian Call

Author: Lorella Angelini, Angelini Consulting Services, LLC

Do engineers have a warm heart? Yes and a generous one!
Behind their notoriously serious face, engineers have a generous attitude, which responds to their social call. At the core of their work there is a dedication to servicing the communities by designing sound structures that are safe and last long, even in difficult environmental conditions.

A story that underlines engineers’ generous attitude is being written by Joshua Sletten, bridge management engineer with Utah DOT. Leaving temporarily aside his responsibility of managing bridges across the state, Joshua has taken the commitment of building a 150-foot suspension bridge in Luna, Panama, thus replacing the rickety, life-threatening bridge that is currently used by the local population.

Joshua will lead a 10-person volunteer team with “Bridges to Prosperity”. This non-profit organization based in Colorado has an inspiring mission, which entails providing isolated communities with access to essential health care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers.

LINKAGE
Information and a video about Joshua Sletten project in Panama can be seen here:
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=38846775&nid=148
Information about Bridges to Prosperity non-profit organization can be found here:
http://bridgestoprosperity.org/
https://www.facebook.com/BridgestoProsperity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridges_to_Prosperity