Awards and Recognitions
Before Resilient Communities came into existence it was a concept striven for by Eastman since his fourth year in undergraduate school. After entering the Peace Corps' Master's International Program, he kept this vision with every encounter made and every project's success and failure. Creating a network of motivated and passionate individuals that shared his vision. After an accumulation of 11 years of patient hard work and dedication, recognition began to come back to him. Supporting him to finally create his passions into a potential career through Resilient Communities, and this is only the beginning...
2018-2019 Fulbright U.S. Student Program
While writing his thesis, Eastman applied for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in Morocco. He was awarded with a research grant and a language award, which he will study 6 months of Classical Arabic and carry out data gathering workshops for the final 9 months until December of 2019. The U.S. Student Program is available to recent graduates interested in either teaching or performing research. In Morocco, it is organized by the Moroccan-American Commission for Cultural and Education Exchange.
2018 Graduate Student Expo
In 2018, Eastman set-up and presented his thesis project display at the Graduate Student Poster Expo where the display won 1st place for Arts & Humanities.
2018 Elevator Pitch Competition - 2nd Place
The University of Cincinnati's College of Business hosts an annual Elevator Pitch Competition, in which entrepreneurs set up a display and pitch their business ideas or projects to passing judges for a chance to win grant money to launch their ideas. Eastman set up a display showing the pottery kiln project and proposed sewage plant project that was still being developed under the name of Resilient Communities. We were competing against other non-profit ventures and although we received praise on the projects and time invested in Morocco, Resilient Communities ultimately placed 2nd.
2017 DAAPcares Award
The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati has an end of the year project showcase of final year students. The projects and displays are judged within in each of the four colleges for the DAAPworks award and the DAAPcares award. The DAAPcares award goes to the best humanitarian and philanthropic projects. Eastman's kiln project won the DAAPcares award for the School of Planning.
U.S. Peace Corps & School of Planning
Master's International Program
From 2012 to 2018, Eastman enrolled in a partner graduate program between the University of Cincinnati's School of Planning and the Peace Corps Master's International Program. During this time he took one year of classes, 27-months PC, and returned for his final year of classes and an additional year for his thesis. This unique opportunity allowed Eastman to create many projects while in country, UC capstone projects, and the basis for his thesis. The program was discontinued in 2016.
