Stephen Mecca has been a Professor in the Department of Engineering- Physics-Systems at Providence College for some 40 years, during which time he has held a number of administrative appointments including that of Academic Vice President of the College.  He is a Visiting Scholar at the University of Ghana and a Trustee of Radford University in Ghana.  He holds a doctorate in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has served as a consultant to government and industry, has authored and coauthored numerous articles and three books in the fields of Systems Analysis, Energy Management and Computer Science.  During the past decade, his work in applied physics and systems has focused on Water Resource Management, Coastal Processes, rural water and sanitation.  He has worked on projects and studies for NATO, the US Department of Energy and NASA.  Dr. Mecca was a founding member, chairman and Board Director of TIMES2, a program to augment the number of qualified students in the STEM disciplines; he is Chairman of  the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission having been appointed by the past four Governors of the state.  Twenty-five years ago he co-founded and served for 15 years as Chairman of Genlex, a Rhode Island corporation specializing in computer software systems and services in the vertical area of law.  He has served as a consultant for the Rhode Island Bar Association and its Computer Research Committee and has contributed to the Association's Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program on law office automation.  His current work includes teaching and research on: systems dynamics applied to environmental engineering, water resource management and education.  During the past 4 years he has focused on the development of a well functioning affordable toilet system for rural communities in the developing world; working with a colleague in Ghana and the Ghana Sustainable Aid Project GSAP) under a Grand Challenges Award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation he has prototyped Microflush-Biofil Toilets in Ghana.   Steve is a member, past president and current International and Foundation Chair of the Jamestown Rotary Club.  He is active in GSAP’s programs in Ghana supporting literacy, the retention of girls in school, community WATSAN and hygeine.  Steve and his wife, Linda, have three children (Lisa, Stephen and Michael) and six granddaughters (Hannah, Alyssa, Kendra, Camille, Sophia and Sydney); his family home is in Jamestown, Rhode Island.