Technology and Global Health: Closing the Loop: Evan Thomas at TEDxSantaCruz

Director of the Sweet (Sustainable Water, Energy and Environmental Technologies) Laboratory at Portland State University, Assistant Professor and PhD Evan Thomas lays out an innovative approach to solving some of humanity's most intractable problems related to public health.

This TEDxSantaCruz talk is one of 22 surrounding our theme of "Activate" at the third full-day TEDxSantaCruz event held March 8, 2014 at the Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz, CA.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Evan A Thomas, PhD, PE, MPH, is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Sweet (Sustainable Water, Energy and Environmental Technologies) Laboratory, at Portland State University. Evan works at the interface of engineering, environmental health and social business. Evan holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder, is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Environmental Engineering in the State of Texas, and holds a Masters in Public Health from the Oregon Health and Science University. Previously, Evan worked as an aerospace engineer at the NASA-Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. At Portland State the SweetLab focuses on remotely accessible instrumented monitoring technologies designed to improve the collection of evidence in global health programs. Evan is also the Chief Operating Officer of DelAgua Health, a social enterprise working with the Government of Rwanda to implement a water treatment and improved cookstove program for 600,000 households.