Meet the Team

Meet the Team

From left to right: Meghan Elwell, Kelsey McMenamy, Michael Krause, Owen Butler, Ryan LeFevre

Contact Us

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or inquiries about our project.  We can be reached by email at CT09Plan@wpi.edu until May 2011.  After that, please direct all emails to ctpc@wpi.edu.

About the Team Members

Owen Butler

I am a Mechanical Engineering junior from Westford, Massachusetts. On campus I am an officer in the WPI Social Committee, Habitat for Humanity, Ultimate Frisbee, and my fraternity, Phi Kappa Theta. I enjoy doing community service, and as a result Cape Town Project Center was my first choice. The opportunity to make a lasting impact on a less fortunate community while gaining practical, real world experience was unparalleled by other centers. The geography and climate of South Africa did not hurt either. I have taken full advantage of these by going on numerous hikes and joining the local ultimate league. I am excited by what our project can accomplish, laying a foundation for future research and redevelopment. In addition, I am thankful for all that I have learned through work on the project and collaboration with so many professionals in different areas of urban planning and engineering.

Meghan Elwell

I am currently a junior at WPI, majoring in International Studies and minoring in Law and Technology.  On campus, I’m an officer in Alpha Xi Delta Women’s Fraternity, Iota Xi Chapter, very active in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Worcester, a radio DJ on WWPI Campus Radio, and a member of the Women’s Rugby Team.  I also enjoy backpacking, seeing live music, cooking, and painting.  The Cape Town Project Center was the first, and perfect choice for me because I sought an IQP Program that was philanthropically minded and outside the realm of the 9-5 workday world.  Although my unusual major puts me far outside the realm of the engineering world, I have been able to utilize my unique strengths to the group’s advantage while simultaneously becoming more aware of what engineering entails.  Additionally, seeing the living conditions of the residents of Monwabisi Park has further fueled my interest in international human rights, a field of legal studies I hope to pursue.  I am very excited about the proposals we have made and project milestones we have accomplished, and can only hope that what we have created will add to the WPI collective effort of redeveloping Monwabisi Park into a safe and sustainable home for its residents.

Ryan LeFevre

I am currently a junior at WPI majoring in Computer Science.  At school I have been involved in numerous activities such as community service with the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, Ultimate Frisbee, and the Motorsports Club.  I have a part time job in the field of web development that I work on year round.  I am the Lead Web Developer and Systems Administrator of an upcoming website named UniFaction.  I am also the main developer for the Cape Town Project Centre website.  Back when we had to choose which project center we wanted to attend, Cape Town appealed to me the most because it seemed like the project with the biggest possible impact on others.  Being able to work closely with the residents of Monwabisi Park to try and secure a better future has been an exceptional experience.  After visiting the settlement in person numerous times, and after making friends with many of the residents, pushing forward on the project has become one of personal motivation as well as scholarly motivation.  Working on projects that are so different from my major has been a refreshing experience that has really broadened my knowledge in more ways than one.  I can only hope that our work in Cape Town will push forward the redevelopment process as fast as possible for the residents of Monwabisi Park.

Kelsey McMenamy

I’m currently a junior at WPI, class of 2011, majoring in Civil Engineering and minoring in Spanish.  The Cape Town Project Centre was my first choice for the Interactive Qualifying Project.  Cape Town intrigued me because the projects in this Project Centre seemed meaningful and fun.  It was obvious that I would be positively impacting people’s lives at Monwabisi Park.  In addition, South Africa is a place I would probably never have the opportunity to visit again.  As a Civil Engineering student, the Mapping and Urban Planning project caught my eye since it involves Civil aspects.  I have learned a lot about urban planning throughout my time working in the city and the informal settlement that will further my knowledge in my field.  I am hopeful that the proposals written and the research done in the last couple of months by our team will be considered by the city and the implementation process in Monwabisi Park will be begin as soon as possible. Our direct positive impact in Monwabisi Park has been evident, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity of working with the residents, the city, our sponsors, the advisors, and the other students of WPI.