An upper level business class is working on a project to help impoverished families in developing countries by researching alternative lighting. The class is taught by Dr. Monty Lynn, associate dean in the college of business administration, and focuses on international poverty and development.

“This is a hands-on project,” Lynn said. “We’re using it as both a vehicle for us to learn about development and as a chance for us to share some of what we’ve learned in a way that benefits people.”

The project is aimed at alleviating health concerns that come with the use of kerosene lamps, which are common in homes in developing countries, by implementing alternative lighting sources. The class is researching solar-powered lighting along with several other kinds of alternative lighting in order to take a first-hand look at how to solve this problem.

“Our plan is to build a display on the second floor of the business building up in the hallway in the middle of the atrium area,” Lynn said.  The display will include at least three different lights that we’ve researched.”

Part of the project will include purchasing and building alternative light sources before testing them based on a variety of criteria to look at how they could be implemented in developing countries.

Whitley Lindholm, junior business management major from Pflugerville, and Chuck Duarte, senior business management major form El Paso, are two students who are working on the project.

“It’s a huge class effort to look into areas of impoverished nations where the lack of electricity has become a major factor in people’s lives,” Lindholm said. “We’re looking at ways to help solve this problem.”

“I think it’s really cool that we’re learning things in class that don’t just benefit us,” Duarte said. “These alternative lighting strategies can help improve peoples lives on the other side of the world.”