Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Oerther, University of Cincinnati; Cinnamon Carlarne, University of Cincinnati; Eric Maurer, University of Cincinnati; Regina Lamendella, University of Cincinnati; Sarah Pumphrey, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

phosphorus released to the environment isfrom sewage while 90% is from agriculture.1 Thus, while the discharge of phosphorus fromagriculture is the most significant contributor to eutrophication, phosphorus recovery fromsewage represents a significant opportunity to increase the sustainability of the phosphorusnutrient cycle.Because phosphorus discharge to the environment represents a significant concern; and becausesolutions to environmental discharges of phosphorus require technical as well as policy effortsthe topic was selected to serve as the theme for a People, Prosperity, and the Plant (P3) grantfrom the U.S. EPA. The objective of the P3 program is to provide seed funds for teams offaculty and students to tackle complex, globally relevant

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, provide guidance on how to describe the“environment” 3, and exemplify environmental impacts that can result from typical structural,transportation, and water resources engineering projects.4 The environmental engineeringtextbook introduces and illustrates the environmental engineering concepts used to characterizethe environment, describe pollutant transport and transformation in the environment, andmitigate pollutants.5Difference between Objectives of the New and Old CoursesThe former EnvE course was traditional, and included basic descriptions of the air and waterenvironments and typical pollutants in these environments, and conventional industrial methodsto mitigate them. The course objectives are detailed below.1. Analyze water and

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Berdanier, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

a 1(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) value. The expected course outcomes listed by maintopic and their mean score for the past four years are shown in Table 1. The P value in the lastcolumn is a quantitative estimate of the strength of your ability to reject the null hypothesis thatthe mean value for each year is the same. The analysis was completed using an Analysis ofVariation (ANOVA) software tool in the data analysis in EXCEL. The null hypothesis statesthat all of the means are the same even though there was different treatment of the means. The Pvalue would have to be less than 0.05 to reject the null hypothesis with 95% confidence.Expected Course 2001 2002 2003 2004 POutcome1 4.48

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Doheny-Farina, Clarkson University; Fa-Gung Fan, Xerox Corp.; Xiangwei Liu, Clarkson University; Cetin Cetinkaya, Clarkson University; John Mclaughlin, Clarkson University; Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University; Jeffrey Taylor, Clarkson University; David Schmidt, University of Maryland-College Park; Kambiz Nazridoust, Clarkson University; Goodarz Ahmadi, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2006-171: PARTICLE TRANSPORT, DEPOSITION AND REMOVAL - ACOMBINED RESEARCH AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTCetin Cetinkaya, Clarkson UniversityDavid Schmidt, University of Maryland-College ParkFa-Gung Fan, Xerox Corp.Goodarz Ahmadi, Clarkson UniversityJeffrey Taylor , Clarkson UniversityJohn Mclaughlin, Clarkson UniversityKambiz Nazridoust, Clarkson UniversityStephen Doheny-Farina, Clarkson UniversitySuresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson UniversityXiangwei Liu, Clarkson University Page 11.981.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 PARTICLE TRANSPORT, DEPOSITION AND REMOVAL- A COMBINED RESEARCH AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Goodarz Ahmadi,1 Stephen Doheny-Farina,1

Conference Session

Capstone Courses II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

C. Stewart Slater, Rowan University; Mariano Savelski, Rowan University; Robert Hesketh, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

projects. Green engineering is a multidisciplinary topic that ifpracticed to the fullest would greatly impact how industry operates and provide a sustainablefuture. Rowan University is incorporating green engineering into its curricula in various courseand our latest efforts (as described in this paper) are to actively involve industry in greenengineering projects through our engineering clinic program.The EPA originally defined green engineering as the design, commercialization and use ofprocesses and products that are feasible and economical while minimizing the generation ofpollution at the source and also minimizing risk to human health and the environment [1]. Thedefinition of green engineering was more broadly defined in a recent conference

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michelle Jarvie, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

strategies for activeand collaborative learning, had no exams, and reduced the lecture to one classhour each week. The paper includes qualitative results from a survey regardingstudent preferences for the new class structure in comparison to the previousstructure.1. BackgroundHistorically, engineering education has been dominated by a lecture only format,in which students are expected to retain and memorize lecture material,reproducing it on demand for exams1. This one-way transfer of information fromteacher to student has been termed the “banking concept of education” by PauloFreire2.In the 1970’s Feire criticized “banking education” for its inability to activelyinvolve the students as critical thinkers. Freire viewed banking education as aform of

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

techniques included a background knowledge probe (pre-assessment), teacherdesigned feedback forms (post-assessment), teacher observation, and student performance onsubsequent exams.BackgroundPrecipitative softening is used by many water treatment facilities in the United States to addresshard water issues, which can result in clogged water transmission lines, shortened life of heatersand boilers, and poor lathering of water. Hard water is caused by an abundance of minerals insource waters, specifically polyvalent cations such as calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg). Hardwater is the most common water quality problem reported by US consumers, and it is typicallyattributed to ground water sources with high mineral content 1. In the Midwest, water

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

on three core strategic areas in educational and research, one of which isEnvironmental Issues.Three general objectives are pursued by all courses taught within the project:1. Systems thinking of connections and influences between ideas, people, and communities2. Life cycles and respect for the role of time in nature, human activities, and our lives3. Self as agent and knowledge and uncertainty as a basis for decision-makingEach objective strives both to enhance the knowledge and skills students acquire within a course, Page 11.673.2as well as to change student attitudes toward environmental issues that will hopefully remainwith them in other

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

simply a preferred way of learning– often the way(s) that knowledge “sticks” most easily. While the diversity of learningstyles can be a source of frustration for educators (one blanket teaching method is grosslyinadequate for maximum learning), it can also be used to design more effective courses.There are several methods to assess learning preferences2. One method particularly suitedto science and engineering students is the Index of Learning Styles (ILS)3. In this methodlearning preferences are determined via a web-based 44-question survey with resultsalong a spectrum of four learning pairings: verbal-visual, global-sequential, sensing-intuitive, and active-reflective4. The learning style preferences for this class aresummarized in Figure 1

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Paterson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

easily. While the diversity of learning styles canbe a source of frustration for educators, it can also be used as insight on how to design acourse that more effectively educates most of the students.Analysis of the learning preferences for environmental engineering students at MichiganTech reveals the problem with most courses: they are designed in a manner incongruentto the natural learning preferences of most students. Figure 1 shows the results of thisstudy. Responses from two different years are presented and reveal relative similarity inthe classes’ mosaics of learning styles.The results from the active-reflective pairing indicate a good balance among the students;some active and some reflective activities would be a good mix. Active

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ross Gordon, Rice University; Alex Gordon, Rice University; Philip Bedient, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

engineers who have the skills and tools appropriate to address the issues that ourplanet is facing today and is likely to face within the next 20 years, who are aware of the needsof the developing world, and who can contribute to the relief of the endemic problems of povertyafflicting developing communities worldwide”1. It is the goal of Rice-EWB to make positivechange in the developing world while simultaneously developing engineers who are capable oftackling the challenges that confront our world.Overview of Rice-EWB Rice-EWB is an entirely student run nonprofit organization dedicated to helpingcommunities in the developing world improve their quality of life through the implementation ofengineering projects that address basic needs for

Conference Session

Innovative Teaching Methods

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Bergendahl, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

the bulk solution to being adsorbed. Figure 1 illustrates the four steps: (1) bulkadvection (fast), (2) film diffusion (slow), (3) pore diffusion (slow), and (4) surface adsorption(fast)1. Passing contaminated water and air through fixed bed contactors is a widely-appliedtechnology for environmental remediation, so it is important for students to understand the masstransfer limitations with this process. Page 11.450.2 Fig. 1. Adsorption steps. Fig 2. Mass transfer zone in fixed bed contactor (adapted from Snoeyink and

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Pines, University of Hartford; Brian Gallant, University of Hartford

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado-Boulder; Diana Shannon, University of Colorado-Denver; Jay Shah, University of Colorado-Boulder; R. Scott Summers, University of Colorado-Boulder; Jim Ruttenber, University of Colorado

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

waste management. The ABET 2005-2006 accreditation guidelines forEnvironmental Engineering degrees states that: “The program must demonstrate the graduateshave introductory level knowledge of environmental issues associated with air, land, and watersystems and associated environmental health impacts.”1 Other entities are also trying to reformengineering education, such as the National Academy of Engineering’s “The Engineering of2020” report which notes that engineers must “develop and implement more ecologicallysustainable practices… in industrialized countries and developing countries alike” using“systems-based strategies and holistic approaches that embed social and cultural objectives.”2In spite of these important indicators of the

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado-Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

a demonstration in numerous outreachactivities. The filter has been evaluated in service-learning projects through Engineers WithoutBorders (EWB-CU) and capstone design to provide safe water. Laboratory research on theFiltrón is also contrasted with opportunities to earn course credit for involvement with EWBprojects. This serves as an example of how research on appropriate technology appeals to adiverse range of students and can provide real benefits to developing communities.BackgroundThe purposes of academic engineering research activities can be broadly grouped into two maingoals that are complementary yet distinct: (1) education of students; and (2) production of newknowledge of practical importance. Participation in research

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Epolito, U.S. Military Academy; Michael Butkus, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

treatment and transmission of communicable diseases. However, a morecomprehensive understanding of biology is now considered necessary to solve emergingproblems with pollution, ecosystem destruction, and species extinction.1 Indeed, geneticengineering and techniques used in the field of medicine are being used to study and solvenumerous environmental problems. The ABET criteria for environmental engineering programsstate that students must have proficiency in a biological science, e.g., microbiology, aquaticbiology, or, toxicology, relevant to the program of study. Unfortunately, students in someenvironmental engineering programs have not participated in a biology course since theirsophomore or junior year in high school.2 Consequently, a

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Vaccari, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

biomedical and biochemical engineering, environmental engineering is theengineering discipline that has the closest connection with biology. Certainly, it is the onlyengineering discipline that connects with such a wide range of biological fields.Table 1 shows the results of a pre-test administered to a class of 9 graduate and undergraduateenvironmental engineering students. The results show a very low familiarity with basic ideasfrom general biology. Table 1. Percent of students who showed familiarity with biological concepts Evolution 33% Eukaryotes 11% Carbohydrates 33

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

theEngineering Workforce Commission (EWC)) and faculty (ASEE) depend solely on nameddegree programs and named departments. 1 In other words, a student graduating in civil Page 11.491.2engineering, but working in environmental engineering is not counted. Similarly, a facultymember whose specialty is environmental engineering, but is employed in a chemicalengineering department is likely not counted. The second limitation is that although the NationalScience Foundation (NSF) conducts surveys of sample populations of post-graduate engineers,the collected data for environmental engineers is not routinely reported. 1 NSF does, however usethe graduate’s

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Beckman, University of Pittsburgh; Gena Kovalcik, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, 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

engineering students, we have created partnerships with University of Texas-El Paso and University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. Also, to best prepare our IGERT Fellows forstudy and research in sustainability, a special sequence of courses is being implemented that willinclude a two-part capstone sustainable design course providing students from the variousspecialties with a common educational framework. Finally, the University of Pittsburgh’s Centerfor Latin American Studies will develop a sequence of courses in Brazilian Portuguese to betterprepare the IGERT Fellows for their research internship. This paper presents an overview of ourinitiative and describes progress to date with respect to research and pedagogy.1. IntroductionThe hallmark of US

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Technical Session 4: Environmental Issues and the Impacts of Intersectionality

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Shannon Katherine Gilmartin, Stanford University; Angela Harris, North Carolina State University; Christina Martin-Ebosele, Stanford University; Sheri Sheppard, Stanford University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering, Women in Engineering

absolute number of URM women pursuingenvironmental engineering degrees is small. Graduates enter the workforce against the backdropof environmental attitudes, actions, and career pathways that are neither gender nor race neutral.The severity of environmental decline intersects with gender and race, in addition to geographicregion, socioeconomic resources, and other markers of social location. In light of these factors,we consider how diverse groups of women majoring in environmental engineering are positionedfor leadership in the field.Our research questions are: What are environmental engineering students’ graduate school andjob intentions during college? What are their graduate school and job destinations 1-3 yearspost-graduation? How do

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom Langen, Clarkson University; Stefan Grimberg, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, including REU Site Programs, students are expected toinitiate and complete a substantive research project in a short period of time, typically 8 - 10weeks. While the research project is a student’s principal activity in a summer program, theremay be other organized activities incorporated into the program, including research seminars,skills workshops, graduate education and career mentoring activities, field trips, and socialactivities.3 Potential benefits of ancillary activities include (1) improved understanding of the Page 11.266.2relevance and multidisciplinary linkages of research projects; (2) improved attitude andmotivation to conduct research

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Freya Willicks, IMA/ZLW of RWTH Aachen University; Kathrin Schoenefeld, IMA/ZLW of RWTH Aachen University; Valerie Varney, IMA/ZLW of RWTH Aachen University; Anja Richert, RWTH Aachen University; Sabina Jeschke, RWTH Aachen University; Frank Hees, IMA/ZLW of RWTH Aachen University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Challenge at RWTH Aachen University was marked as “good”. Asides from that, the analyses also indicate that the students most benefit from a great amount of gained knowledge and their improved ability to adapt technologies depending on the situational context and the underlying social and cultural structures. Yet, the results show that there are also aspects of the challenge-concept that need some improvement. One of these aspects is to enhance the students’ awareness of the social responsibilities of engineers.1. Introduction The twenty-first century is highly influenced by globalization and an increasing dependence on technologies. Likewise, the global awareness about climate change and the importance of reducing greenhouse gas

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shannon L. Isovitsch Parks P.E., University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown; Laura J. Dietz, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

that provided the projects, and one of his engineers who worked on the project.During the students’ final team design project presentations, three (3) engineering faculty, three(3) industry professionals, and six (6) students provided feedback on the level of the team’s oralcommunication skills compared to those of other young professionals. They were also asked torate the team’s oral communication via the ​Association of American Colleges and UniversitiesOral ​Communication VALUE Rubric. Students were also asked to rate their teammates via theTeamwork VALUE Rubric (​Association of American Colleges and Universities 2010).​ Theratings were made on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 representing greatest communication or teamworkskill (i.e. capstone

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Inez Hua, Purdue University; Loring Nies, Purdue University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

excellent example of this process [1]-[3], as is theevolution of related disciplines such as sustainability science [4]. The Body of Knowledge forEE programs has expanded considerably [5], there has been substantial growth in the number ofABET accredited degree programs over the past 25 years (Fig. 1) [6], and in the number ofstudents earning degrees in EE. Annually, in the United States, about 1,200 students earn ABET-accredited undergraduate degrees in EE, based on a survey of all accredited programs conductedin 2016 [7]. In 2014-2015, 1,124 bachelor’s degrees were awarded in the U.S., as reported byASEE [8]. In addition, professional engineering licensure (NCEES) in the U.S. recognizes EE asa distinct professional discipline [9

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pablo K. Cornejo, California State University, Chico

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

States, such as California, face population growth, urbanization,vulnerability to climate change, and water supply challenges.1 These stressors have led the Stateof California to enact an integrated plan to address climate change, which seeks to reducegreenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 40% (compared to 1990 levels) by the year 2030.2 Asclimate change concerns continue to grow, universities throughout California have taken thelead to further integrate sustainability into the curriculum to prepare the next generation ofengineers. In fall of 2016, the Civil Engineering Department at California State University,Chico (Chico State) launched a new green engineering design course to emphasize sustainabledecision-making. This course aims to better

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Annalisa Onnis-Hayden , Northeastern University; Carolina Beatriz Venegas-Martinez, Northeastern University; Marissa P. Dreyer, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

school and a single definition or format that applies to all programs does not exist [1];however, a comprehensive culminating design experience is usually provided in a capstoneprogram. For Durel (1993) “a capstone course should be a synthesis, reflection and integration,and a bridge or a real-world preparatory experience that focuses on the post-graduation future”[2]. Dutson et al. (1997) [3] reviewed more than 100 papers describing capstone experiences inengineering education, presenting differences and similarities among institution and amongdifferent engineering departments. Capstone projects in civil engineering usually involvedetailed analysis and design; however, the construction of prototypes with testing and analysis isnot a common

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Mueller PE P.E., Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Mark H. Minster, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Implementing Planning alternative preferred need problem the design concepts alternative Sustain Sustain Sustain Sustain Sustain Sustain Comp Comp Comp Comp Comp Comp Design Design Design Design Design Design Figure 1: Design process showing courses of emphasis at each stage Sustainability content was covered as five focused units: Energy, Water, Carbon, Biodiversity, and

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