Professor Jim O'Brien: VESL's Backbone

When it comes to the Villanova Engineering Service Learning program, there are always plenty of incredible stories to tell. The one story that had yet to be written, however, is about Professor Jim O’Brien. “Jim is the backbone of the VESL program and his commitment to working with students and program partners is absolutely inspiring,” says Dr. Jordan Ermilio, VESL director.

Jim O’Brien ’71 CE, ’77 MSME, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering since 1982, has been serving internationally with Villanova students since the very beginning. "My first project was in Panama over winter break 1992-93," he says. In the 27 years since O’Brien has traveled to Nicaragua, Haiti, Thailand, Madagascar and Ghana—about 35 trips in all. “Jim is selflessly always ready and willing to go wherever he’s needed," acknowledges Dr. Ermilio.

The admiration is clearly mutual. “I want to be sure that everyone understands that Jordan is the force behind Villanova Engineering Service Learning,” O’Brien emphasizes. “His dedication and hard work have developed VESL into an exemplary program—in my opinion, one of the best in the country—benefitting a great number of Villanova engineering students, as well as many communities and organizations worldwide.”

When asked about his most memorable VESL experience, O’Brien struggles to name just one. “Most are connected to the wonderful people we have met in communities." He recalls a local farming family taking him into their home when he was not feeling well and offering him what little they had in the way of food and drink, racing the local priest on horseback across a field in a rural community (and losing badly), and women lined up to fill their water needed,” acknowledges Dr. Ermilio. containers with newly available clean water. The most important and enduring image, however, is “students using their engineering education to solve problems with creative local solutions.”

O’Brien says: “At Villanova we want students to graduate understanding that they have a moral responsibility to improve the world and the lives of the people in it. This is especially important for engineers. These trips and the work associated with them give students experience using engineering for the betterment of mankind, and in the process of serving, they generally find that they gain more than they give."

Jim O'Brien, Waslala, Nicaragua, 2009