Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel B. Oerther, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

redesigned course employing blended delivery, a flipped format, and modified masterylearning with a buffet approach to assign final grades was used to teach environmental modelingto classes containing approximately 15 dual-level (juniors, seniors, and first year graduate)students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in environmental, civil, or architectural engineering or agraduate degree in environmental engineering. The course introduced “systems engineering” asdescribed by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and the courseincluded explicit consideration of the 5-P’s, namely: 1) people; 2) planet; 3) prosperity; 4)partnership; and 5) peace as described by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). During the semester

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Woo Hyoung Lee P.E., University of Central Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

microsensors for in situ investigation of physical and chemical dynamics in microenvironments (e.g., biofilm, corrosion, emulsions, or plant) by combining with nano and biotechnology. His other research interest is to develop renewable (bio)energy processes for environmental sustainability. He is currently a registered professional engineer. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2019 Promoting Undergraduate Research and Education through Extracurricular EPA P3 ProjectsIntroduction and ObjectivesThe importance of multi-interdisciplinary design experiences is well-highlighted in the ASCEBody of Knowledge [1] and the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission [2]. However

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle K. Marincel Payne, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Irene M.B. Reizman, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Tony Ribera, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Julia M. Williams, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

specializations at the graduate level, and experiences outside the classroommay play a significant role in developing student interest. In 2016-2017, nearly 50% of all degreesunder the titles “Environmental Engineering” or “Civil and Environmental Engineering” wereawarded at the Master’s or Ph.D. level, compared with 25% of all degrees titled “MechanicalEngineering” [1].Our goals in this work were two-fold; first, we wanted to support students conducting UR oncampus in the summer and provide them with formal opportunities for training through a structuredURC. In the environmental engineering REU program at Clarkson, Grimberg et al. found that aninterdisciplinary seminar program primarily focused on sustainability increased UR students’satisfaction with

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi, Old Dominion University; Gregory C. Bernard, Tuskegee University; Willard E. Collier, Tuskegee University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

. Collier and five other co-PIs were awarded a Seed Grant from Tuskegee University titled ”Engaging Agricul- ture, Biology, and Chemistry Students Through Interdisciplinary Medicinal Plant Research Across the Curriculum”. Dr. Collier and Dr. Chastity Bradford, a TU biology professor, were also awarded a grant titled, ”Investigating the Enhancement of Angiotensin 1-7 by Hibiscus sabdariffa as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension” from The Herb Society of America. Dr. Col- lier’s other grants have included ”Chemistry for the Future of Water Sustainability” from The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. (role as PI) and an NSF grant titled ”Targeted Infusion Project: Infusing

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kyle R. Murray, United States Military Academy; Benjamin Michael Wallen P.E., United States Military Academy; Luke Plante, United States Military Academy; Kimberly Quell, United States Military Academy; Michael A. Butkus, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Program Criteria arediscussed in detail.KeywordsEnvironmental engineering education, engineering education, experiential learning, laboratoryexperience, beer brewing, fermentationIntroductionEnvironmental engineering requires individuals who can adapt, innovate, and create new,exciting solutions to help solve complex problems throughout our natural environment. Powerfullearning experiences exist when students have an opportunity to learn by application, while alsohaving fun by creating excitement around the subject material. Indeed, that is why most curriculainclude other experiences beyond the classroom such as laboratories, field trips, seminars, designprojects and modeling projects [1, 2]. An esteemed scientist and statesman said it best

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sanjay Tewari, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

concepts and techniques.However, a major portion of teaching still takes places in classroom settings. Educators adoptvarious pedagogical practices, teaching-aids, and technologies to engage students in learningthe course contents effectively within the controlled environment of classrooms. In ideal classsettings, an instructor should be able to reach out to all students regardless of their learningstyles. These learning styles could be sensory, intuitive, visual, verbal, reflective, active,sequential and global as defined in the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) classification system[1] - [5].Active and hands-on learning in environmental engineering is not new. More recently, theauthor has been involved in multiple studies focused on promoting

Conference Session

Environmental Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natasha Andrade, University of Maryland, College Park

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

students’ misconceptions Dr. Natasha Andrade, University of MarylandAbstract It is known that students, before taking engineering courses, have prior notions aboutnatural phenomena gained in college science courses and in K-12 education. Sometimes, theseprior notions may not align with currently accepted scientific knowledge and experts’ knowledge[1], [2]. Bridging the gap between how students understand basic science principles and howexperts understand the same principles can be a challenge. However, this challenge is worthundertaking as the understanding of basic scientific principles influence engineering practice [3]. This paper presents the results of two assessments

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byul Hur, Texas A&M University; Grace E. Tsai, Texas A&M University; Rogelio Casas Jr., Texas A&M University; Erika L. Davila, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

identified from market research.I. Introduction"What is truly in the water I am drinking?" A rise in sales of water filters such as Brita or PUR,bottled water, and safer reusable drinking containers (e.g. BPA-free plastics) reflects this concernin drinking water, along with the recent Flint, Michigan water crisis that made headlines [1].However, there are still very few accurate and cost-effective ways to test water or beveragequality. To address this problem, an interdisciplinary team with students from the EngineeringTechnology, Anthropology, and Entomology departments tackled the problem of designing adevice that fit the needs of the market.II. Multidisciplinary team and educational benefitsThis project and team began from an offshoot of another

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alan S. Hoback, University of Detroit Mercy; Alexa Rihana Abdallah, University of Detroit Mercy

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

academic institutions, the current practices all seem well-warranted,despite the wide variation in the safety protocols followed.IntroductionAccreditation of civil and environmental engineering programs requires that students conductexperiments in at least two areas [1]. Out of concern for student safety, lab practices arereviewed. For accredited institutions, policies about safety in laboratories are documented inself-study reports to the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the AccreditationBoard of Engineering and Technology (ABET) [1]. Therefore, all institutions have documentedsafety policies, but those may not be publicly available.Students should be trained in how to safely conduct experiments. One method proven to beeffective in

Conference Session

Environmental Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jenny Patricia Quintana-Cifuentes, Purdue University; Paul Asunda, Purdue University; Senay Purzer, Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette (College of Engineering); Alejandra J. Magana, Purdue University-Main Campus, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

complex contexts. On the other hand, the findings from the deductive analysis revealed some of the (NGSS) and (STL) that align with sustainability components.Keywords: Sustainability education, K-12, Systematized literature review, STEM educationIntroductionReports on the future economic risks, due to climate change, highlighted the importance ofimplementing sustainability approaches into our lifestyles [1]. The Earth Summit by the UnitedNations in Rio de Janeiro resulted in a non-binding action plan, known as Agenda 21. This planacknowledges the urgency of implementing more sustainable approaches to our lifestyles, and thecritical role that education has on preparing students for future challenges [2]. For instance,Agenda 21 proposed the

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Fethiye Ozis P.E., Northern Arizona University; Nihal Sarikaya, Northern Arizona University; Adam Bringhurst

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

machine), to improvestudents’ conceptual understanding of inversion and air quality problems. The expected studentoutcomes from the activity are as follows: (1) Define inversion as a natural and importantmeteorological phenomenon; (2) Articulate a deeper understanding of inversion mechanics; and(3) Relate inversion with high ground level air pollutant concentrations. A pre-activity quiz of thestudents’ understanding, from their reading, was used to establish a baseline. The same quiz wasdelivered as a post-activity quiz, following the demonstration. We compared the results from thepre-activity quiz scores with the post-activity quiz scores. The results indicated an improvementin students’ understanding of inversion and air quality. The correct

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle K. Marincel Payne, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

providingwildlife habitat [1, 2]. In a wetland system, sedimentation, filtration by soil media and plantinterception, and microbial life adsorb, transform, or break down water pollutants including totalsuspended solids (TSS) or turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) or the amount of organiccarbon in the water, nitrogen and phosphorus, and non-neutral pH [2, 3]. For point-sources, thesewater pollutants are regulated through National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)permits under the Clean Water Act [4]. Mimicking natural systems, constructed treatment wetlandsare capable of removing stormwater pollutants, and in addition, they are low-cost, require minimalmaintenance, can be implemented in a decentralized fashion, and contribute to

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pablo K. Cornejo, California State University, Chico; Kevin Orner, University of South Florida

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

using rubrics to assess: (1)problem definition in a global context, (2) life cycle assessment skills, (3) life cycle cost analysisskills, (4) ability to integrate social and cultural implications of proposed solutions, (5) writtencommunication, and (6) oral communication. Students performed well in defining problems in aglobal context, conducting an economic analysis, and communicating via oral presentations.Improvements could be made in assessing environmental impacts, accounting for socialimplications of proposed solutions, and written communication via written reports. The self-efficacy questionnaire highlighted that increased communication between students andstakeholders in Costa Rica could improve understandings of social and cultural

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phil Dacunto, United States Military Academy; Michael A. Butkus, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

in the social sciences to develop learning opportunities relevantto understanding the social, cultural, economic, legal, policy, and political contexts ofenvironmental engineering challenges.” In addition, there is a need to develop humanitieselectives that exist at the intersection of the humanities and all engineering programs to provide aliberal arts foundation for engineering students (Chong et al., 2014). An unconventionalsolution, such as co-locating engineering and humanities programs in the same department, canaddress these needs by helping to provide environmental engineers both breadth and depth(Figure 1).Figure 1. The T-shaped environmental engineer is conversant in social sciences, public policy, engineering scienceand design

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Michael Wallen P.E., United States Military Academy; Nathaniel Sheehan P.E., United States Military Academy; Luke Plante, United States Military Academy; Erick Martinez, United States Military Academy; Jeffrey A. Starke P.E., Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

have recently been organized into the five grandchallenges released by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and National Academy ofSciences (NAS) in “Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing GrandChallenges” [1]. The five grand challenges are (1) sustainably supply food, water, and energy;(2) curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; (3) design a future without pollution and waste;(4) create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and (5) foster informed decisions and actions [1].These grand challenges align with the issues presented and discussed in the Engineer of 2020 [2]and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [3]. The Engineer of 2020called for engineers to not only be technical experts but be

Conference Session

Environmental Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jalal Rastegary, New Mexico State University; Patricia A. Sullivan, New Mexico State University; Christopher Campbell, New Mexico State University, Engineering New Mexico Resource Network

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

to pay itself back within five years andwould additionally save the medical center over $250,000 within ten years, assuming only thenutrition department ran on solar energy and their energy consumption constituted about 6% ofthe center’s total energy consumption. Analyses also considered having the entire hospital run onsolar energy, finding that this system would pay itself back within five years and save thehospital an additional $5,000,000 within ten years.IntroductionThe ENMRN at NMSU has been working with local businesses and organizations to reducepollution and increase energy efficiency in an effort to decrease operating costs and decreaseenvironmental impact of commercial industry [1]. The Pollution Prevention (P2) and Economy,Energy

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shannon L. Isovitsch Parks P.E., University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

topic. Assessment techniques include student-based surveys, pre- and post-tests, intervention vs. comparison group statistical analysis, andcourse evaluations. In this way, technical skills building, as well as attitude and perceptions areevaluated. Results indicate that while similar learning was achieved with the games vstraditional lecture, students’ perception was that the games were not worthwhile in replacinglecture. Details on the games and assessment techniques are included, to allow others to easilyadapt this work.IntroductionIt is now generally accepted that active learning methods can help students learn material at adeeper level [1], and that students enjoy game-based learning. Research has indicated that game-based activities

Conference Session

Environmental Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel B. Oerther, Missouri University of Science & Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

students in a total of 24 separate offerings of five differentsemester-long courses. In prior publications, the results of anonymous student feedbackcollected at the end of the semester have been reported, including: quantitative results ofLikert-scale responses to five common questions; and representative comments to open-ended questions. These prior results suggest that at least two responses are predominant,namely: 1) rejection of mastery learning as “unfamiliar”/“unfair”, or “lazy on the part ofthe professor”; or 2) welcoming of mastery learning as “empowering”, or “an opportunityfor self-ownership of learning on the part of the student”. To improve our understandingof the attitudes of students towards mastery learning, a qualitative approach

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas S. Soerens, Messiah College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Place of HomeworkAbstractDo online quizzes with immediate feedback promote better student learning than homeworkassignments for upper level engineering classes? A junior-level Environmental Engineering classwas reworked to use multiple-choice quizzes in a learning management system rather than paperhomework. Similar approaches have shown encouraging improvement in student motivation [1],in providing feedback to students [2] and in exam performance [3]. An objective for using thisapproach in Environmental Engineering was to allow the students to receive immediate feedbackon their skills. For example, in calculating the pH of a composite water sample (with somesimplifying assumptions), there are common mistakes that students make that will lead