Stephen E. Silliman, dean of Gonzaga University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, will discuss “Reflections on Water in Benin, West Africa” at 10 a.m. on Nov. 19 in the McCarthey Athletic Center’s Herak Room. Sponsored by the Greater Gonzaga Guild, the free event is open to the public.
A groundwater hydrologist, Silliman has traveled to Benin annually for more than 15 years to collaborate with experts at its national university on water resource management issues in both large cities and villages. In his former role as a professor and department chair at the University of Notre Dame, and continuing as a Gonzaga dean, Silliman’s efforts to ensure safe drinking water for the people of Benin continues his professional focus on working for the common good.
In this lecture, Silliman will discuss what it takes to prepare engineering and science students to work in developing countries.
Silliman holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Princeton University, and earned both a master’s of science and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona – both in hydrology. He has published and presented extensively on both groundwater flow and transport processes, and on engineering education.
The Greater Gonzaga Guild is dedicated to raising awareness of Gonzaga’s scholarly and cultural contributions to the region. The Guild is open to all people interested in learning, according to a press release.
