Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tracy Thatcher, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

debate theresults in small groups to obtain a consensus on issues. Consensus building and positive groupdynamics are stressed. In addition to the activity modules, the redesign also incorporated manyopportunities for in-class problems solving and short discussion breaks.The redevelopment of the course will also help better align the learning objectives with thelearning outcomes listed in the ABET Course Classification, which are used be ABET todetermine if the course is meeting desired accreditation outcomes. Although many of the ABEToutcomes are enhanced in the format, the most significant learning outcomes impacted are: 1. Ability to design & conduct experiments; analyze, interpret data 2. Ability to function in multi

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elizabeth Eschenbach, Humboldt State University; Jami Montgomery, WATERS Network - CLEANER Project Office; James Johnson, Howard University; Chris Brus, University of Iowa; Dan Giammar, Washington University; Patricia Carlson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Bette Grauer, McPherson High School; Liesl Hotaling, Stevens Institute of Technology; Gbekeloluwa Oguntimein, Morgan State University; Steven Safferman; Tim Wentling, National Center for Supercomputing Applications

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

all engineering students. Three of Beth’s current projects are: 1) an NSF planning project for the Collaborative Large-scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research, 2) an NSF Scientific Leadership Scholars project providing 4-year scholarships to 30 students in computer science, environmental recourses engineering and mathematics and 3) a water resources curriculum project using CADSWES software.Jami Montgomery, WATERS Network - CLEANER Project Office Jami Montgomery is the executive director of the WATERS (WATer and Environmental Research Systems) Network. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and her master's degree in Marine Studies (Biology and

Conference Session

Service-Learning in Developing Communities

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linda Phillips, Michigan Technological University; Ann Brady, Michigan Technological University; Karina Jousma, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

education in which students participate in projectsdesigned to serve the needs and interests of local communities.Cross-cultural Learning:We understand cross-cultural learning to be an experiential process of deepening respect for Page 12.944.2people of different cultures and increasing sensitivity to their local practices. 1Interdisciplinary Learning:We understand interdisciplinary learning to be a process of exchange among students from arange of disciplines that results in new knowledge or “literacies” (for further discussion ofliteracies see 1

Conference Session

Service-Learning in Developing Communities

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Beth Wittig, City College of the City University of New York

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

quality of life.Between 2002 and 2006, the organization grew from fewer than 100 members to more than6,000 members. As of January 2007, there were 105 active student EWB chapters and 39 activeprofessional chapters nationwide, and approximately 600 chapters in development.1 Mostprofessional chapters provide support and mentoring for the student chapters, although some alsotake on projects on their own.Although most EWB projects require engineering design, environmental monitoring, publichealth assessment, accounting, and fundraising, few student or professional chapters havemembers that are not engineers or engineering students. The City College of New York (CCNY)student chapter of EWB is unique in that it has actively recruited engineering

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula III

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Introduction to Environmental Engineering course aimed at Recruiting and Retaining studentsAbstractIn Fall 2006, the 1-credit Introduction to Environmental Engineering (EVEN) course wassignificantly revised. The goals were two-fold: (1) increase the ability of the course to recruitand retain students in the EVEN major; (2) place a greater emphasis on sustainability and globalengineering in the course. This is the third significant revision since the course first started in2000. Over the first 4 years, the course included 7 homework assignments largely geared atbasic information to help freshman students be successful and guest lectures by faculty. Thesecond course

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

EnvironmentalEngineering B.S. students and M.S. students. The U.S. solid waste course is a graduate coursethat can be used as a technical elective for undergraduate or graduate students. Most of theUNESCO course students were from Africa (62%), Asia (24%), South America, and EasternEurope. The majority of the students in the U.S. courses are from the U.S. An overview of thestudent demographics in the 2006 UNESCO course vs. the US courses from 1997 to 2007 arepresented in Table 1. Student interest, background, and motivation varied widely. In general,the UNESCO students were very engaged and actively participated in class discussions withspecific questions about solving problems they knew about in their home country. The studentsin the U.S. courses generally seem

Conference Session

Intersdisciplinary Courses and Environmental Undergraduate Research

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Swan, Tufts University; Jesse Cooper, Tufts University; Amanda Stockwell, Tufts University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

future research, either in extendingtheir first-year effort or exploring new research avenues. This assessment indicates that manystudents did not continue to pursue research efforts beyond this initial effort, mostly because ofmore traditional academic restraints; e.g., course work and other extracurricular activities.However, those students who did continue to pursue research have found their academic livesenriched by the experiences.IntroductionTufts University has a number of unique advising programs for entering first-year students. Oneof the options is “Window on Research and Scholarship” program which links a small group ofstudents with faculty advisor who will expose the students to his/her research.1 During the Fall2004 semester, the

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula III

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Pines, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

fordeveloping communities’ project had been included as one of the projects. In addition tolearning about sustainable design, students will have the opportunity to implement their designover the summer where they will learn about “on-location” issues that can not be duplicated inthe classroom. The interest in providing students this type of opportunity has growndramatically in the last several years as indicated by the number of papers being presented atengineering education conferences on this subject and the growth of organizations such asEngineers Without Borders (EWB)1. This paper summarizes how a design for developingcommunities course was added to the curriculum and the challenges involved in providing thestudents the opportunity to implement

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula III

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Khosrow Farahbakhsh, School of Engineering, University of Guelph; Warren Stiver, University of Guelph

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

of such experiments is to provide the students with hands-on trainingin operating mass transfer units and collection and analysis of mass transfer related data.Although such experiments have merit, the approach suffers from several limitations.1. The experimental design, setup and instrumentation are normally put together without input from students and as such the students do not gain experience in design, setup, and trouble shooting of laboratory and pilot-scale facilities.2. Detailed experimental procedures, including data collection, monitoring and often analysis, are provided to the students in advance of the experiments. Students therefore, do not sharpen their skills in designing laboratory experiments.3. The students, in

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula III

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

online. That’s 850,000more students than the year before, an increase of 40%.1 This rapid growth is beingfacilitated by easier to use computer-based learning content creation tools, and a growingcomfort of using information appliances.Podcasting, a technology that lets anyone create and distribute radio- or TV-like showsover the Internet, is growing at an exponential rate. Current estimates suggest there arenearly 20 million podcasts, up from about 3 million just five months ago, and only 200two years ago.2 While the technology offers exciting educational possibilities, universityfaculty are still ruminating about its use in learning.This paper introduces the integration of enhanced-podcast episodes into a traditionalIntroduction to

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Butkus, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

AC 2007-1129: A SMALL-SCALE DESIGN AND BUILD PROJECT INBIOCHEMICAL TREATMENTMichael Butkus, U.S. Military Academy Page 12.114.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007A Small-Scale Design and Build Project in Biochemical TreatmentIntroductionEnvironmental engineers as well as engineers in other engineering disciplines, apply their skillsin a dynamic environment where single solutions are the exception rather than the rule.Additional “significant experiences” are required to help students develop a holistic appreciationfor professional practice issues and including open ended problem solving to prepare them forthe workplace.1 Such experiences should relate course material to

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Seamus Freyne, Manhattan College; Micah Hale, University of Arkansas; Stephan Durham, University of Colorado at Denver

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

environment is becoming a ubiquitous aim of growing urgency.1 More frequently,civil engineers are being called to meet infrastructure demands in ways that are less harmful tothe environment and sustainable into the future. It is imperative that today’s students learn aboutalternative energy sources, conservation of natural resources, waste management, and recycling.These “green” ideas are repeatedly encountered by environmental engineering students, but civilengineering students rarely study these topics in much depth. With many students alreadystruggling with busy schedules, adding new courses is unfeasible. However, some “green” ideascan easily be incorporated into traditional civil engineering courses without sweeping changes tothe core

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Llewellyn Mann, University of Queensland; David Radcliffe, University of Queensland; Gloria Dall'Alba, University of Queensland

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

products for our use and better places to inhabit”. The purposeof design, he argues, is to create physical artifacts that benefit people, and sustainable design triesto do that using a wider, more holistic approach. Finally with the definition, he argues that theultimate goal of sustainable design is not just to reduce the impact of the design on theenvironment, but to either remove it all together, or to go a step further and have a restorativeeffect on the environment.Overview of Results – Categories of DescriptionThis section presents the qualitatively different categories of description of sustainable designthat were developed from the twenty-two interview transcripts. Five categories were developed,as seen in Figure 1, each representing a

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stanley Greenwald, New York Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

sustain his/her health, learning or justsurvival, each person will consume approximately 500 kwh per year. From the perspective of newcapacity of 60% availability, it will require 120 gigawatts of newly-installed generation in the next 15years. This can translate into 240 new power plants with each producing 500 MW of power. This paperwill present the results of feasibility students in three countries; Nepal, the Philippines and Ecuador.Feasibility StudiesMICRO HYDRO POWER GENERATION IN NEPAL (1)A majority of population is dependent on traditional sources of energy like fuel wood and animal dung.The energy consumption statistic of Nepal shows that about 80% of total energy need is supplied fromfuel wood in 1995 which means over 13 million tones

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Beckman, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Gena Kovalcik, University of Pittsburgh; Matthew Mehalik, University of Pittsburgh; Robert Ries, University of Pittsburgh; Kim Needy, University of Pittsburgh; Laura Schaefer, University of Pittsburgh; Larry Shuman, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

progress at the end of the first yearwith respect to research and pedagogy with a special emphasis on describing the new coursedevelopment.1. IntroductionThe hallmark of US engineering has always been innovation, especially in the design of newproducts and processes that are optimized to reflect performance and price ideals. Althoughengineering designers have focused on performance and price criteria for over a century, the Page 12.371.2growing recognition that the world’s resources are finite while its population continues toincrease have led to a new criterion – sustainability – that now must be incorporated into thedesign process often as an

Conference Session

Intersdisciplinary Courses and Environmental Undergraduate Research

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Helene Hilger, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Francis De Los Reyes, North Carolina State University; Warren DiBiase, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Len Holmes, University of North Carolina - Pembroke; Stephanie Luster-Teasley, North Carolina A&T State University; Siva Mandjiny, University of North Carolina - Pembroke; Todd Steck, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Keith Schimmel, North Carolina A&T State University; Chuang Wang, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

methods typically involve student group informationgathering and problem solving and have been shown to promote improved investigatory and criticalthinking skills and to prepare students for the more team-based interdisciplinary nature of the workenvironment2,3,4.Upon obtaining support from the federal Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE),a three-year research program was mapped out. The specific research objectives, the results from Year 1and some lessons learned are described below.Research ObjectivesThe research objectives were to: 1. Use the combined expertise of education, biology, and engineering faculty and graduate students to implement open-ended inquiry through problem-based learning (PBL) as the

Conference Session

Service-Learning in Developing Communities

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Soerens, University of Arkansas; Charles Adams, University of Arkansas; Kevin Hall, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, 2006, “Service Learning in Engineering and Science for Sustainable Development”, InternationalJournal for Service Learning in Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring 2006, pp. 1 – 4.4. Sachs, J.D. 2005, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, Penguin Press.5. Thomson, P.A.B., 2005, Belize: A Concise History, MacMillan Caribbean.6. United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 2006. Human Development Report 2006: Beyond scarcity:Power, poverty and the global water crisis, Report and related materials accessed 1/12/07 athttp://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/report.cfm Page 12.378.6

Conference Session

Service-Learning in Developing Communities

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Frank Giannelli, Lafayette College; Sharon Jones, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

revised basic functions (addedin bold) that student-led service-learning groups should follow. We included the challenges thatremain.1. Ensure that one person, and one person only, is responsible for the project scope, budget, and schedule. Decision Making Challenge: Organizational and planning skills vary among members and are not “taught.” Rotating members and changing budgets make this difficult.2. Don’t begin work without a signed contract, regardless of the pressure to start. Communication Challenge: Preliminary site assessments must be done without an agreement to start the process prior to a community agreement with the club.3. Confirm that there is an approved scope, budget, and schedule for the project. Quality Control

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Audra Morse, Texas Tech University; Heyward Ramsey, Texas Tech University; W. Andrew Jackson, Texas Tech University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

environmentalengineering community by improving graduate preparedness for their future profession byproviding the necessary knowledge to develop and apply new hybrid ideas to solve engineeringproblems.IntroductionAt Texas Tech University, students may obtain an environmental engineering degree in one oftwo tracks. One program, the 5-year Freshman to Master’s Degree Program in EnvironmentalEngineering, allows incoming freshman to obtain a Bachelor in Environmental (non-accredited)while also receiving a Master in Environmental Engineering (MEnvE) (accredited).1 The degreeprogram includes a variety of civil and environmental engineering courses, environmentalscience courses,2 physics, and general education requirements as specified by the Texas StateBoard of Higher

Conference Session

Intersdisciplinary Courses and Environmental Undergraduate Research

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Braun, California Polytechnic State University; Emmit B. Evans, California Polytechnic State University; Randall Knight, California Polytechnic State University; Thomas Ruehr, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

project focus student and instructor attention to specificexpertise in a variety of topics. One theme pervading the course is the need to base knowledgeand decision making on evidence. The project assignments, in particular, stress the theme ofevidence. 1.5 weeks Overview of global environmental issues, the tragedy of the commons 1 week Physical, biological and environmental systems 1 week Political and economics systems 0.5 week Environmental ethics 1.0 week Energy resources 0.5 week Climate change and global warming 1.5 weeks Water, food and agriculture resources 0.5 week Biodiversity and extinction 2.5 weeks Sustainable strategies

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaoqi Zhang, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Clifford Bruell, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Yexin Yin, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Praveen Jayaradu, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Mark Hines, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

AC 2007-365: INTRODUCING NANOTECHNOLOGY INTO ENVIRONMENTALENGINEERING CURRICULUMXiaoqi Zhang, University of Massachusetts-LowellClifford Bruell, University of Massachusetts-LowellYexin Yin, University of Massachusetts LowellPraveen Jayaradu, University of Massachusetts LowellMark Hines, University of Massachusetts Lowell Page 12.973.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Introducing Nanotechnology into Environmental Engineering CurriculumBackgroundAs a result of the National Nanotechnology Initiative [1], substantial advances have been made inusing nanotechnology to generate nanomaterials with novel properties [2]. These materials andprocesses have or will produce

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mahbub Uddin, Trinity University; Raj Chowdhury, Kent State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

units: 1. Overview of nanotechnology, applications and manufacturing processes. 2. Sources of nanoparticles and occupational exposure. 3. Human health effect of nanomaterials and environmental risk assessment. 4. Nanoparticle pollution controls and regulations.Each unit includes learning objectives, overview, suggested study topics and list of readingmaterials. This module is intended to be integrated to an existing sophomore/junior levelenvironmental engineering course.Unit I: Application of Nanotechnology and Manufacturing ProcessesLearning Objective:Upon completion of this unit students will be able to do the following: 1. Understand the new frontier of nanotechnology and engineered nanomaterials. 2. Identify the various

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula III

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle Jarvie, Michigan Technological University; Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

andfactors influencing career choice of minority students. Finally, some suggestions are made forstrategies which may increase the attraction and retention of minority students to the discipline.Diversity within Environmental EngineeringData from the American Society for engineering Education (ASEE) and the EngineeringWorkforce Commission (EWC) regarding enrollment and degrees awarded to women andminorities by engineering discipline for 2003 was compared and complied for a paper at the2006 ASEE conference1. Figure 1 shows the percentage of bachelors degrees awarded to womenand minorities for environmental engineering and engineering overall. It can be seen that the

Conference Session

Intersdisciplinary Courses and Environmental Undergraduate Research

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Bott, Virginia Military Institute

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

engineers) and larger research universities.1. Introduction1.1 Motivation - Shortfall In The Environmental Engineering PipelineA joint survey conducted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the American WaterWorks Association (AWWA) and presented at the 2003 AWWA/WEF Joint ManagementConference determined that within the next 10 years almost 80% of the professional workforceassociated with public water and wastewater utilities (somewhat vaguely defined) will be eligibleto retire. This statistic is readily apparent by observation of the attendees at national and state-level technical conferences hosted by these professional societies. As shown in Figure 1, the agedistribution of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees is likely