Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom Langen, Clarkson University; Stefan Grimberg, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, both through awards toindividual researchers and through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) SiteProgram. Over 120 REU Site Programs are currently funded in engineering disciplines alone.NSF’s stated objective for the REU Site Program is to attract and retain promisingundergraduates to careers in science and engineering research and education. This is to beachieved by funding programs that recruit a cohort of students to perform mentored researchprojects with a defined common focus on a coherent intellectual theme. Particular emphasis isplaced on recruiting women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and studentsat academic institutions where research opportunities are limited.2In most summer research programs

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Deanna Matthews, Carnegie Mellon University; Robert Heard, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, Selection and Design of Materials, and the senior Capstone Design course. Dr. Heard received his Ph.D. in Metallurgy and Materials Science from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1987, and returned to academia after 17 years in industry. Page 11.673.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Greening of Education: Ecological Education in EngineeringCarnegie Mellon University has embarked on a “Greening of Education” project, sponsored bythe Henry Luce Foundation. This project aims to instill an appreciation of the environment instudents at the beginning of their college careers in hopes of carrying

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

environmental engineering student to environmentalengineer. Specific course objectives have the students:• form a community within the university;• establish friendships among students of similar academic interests;• develop an academic plan;• develop skills to deal with the many aspects of student life;• learn more about the university’s environmental engineering program;• develop a sense of the environmental engineering profession;• use some of the skills required by environmental engineers;• explore several of the specialty areas within environmental engineering;• master some of the basic environmental engineering language; and• use knowledge gained to make better career choicesWhile many of the topics in the list above are connected to

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado-Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

activities has numerous benefits tothe education and professional development of students. In particular, Seymour et al.1 did anexhaustive study to document the outcomes of summer research experiences for students inscience, math, and engineering fields. The benefits of undergraduate research were grouped intosix main areas: personal/professional; thinking and working like a scientist; skills; refiningcareer/educational paths; enhanced career/graduate school preparation; and changed attitudestoward learning and working as a researcher. Some of these beneficial outcomes may bedifficult to achieve in traditional coursework that comprises the bulk of most engineeringcurricula.Within environmental engineering and other fields, most of the research in

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Lynch, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Engineering Profession: Improving the Image of the DisciplineMaking a career field recommendation? According to the McKinsey Global Institute“engineering still looks like a winning profession for Americans.”1 This opinion is supported bythe National Association of Colleges and Employers in their 2006 Job Outlook report thatidentified employers were most interested in applicants with business, engineering andcomputer-related skills.2 Of the engineering disciplines, environmental engineering is one of thefastest-growing with a future international growth rate (in terms of annual investment growth) atsomewhere between 12 and 15%.”3 The United States Bureau of Statistics reports the“employment of environmental engineers is expected

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cyndee Gruden, University of Toledo; Defne Apul, University of Toledo; Maria Diaz, University of Toledo

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

of instructional techniques such as hands-on experience,interactive visually-oriented multi media, and group learning processes4.Most college students expect to be evaluated on their individual work and envision limitedinteraction among students in the classroom. Since engineers typically work in teams duringtheir professional careers, it is common for engineering courses to incorporate collaborativelearning. In addition, the national organization for accreditation of engineering curriculums(ABET) requires a demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams. Any activity thatinvolves two or more students working together may be considered collaborative learning5. Thisstyle emphasizes learning through student interactions as opposed to

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kristen Tull, Lafayette College; Lee Clapp, Texas A&M University-Kingsville; Donna Fennell, Rutgers University; Tim La para, Minnesota; Alok Bhandari, Kansas State University; Sharon Jones, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

subsequent career as opposed to degree name for categorization. 1The main purpose of our recent effort is to evaluate the diversity of the environmentalengineering field. Our study evaluates gender diversity and ethnic diversity among U.S. citizensand permanent residents in terms of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and NativeAmericans. Engineering diversity remains a problem in the USA despite ongoing efforts bygovernment, academia, and the private sector. Chubin et. al. (2005) reported that since 1995, theproportion of women and minority freshman in engineering is declining.2 However, for a similartime period, the representation of women and minorities in science, technology, engineering andmathematic (STEM) fields at both the baccalaureate

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Berdanier, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

supply and distribution systems that we have becomeaccustomed to. In many areas where systems have been developed they may need to be removedand proper feasible systems engineered that will fit the needs of the people integrated with anenvironment where no further development can occur as none can be sustained.If we wish to prepare students in our American engineering programs for a more activeinternational role in developing countries in their careers, we have to be able to at least introducethem to a context that is very different from the US engineering scene. Although some factorssuch as funding may be more constraining, the typical legislated constraints that control much ofengineering design in the US may be nonexistent. It will be

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Bower, The Citadel; Kenneth Brannan, The Citadel; William Davis, The Citadel

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2006-1669: SEQUENTIAL COURSE OUTCOME LINKAGE: A FRAMEWORKFOR ASSESSING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUMWITHIN A CE PROGRAMKevin Bower, The Citadel Dr. Bower is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. Prior to his employment at The Citadel, he worked as an environmental engineer in Akron, Ohio. He received a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from The University of Akron and specialized in modeling carcinogenic chemical production in the drinking water distribution system. Dr. Bower was the 2005 Most Outstanding New Faculty at the ASEE –SE Conference, 2005 Early Career Award Winner from the Environmental Engineering

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicholas Scambilis, Sinclair Community College; Jennifer Wise, Sinclair Community College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, Program Outcomes and the Assessment Methods must therefore be established and evaluated. These items are defined below: • Program Educational Objectives: Broad statements that describe career and professional accomplishments that the graduates are expected to achieve. • Program Outcomes: Narrow statements that describe what students are expected to know upon graduation. • Assessment: A method to identify, collect and prepare data to evaluate the achievement of the program objectives and outcomes. The assessment also considers how general education is applied and evaluated in the engineering courses. For example, how math is used in the engineering courses rather than how many math courses are required