Austin Mitchell sits on the couch of his Pittsburgh apartment, dismayed by the television coverage of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Globs of tar balls lay scattered on the beaches. Sea birds, slathered in the thick, dark oil that has devastated their habitat, struggle under the weight, unable to clean their feathers. They're left flightless in the oil-drenched wetlands, trapped in the mire. The Carnegie Mellon student wishes he could travel to the Gulf to help the clean-up effort. But he is a doctoral candidate in Engineering and Public Policy. He can't just pick up and leave.
As the weeks pass, the narrative of the oil spill story changes. Many of the relief efforts that have been amassed aren't reaching the Gulf at all, hampered by disorganization and bureaucratic red tape. This is particularly frustrating to Mitchell and his classmates, whose reason for studying public policy as it relates to engineering is, in part, to help develop systems and put policies in place that avoid these types of pitfalls.
Mitchell's frustration has an outlet when he receives an email from his department asking for volunteers for an event on the Pittsburgh campus. A gathering at the Scaife Garden would soon be assembling much-needed supplies to send to the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery, whose volunteers are working overtime near Venice, La., washing and cleaning the feathers of endangered brown pelicans. It's all part of a larger campaign titled "Pelican Plight: Saving the Bayou Birds," and it's an opportunity for Mitchell to get involved with a venture that will directly impact the Gulf and its wildlife. He marks his calendar.
When the packing day arrives, he is among the group stuffing Dawn soap, rubber gloves, and paper towels (donated by local businesses) into boxes, readying them for shipment. The volunteer effort takes on a festive atmosphere that is filled with hope. Preschoolers are teeming around, adding handmade "get well" cards to send along to the pelicans. "Iceburgh," the mascot of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, is also on hand, entertaining the children. When the packing is completed, Mitchell is pleased: "It was great knowing all these supplies would soon be headed to those who need it most."
For the endeavor, the university won a 2010 Communitas Award, a national award, given by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals. It recognizes efforts that create a better world through volunteerism; investment; and ethical, sustainable business practices.
-Kevin O'Connell
