Collection

2010 North Midwest Section

Authors

Joseph Dobmeier; Joseph Gehrke; Matthew Simones; Patrick Tebbe

andits associated HVAC system. The model was designed to incorporate data and specificationscollected from original design drawings, actual construction methods, equipment technicalsheets, building management systems, and experimental instrumentation. Setup of theexperimental rigs was a major undertaking in itself since temperature probes and data loggingequipment had to be attached to the buildings under rather inauspicious conditions.In this paper the UTC concept and research results will be briefly reviewed. Next, thecontributions of students will be outlined along with assessments of the project’s impact onstudents’ comprehension of the role of research in the industrial enterprise. Finally, specificexamples will be elaborated and

Collection

2010 North Midwest Section

Authors

Thomas F. Quinn; Ronald H. Brown; George F. Corliss

2GasDay Project OverviewMarquette University’s GasDay Project licenses a natural gas demand software application to 24natural gas utilities around the United States. On a typical day GasDay software installed at thoseutilities forecasts over 20% of the nation’s natural gas demand. The models and softwareapplication are developed by undergraduate and graduate engineering students at Marquette,under the supervision of faculty members and a business manager.The GasDay Project was begun in 1993 by Ronald Brown, Ph.D., as a research project funded bythe Wisconsin Gas Company. Additional funding came from the Wisconsin Center for DemandSide Research, and then from the Gas Research Institute (GRI), a natural gas industrycollaborative. That effort

Collection

2010 North Midwest Section

Authors

Robert W. Williams; Salam F. Rahmatalla

; Environmental Engineering students at the University ofIowa. At the end of each semester, students complete a survey to evaluate the condition of thelab, curriculum, and equipment, what they felt worked well and not so well, and to note any testsor materials that were not done which they would have liked to do. This evaluation was thensummarized and used to guide further development of the lab space and the curriculum. The useof the surveys together with significant equipment upgrades and purchases has led to asubstantial improvement in the lab experience for the students.Introduction As a “practical” profession, it can be argued that engineering is intrinsically hands-on,but at the undergraduate engineering education level, a solid laboratory

Collection

2010 North Midwest Section

Authors

William R. Peterson; Guanghsu Chang

after the course if they want tograduate in a reasonable time period (2 years or less). Since we use their topic, the research theyread and report on is relevant to their study.The use of breakout session to discuss problem statements, deliverables, and methodology givethe students opportunities for peer to peer review and critiques. Since the class has some workingprofessionals and a mix of majors, the peer to peer feedback is diverse and seems to positivelyimpact quality.RecommendationsThis approach can work well with mature, motivated graduate students. Use this approach withundergraduates is questionable. The approach only works for those well grounded in both thetheory and practice of the course topic and try to stay current via readings