Phone: 915-494-4628
Email: click here
Website: www.sunstar-solutions.com
D.O.B.: 07/21/1970
Self-Employed Owner/Manager and Researcher/Investigator
in numerous fields. Full time Student (graduation in March, 2010). In 2008
began part-time grant writing and work on contract as "Organizing Assistant"
with Border Interfaith (Laid off Jan, 2009 due to economic downturn). Ran an online
alternative energy (solar) business, SunStar Solutions, which included sales (business
website/eBay store/auctions) and service (consulting, product installations) from
2001-2005, then revamping (presently being worked on as time permits) of website to
eliminate most of sales/service (except for e-booklets), and include anthropology,
geology, solar energy and indigenous building design, and other informational data, will
serve as hub for all facets of topics and interests, research, social justice, cultural
studies, etc. Self-taught Webmaster/Webmistress, Writer/Author
of “How-to” alternative energy, practical application instruction booklets, Speaker/Lecturer
at public functions/meetings, hosting, coordination, and implementation of public
workshops on various topics.
Specializations:
Solar Water Distillation Projects in Colonias - Occasional contracts received for solar water purification projects (as Project Manager) from the El Paso Solar Energy Association (“EPSEA” a 501 (c)(3) non-profit org.) to coordinate, implement, and manage grant projects in Colonias (poor and unincorporated communities lacking infrastructure) in US/Mexico border areas. Grants received by EPSEA to ensure water quality safety and use by locals with border health issues and water problems (removal of unsafe levels of fluoride, arsenic, bacteria (i.e. coliform, etc.), micro-organisms (i.e. giardia, etc.), chlorine taste, salts, sand, rust, sediments, heavy metals, etc.) through the use of solar water distillers. Solar water purification (distillers/stills) project covered the public outreach/ meetings/ information & applications/ teaching/ consulting/ installation/ inspection/ follow-ups of stills use including reporting to funders (reports included expense reports, tables/comparisons, still recipient information, etc.). Expertise includes direct field experience of over 100 stills installed in the colonias and areas of west TX, southern NM, and Juarez, Mexico on these bi-national collaborative efforts. Occasional training of Assistants in the field. Sales of solar water distillers (individual size to community-sized units) made available online (since discontinued) to the public through personal business “SunStar Solutions” on business website.
Community Organizing: Border
Interfaith - In June 2007 I immersed myself
in a summer Internship with BI (Border Interfaith – a community organizing IAF
affiliate) through UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso).
I was part of several BI committees, but focused heavily the Canutillo Water
Project, which dealt with rural water problems. This
geographic area is located in the valley by the Rio Grande river, northwest of and just
outside the city limits of El Paso. Farms
(with high irrigation use), owner-built houses, mom-and-pop businesses, and old adobe and
cinderblock homes dot the area. Geologically,
the unincorporated town of Canutillo lies in the valley west of the fault-block Franklin
Mountains. Although located within the
Cenozoic Rio Grande rift, earthquakes above a 2.0 are very rare (most are felt at the
epicenter capital of Socorro, NM 178 miles north). Due
to the active rift, and earlier deformation from the Laramide orogeny, the fault lines in
the area have a north-south trend. Canutillo
lies over the Mesilla bolson (basin) where the groundwater is recharged by faults (and the
Rio Grande is a losing stream), and is one of two aquifers that serve El Paso. Salinity is an increasing problem in the region,
and rainfall averages 8 inches/year. Summer
monsoons and overflowing arroyos brought a devastating flood to Canutillo and surrounding
areas in 2006. Focus was on the people and
water issues so I attended and helped run community meetings toward obtaining clean (city)
water to this poverty-stricken area with contaminated wells (average 100’ deep). Problems included leaky septic tanks/cesspools,
chemical runoff, and other problems. For my
project I implemented techniques I had learned from applied anthropology, including
ethnographic methods in residential interviews, neighborhood surveys, RRA/PRA training,
social mapping, meetings with political figures, and more.
My report (with graphs) follows here: http://www.sunstar-solutions.com/Canutillowaterproject.htm
I continue my efforts in social justice as the Social Justice Committee Chair through my
church at UUCEP (Unitarian Universalist Community of El Paso): http://www.uuelpaso.org/socialjustice.html
Other
Interests/Hobbies/Experience: Personal Statement...
FULL TIME distance learning student in post-secondary courses started Fall 2008, baccalaureate Social Science major with a concentration in Anthropology, Ashford University. Have earned a Certificate in Applied Anthropology at UTEP... No longer a UTEP student.
PART TIME: Contract work editing, data entry, etc. for Kingdom Bible Studies Nov, 2008-Present.
AS TIME PERMITS: Solar energy business (online: www.sunstar-solutions.com ) sales and service (this dept. of SunStar Solutions shut down as of June 2005 to be replaced by research and informational dept. as teaching tool, and sales of solar How-To booklets - revamped. Some of the new editions available as e-books on www.lulu.com/sunstarangel/ ). Various cultural studies and articles.
AS TIME PERMITS: Self-directed (multiple topics) research and investigation, online and in the field, independent volunteer work (1999 - Present) and social justice volunteer work (Social Justice Committee Chair at UUCEP: http://www.uuelpaso.org/socialjustice.html).
AS TIME PERMITS: Volunteer research and investigations with the AARF (American Anthropological Research Foundation - 2005-Present),
Contract work as full-time Office Manager for Kingdom Bible Studies (Publisher www.kingdombiblestudies.org ) until April, 2008. Duties included management of general office and warehouse requirements, website updates and management, email list coordination/mailings, inventory checking/ordering, processing mail, computer data entry, miscellaneous office work, telephone answering, and packaging/shipping of printed materials. Contracted work is one dept. of self-employed sole proprietorship SunStar Solutions.
Began spring of 2007 - Began with volunteer work that turned into
part-time contract work as Organizing Assistant with IAF (Industrial Areas
Foundation) affiliate, BI (DBA Border Interfaith (WIA: Westside Interfaith
Alliance)). BI is a non-profit 501(c)3 group of volunteers from different ethnic,
class, and religious backgrounds working together for the common goal of helping
individuals and families/groups, teaching them, and assisting in issues of social
justice.
From Nov., 2008 - Grant Writing (laid off in Jan, 2009 due to economic downturn
and unforeseen circumstances).
Contract work for part-time clerical job as Secretary at Kingdom Bible Studies (Publisher) including processing mail, computer data entry, miscellaneous office work, telephone answering, and packaging/shipping of printed materials.
Oct 1989 – Dec 2002
Volunteer work on the Board of Directors
for the El Paso Solar Energy Association (EPSEA) with annual positions held including Board
Member (1989, 1999, 2002), Secretary (1990-1993), Satellite Newsletter
Article Author (1993-1995), Vice-President (2000), [first female] President
(2001), Project Manager (2000-2002), Newsletter Editor (2000-2001), and Newsletter
Mailing List Coordinator (2000-2001). Attended
monthly board meetings, served as Earth Day Planning Committee Member (2001), and
assisted/directed in multi-tasking both publicly and within the Association. Attended educational booths at museums, Earth Day
and other public functions, etc. promoting solar and other alternative energies. Assisted in conducting “Build a solar water
distiller” workshops, and demonstrated use of solar ovens, solar water distillers,
etc.
Supporting article on past projects: http://www.txses.org/reflector/reflector-summer-2001.pdf
BorderPACT/CONAHEC
Solar Distiller Project Report with water issues tables, photos, project details: http://www.sunstar-solutions.com/BorderpactFINALreport.htm
Specializations:
Various R&D of alternative
energy, alternative construction techniques, and alternative living styles (independent
indigenous communities). Some of the topics
include solar water distiller construction, solar room heaters, trombe walls, solar rock
storage heat units, solar ovens, solar food dryers, passive solar house design, straw bale
construction, adobe blocks, fibrous cement blocks (papercrete/fibercrete), fidobe,
geodesic domes, monolithic dome ceilings, hydroponics/raised-bed/organic gardening,
composting, composting toilets/drying toilets, gray-water systems, rain-catching systems,
shallow well issues, homesteading, raising small animal livestock, urban-sprawl &
poverty, Colonia issues, water purification and health, desalination of sea water, etc.
Long term, part-time, hands-on construction
of passive solar straw bale house shell (load-bearing compression-tension walls)
with green-treated lumber/gravel alternative foundation and recycled
materials/doors/windows. Assisted Dave Carter
(Instructor at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE) teach/host a straw bale
construction workshop for hands-on experience by students/attendees (taught through
University of Nebraska at Lincoln). Newspaper
article on this work posted in the Banner-Press Newspaper, David City, NE, Oct 16, 1997. Was a Resource Library/List Committee Member
for the Straw Bale Association of Nebraska (SBAN) 1998-1999 and assisted with straw bale
workshops/tours.
Hands-on projects including designing and
construction of composting toilets (CT’s) with published CT picture/testimony
titled “A homemade self-contained composting toilet in Nebraska” in “The
Composting Toilet System Book” (© 2000, revised version, by David Del Porto
& Carol Steinfeld, pg. 134) covering non-urine diversion CT. CT construction mini-workshop taught with urine-diversion
CT constructed & donated by students. Consulted
independently (volunteer) on research for solar CT’s for Jay Graham at the Center for
Environmental Research Management (CERM) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) with
support from the TX Secretary of State’s office in 2001 in the promotion of CT’s
(no project funding).
Supporting gallery page: http://sunstar-solutions.com/gallery.htm
Schooling/Courses/Classes/Assisted
Learning
(from age 13 - present)
Space Camp - Level I (1 wk), Astronautics, simulations, etc., Huntsville, AL, 1983
Space Camp - Level II (1 wk), Astronautics, simulations, etc., Huntsville, AL, 1984
Archaeological Dig Volunteer with WRAC
(Withlacoochie River Archaeology Council - See: "
Photography Class, Whispering Pines Park, Florida, 1984
Environmental Camp (1 wk), and won/elected for Advanced Week Session (1 wk), ecology, nature & animals, woodlands survival, etc., Florida, summer, 1985
Adobe Home Construction Course, by Mike
Cormier at UTEP, El Paso, TX 1989
Solar Hot Water Heating Workshop, by Steve
Cook at UTEP Energy Center, El Paso, TX 1990
Manual
Drafting & Design Courses, Core-curriculum, (AutoCADD unfinished
– no degree), 56 Credit Hours earned, GPA 3.66, at El Paso Community College, TX
1990-1992
Energy Analysis and Passive Solar Home Design
Class, Passive Solar Industries Council, Las Cruces, NM 1990
Solar Water Distillation and Construction,
Sharon Eby-Martin, Lane Fisher, El Paso, TX 1992
Straw Bale Construction Workshop, Matts
Myhrman, Out On Bale, (Un) Ltd., and El Paso Solar Energy Association, El Paso, TX May
1993
Owner Built Homes Under $20,000 Course,
Dave Carter, SE Comm. College, Lincoln, NE 1994
Straw Bale Construction Workshop, Dave
Carter SCC/UNL, & Sharon Eby-Martin, Lincoln, NE 1997
Composting Toilet Design, Sharon
Eby-Martin, Lincoln, NE 1998
Website development (beginning status), for Dr. Phil Duke (separately), and Deborah Rayas & Sharon Eby-Martin, 1998
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) week-long Seminar, Derrel Sims, CMHt, R.H.A., hosted & attended by Sharon Eby-Martin, El Paso, TX November, 1999
Website development (self-taught) and Graphic design, for Derrel Sims (alienhunter.org, firstevidence.org), 1999-2001
Workshop on Still Construction, Mike
Cormier, assisted by Sharon Eby-Martin, Renewable Energy Roundup, Fredericksburg, TX 2000
Land & Community Development Volunteer work
with the NAIIC (Native American Independent Indigenous Community), experience in
planning, & getting heavy dozer equipment donated for road-work, as well as adobe
blocks donated, learned & taught on indigenous construction techniques, etc., headed
by Robert "Wolf"
Hands-on experience in solar water
distillation installation/implementation, taught by Robert Foster - NMSU, via
BorderPACT/CONAHEC mini-grant projects for Juarez, Mexico Colonias 2000-2002
Soil and Waste Composting Seminar, (exact
title unknown) hosted by TX Tech, El Paso, TX 2001
How to Build a Solar Water Distiller, Mike
Cormier, Greg Vogel, Billy Amos, and Sharon Eby-Martin, Water Festival Workshop, Columbus,
NM 2001
Papercrete Dome Construction Workshop, John Hall of Starship Enterprises, Gerard Blanchard of Native Earthling World, and Sharon Eby-Martin of SunStar Solutions, El Paso, TX Nov 2002
Webmaster/Webmistress (website development) and Graphic Design at unifiedworlds.com, Sharon Eby, & parascience.com, for Larry E. Arnold, 2003-Present
Anthropology/Sociology & Geology Courses, (Continuing Education), GPA 3.81, at El Paso Community College, TX, Honors Program, President's List, 2004-2005 -- AWARDED ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE (9 December 2005)
Anthropology Courses (Undergraduate), GPA 4.0, University of TX at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, TX (Spring 2006-Present), Honors Society, National Deans List, Phi Kappa Phi, EARNED CERTIFICATE OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY (2007)
Leadership Training Seminar, IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) affiliate Border Interfaith, El Paso, TX Sept 6-8, 2007
Legal Investigation (Center for Legal Studies - online UTEP continuing education course), El Paso, TX Oct 15 - Nov 30, EARNED CERTIFICATE (2007)
Leadership 3-Day Training Seminar, IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) via affiliate Border Interfaith, Phoenix, AZ July 24-26, 2008
Social Science Courses/Major with concentration in Anthropology (Undergraduate - Distance Learning) Ashford University, Clinton, IA (Starting Aug 12, 2008)
Certificates/Awards/Achievements/Degrees
Voted Most Likely To Succeed year-end awards, CRCA (Crystal River Christian Academy), 10th Grade, May 1986
Reiki - Levels I, II, and III (certificates for each level) Lincoln, NE, 1995-1997
Certificate of Appreciation awarded by
Insights El Paso Science Museum for commitment to the youth of the El Paso area at Scientific
Career Day, Nov 9, 2001
Certificate of Appreciation awarded by El
Paso Solar Energy Association (EPSEA) for recognition of 2001 BOARD PRESIDENT
for work in promoting and leading the El Paso Solar Energy Association, given on the 25th
EPSEA Anniversary, April 25, 2003
Associate of Arts Degree, Honors Society, President's List, El Paso Community College, TX, December 9, 2005
The National Dean's List, (certificate) 2005-2006 Edition
Phi Kappa Phi, (membership certificate) University of Texas at El Paso, TX, February 26, 2007
Certificate in Applied Anthropology, (certificate) University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), TX, 2007 - Note: Certificate earned, and letter received from the Chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Dept. at UTEP stating such (certificates are given at time of graduation with BA degree).
Legal Investigation Certificate Course (certificate) Center for Legal Studies - online UTEP continuing education course, El Paso, TX, November, 2007
Deans List, Fall 2008, Summer 2009, Ashford University
Honor Societies
UTEP Honors Society
Phi Kappa Phi (top 7% students in U.S.)
Memberships
Withlacoochie River Archaeology Council (WRAC), Volunteer/member, 1984-1985
El Paso Solar Energy Association Member (EPSEA),
past President (also past Board Member, Secretary, Vice-President, Newsletter Editor),
present general member, on and off from 1989-Present
Straw Bale Association of Nebraska Member (SBAN),
Library/Committee Member, 1998-1999
"Dream Team" Member - Saber Enterprises, Researcher/Investigator, Houston, TX, 1999-2006
Native American Independent Indigenous Community (NAIIC), Volunteer/member, El Paso, TX, 2000-2001
Texas Bigfoot Research Center (TBRC), West Regional Leader, 2003-2007
The American Anthropological Research Foundation (AARF), Volunteer/member, Texas, 2005-Present
VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) at the Paso Del Norte Civil Rights Project, Volunteer (PRAXIS) practicum service-learning, El Paso, TX 2007
Unitarian Universalist Church, UU Community member, & Social Justice Committee Chair, El Paso, TX 2007-Present
Border Interfaith (affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation), Volunteer practicum service-learning, BI Leader, Grant Writing, El Paso, TX 2007-2009
Publications
Please also see "Articles" Page
(note previous last names
“Eby" or "Eby-Martin” on some publications below)
Cornet, S., 2008. 2nd Edition, A
“How-To” e-booklet: How to Make Cooling and Heat Tempering EARTHTUBES
Cornet, S., 2008. 2nd Edition, A
“How-To” e-booklet: How to Make a Solar Water Distiller
Cornet, S., 2007. 2nd Edition, A
“How-To” e-booklet: How to Discover if Solar or Wind Power is Best for You
Cornet, S., 2007. 2nd Edition, A
“How-To” e-booklet: How to Make a Tornado and Hurricane Resistant Home
Foster, R., SWTDI New Mexico State University, Amos, W., SolAqua, Inc. and Eby, S., El Paso Solar Energy Association, 2005. Ten Years of Solar Distillation Application Along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Gupta, B.,
Vogel, G., Amos, W., and Cormier, M., SolAqua, Inc. and Eby-Martin, S., and Foster, R., El
Paso Solar Energy Association, 2003. Solar Distillation Applied in Texas
Eby-Martin, S., and Tirres, A., El Paso Solar Energy Association, and Foster, R., SWTDI New Mexico State University, 2002. Solar Water Purification for the Border: EPA Grant for Solar Distillation, PDF version http://www.sunstar-solutions.com/EPA final pres.ppt
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
To Make a Solar Water Distiller
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
to Design a Passive Solar Home
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
to Discover if Solar or Wind Power is Best
for You
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
to Make a Solar Oven
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
to Make Cooling and Heat Tempering Earthtubes
Eby, S., 2002. A “How-To” Booklet: How
to Make a Tornado and Hurricane Resistant Home
Eby-Martin, S., El Paso Solar Energy Association,
and Foster, R., SWTDI New Mexico State University, 2001. Solar Water Purification for
the Border: Solar Distillation, PDF version http://epsea.org/pdf/borderpact.pdf
Eby-Martin, S., El Paso Solar Energy Association,
and Foster, R., SWTDI New Mexico State University, March, 2001. Targeting Drinking
Water in Border Colonias: A Solar Still Development Resource
url: http://conahec.org/conahec/borderpact/grants/1999/Region%203/Region%203B%20(English).htm
Eby-Martin, S., 1998. GreenBuilding Listserver
(online article, republished by SunStar Solutions 2002) Classic Blunders in Solar
Layout/Design
Eby-Martin, S., 1998. Straw Bale Association of
Nebraska (SBAN) Newsletter Article, Fall Issue, What is a Passive Solar House?
Eby, S., Jan. 1994. El Paso Solar Energy Association, SEASUN, SunShine
Abroad: Solar Design of Information Technologies Building
Eby, S., Aug. 1994. El Paso Solar Energy Association, SEASUN, SunShine
Abroad: Owner Built Homes Tour
Eby, S., Sept. 1994. El Paso Solar Energy Association, SEASUN, SunShine
Abroad: Dancing Leaf Earth Lodge
(Eby), S., 1990-1993. El Paso Solar Energy
Association Monthly Newsletter, SEASUN Encore Articles (numerous/various)
(Eby), S.,
Oct 1991. El Paso Solar Energy Association, SEASUN,
(Eby), S.,
Aug 1991. El Paso Solar Energy Association, SEASUN,