Xiomi Ortiz, Context Before Engineering – Learning from a Community-Led Water Project in the Navajo Nation
Description: Access to water remains a major challenge for many Native communities in the U.S., but solutions require more than technical expertise. This presentation shares work in Bodaway Gap, Navajo Nation, where initial assumptions about drinking water need to shift through direct community engagement. Water for livestock—vital for subsistence and cultural identity—proved to be the most urgent concern.
Bio: Xiomi Ortiz is a civil engineer with a minor in environmental and sanitation engineering and diverse experience in Bolivia. She graduated after completing a degree project on software development for concrete design. Later, she joined Engineers In Action (EIA), first as an intern designing projects and later as a project manager, leading water and sanitation initiatives with EWB teams, Rotary Grants, UMCOR, among others, with a focus on rural communities. A key experience was collaborating with UIUC engineers, including Dr. Ann Witmer, which strengthened her understanding of contextual engineering and its impact on project success. She applied these lessons by ensuring that community needs and input guided her projects. Currently, Xiomi is pursuing a Master’s in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at UIUC, researching a water storage system for livestock in Bodaway Gap, Navajo Nation, emphasizing contextual engineering and stakeholder collaboration to design sustainable, community-driven solutions.