With their project “Resilient Water Smart Group,” students Catalina Orellana and Alejandro Daza from the Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering emerged as winners of the 2025 edition of AQUA 365. Their innovative proposal exceeded the jury’s expectations, supported by a compelling pitch developed with the guidance and mentorship of the FING Innovation Center team.
The Faculty’s Vice Dean of Teaching, Dr. Karina A. Barbosa, welcomed the winners and highlighted AQUA 365 as a transformative, cross-disciplinary course available to all students as a curricular or extracurricular option. “This challenge was integrated into the Faculty after seeing our students’ proactive involvement with Engineering Without Borders,” explained Dr. Barbosa. “We decided to formalize the process by developing a cross-disciplinary course that supports the educational journey of our engineers. We are deeply invested in this challenge because it directly addresses the global crisis of water access and sustainability.”
Empathy and Environmental Stewardship: Keys to Success
Catalina Orellana and Alejandro Daza, Chemical Engineering students with a long-standing commitment to community issues, developed a project designed to equip the water treatment plant in Lo Ovalle with advanced telemetry equipment. Their proposal stood out for its primary focus on operator safety—a critical gap in many rural water systems.
“Currently, many systems operate under low safety standards. Our solution involves implementing contingency and emergency operating manuals, but primarily focuses on remote telemetry so the operator can monitor tower levels safely,” explained Catalina. Alejandro highlighted another distinguishing factor: the strategic partnership with Xylem, a global leader in water technology. “Xylem is well-established in water-related issues and pumping equipment. They will assist us in implementing protocols and manuals that ensure a safer, more reliable operation for the community,” he added.
Both students note that this four-month experience provided a profound insight into the reality faced by many Chileans who still lack continuous, safe access to drinking water. They highly value the opportunity to propose a student-led solution that will achieve a tangible impact and be fully implemented to benefit the entire Lo Ovalle community.
Role of the Faculty Innovation Center: Winning Pitch Methodology
To wrap up this story, these final paragraphs highlight the "Usach hallmark" of social-purpose engineering and the specific role of the FING Innovation Center. I have maintained the structure while refining the SEO to emphasize entrepreneurship, pitch development, and technology transfer.
SEO-Refined & Professional Version
Catalina Orellana and Alejandro Daza credit much of their success to the support of the FING Innovation Center. “The University and the Faculty provide an extensive toolkit for creating versatile solutions. However, having a clear solution is one thing; conveying it effectively is another. The Innovation Center team was absolutely crucial in helping us refine our pitch and communicate our vision properly,” noted Alejandro.
The students share this achievement with the Center’s leadership, including Lorena Victoria Durán (Head of the Center), Walter Valdés (Innovation Manager), and Franco Meza (Entrepreneurship Manager). The team is already exploring funding opportunities to scale the project. “We want to expand this implementation to other Rural Drinking Water (APR) systems in Chile. That is the Usach hallmark—making high-level engineering accessible to the people,” Catalina emphasized.
Lorena Victoria Durán noted that the Faculty specifically requested the Center’s support to strengthen the business and entrepreneurship components of the AQUA 365 projects. “We see immense value in Usach’s ability to generate innovative solutions, but a powerful pitch is often the deciding factor in securing a win. Our Center remains open to all students looking to promote proposals with high social value,” she stated.
Walter Valdés, who mentored the students on their presentation, highlighted the importance of differentiation. “The key was providing extensive feedback to help them stand out from the competition. They gained clarity on their core concepts and learned to use our specialized tools to build a compelling, professional pitch,” he explained.
The FING Innovation Center manages several programs where pitch development and project scaling are central. With significant accumulated expertise, the Center provides essential tools to support student-led innovation across the entire University.
Technical Expertise and Social Awareness
“This is an achievement that fills us with pride, both as a department and as a faculty,” said Dr. José Luis Salazar, Director of the Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering. He emphasized that Catalina Orellana and Alejandro Daza were recognized because they embody the technical excellence and social awareness that define future FING engineers. “Their performance is a clear example of the professionals we aim to train: individuals with solid technical skills, deep social consciousness, and a steadfast commitment to public service,” he added.
Valentina Muñoz, coordinator of the Engineering Without Borders movement and a member of the AQUA 365 organizing team, highlighted the project's broad impact. “We are concluding a highly successful cycle, with six finalist teams from prestigious institutions, including the University of Santiago, the University of Chile, and Federico Santa María University.” She also extended an invitation to the wider student body: “We encourage students from all engineering disciplines to participate. Building multidisciplinary teams allows us to develop truly impactful solutions. This course is offered annually, and we invite you to join a process that fosters deep empathy with the community while working on high-stakes, real-world projects.”