Conference Session

Assessment Issues in Environmental Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gayle Davis, United States Military Academy; Michael Butkus, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

act or make decisionsthat are not considered moral or proper by the majority. Merriam-Webster defines ethics as a setof moral principles or a system of moral values.1 Most occupations that require the trust of thegeneral public are held to high ethical standards. These professions include law, medical,engineering, and military, all of which have adopted systems that guide subscribed individualsthrough moral decision making processes. Most learned professions that uphold such standardsprescribe a system of non-mandatory codes of conduct.2 Perhaps the most recognizedprofessional code of ethics was reported by the National Society of Professional Engineers,which defines fundamental canons and includes explicit guidance on professional conduct

Conference Session

Service - Learning Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heather Wright, Michigan Technological University; Linda Phillips, Michigan Technological University; James Mihelcic, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

professionaland ethical responsibilities; (h) appreciating the impact of engineering solutions in a global andsocietal context; (i) engaging in life-long learning; and (j) understanding contemporary issues.These criteria, particularly 3h and 3j, were selected because of evidence from the Michigan Tech2006 graduating civil and environmental engineering student exit interviews that “ISD studentknowledge and recognition of these issues [Criteria 3h and 3j] far out-paced those of their peersin conventional senior design courses.” 9This paper only provides information on the first phase of the assessment program. Morerigorous assessment will begin in summer 2008. Survey data will be organized and analyzedusing SPSS, a statistical analysis and data management

Conference Session

Sustainability and Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Qiong Zhang, Michigan Technological University; Julie Zimmerman, Yale University; James Mihelcic, Michigan Technological University; Linda Vanasupa, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

one example beingthe American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Code of Ethics which states that “The Codeof Ethics of ASCE requires civil engineers to strive to comply with the principles of sustainabledevelopment in the performance of their professional duties…[including] global leadership in thepromotion of responsible, economically sound, and environmentally sustainable solutions thatenhance the quality of life, protect and efficiently use natural resources4.” Since the UnitedNations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, there has been growinginternational interest in the role of higher education in fostering a sustainable future5. Agenda216 and a series of higher education for sustainable development declarations in

Conference Session

Assessment Issues in Environmental Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Debra Reinhart, University of Central Florida

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2. Design and Conduct Experiments 3. Modern Engineering Tools 4. In-Depth Competence 5. Risk, Reliability and Uncertainty 6. Problem Formulation and Conceptual Analysis 7. Creative Design 8. Sustainability 9. Multimedia Breadth and Interactions 10. Societal Impact 11. Contemporary and Global Issues Professional Outcomes 12. Multi-disciplinary Teamwork 13. Professional and Ethical Responsibilities 14. Effective Communication 15. Lifelong Learning 16. Project Management 17. Business, Public

Conference Session

Sustainability and Engineering Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Daniel Lynch, Dartmouth College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

, civil engineers serve competently, collaboratively, and ethically … as stewards of the natural environment and its resources….Sustainability – the WordThe first challenge may be terminologicalvi. The word is rooted in the verb ‘sustain’ which hasseveral senses To nurture or support (nature sustains man) To endure (to sustain injury) To validate or affirm (to sustain an argument)In the present context, the first two senses are invoked in the transitive sense: man sustainsnature, nature sustains man. Both thrive and endure; a systematic, two-way relationship isimplied. To reduce this to a one-way relation, is to lose the sense of the closed-systemrelationship.At the heart of this relationship are Natural Resources; they

Conference Session

Assessment Issues in Environmental Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kevin Bower, The Citadel; William Davis, The Citadel

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

currently pursuing research in ethical and moral development in the engineering profession and how that relates to student learning.William Davis, The Citadel William Davis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. He obtained a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama, M.S. from Auburn University and earned a Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Davis is a member of ASEE, American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Transportation Engineers and Transportation Research Board. He serves as Chair of the Education and Student Chapter Committee for the

Conference Session

Innovations to Curriculum and Program

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

second day of class in fallfreshmen 1-credit introductory courses for environmental (EVEN), civil (CVEN), andundeclared (GEEN) engineering majors. One particular activity in the EVEN course wasdesigned to expose students to the idea that culture is important in engineering problem solving.The students spent three weeks participating in a case study that described selecting the bestmethod to treat wastewater from a Native American community.5 Another activity that includedsome aspects of cultural differences was the ethics assignment in the EVEN and CVEN courses.In this assignment students could read about Fred Cuny’s activities in refugee camps and servingdisplaced populations.19 In the CVEN course, students studied the Three Gorges Dam in

Conference Session

Sustainability and Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Thorn, Rochester Institute of Technology; Andres Carrano, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

to earn accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Engineeringand Technology. Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain… an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability and sustainability [1]The Kate Gleason College of Engineering (KGCOE) at the Rochester Institute of Technology(RIT) has about 700 students enrolled in its five engineering programs. In recent years thecollege has seen significant innovation in the areas of sustainability and sustainableengineering. Some of these innovations have been motivated by faculty involved in this

Conference Session

Sustainability and Engineering Courses

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Curtis Larimer, University of Pittsburgh; Michaelangelo Tabone, University of Pittsburgh; Matthew Mehalik, University of Pittsburgh; Kim Needy, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Mehalik has taught a variety of courses related to sustainable product innovation and design, including taking students to China and Brazil for hands on experience. He has written multiple journal articles in the areas of engineering sustainability and engineering education. Dr. Mehalik obtained a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering, with concentrations in innovation, ethics, and policy, from the University of Virginia (2001).Kim Needy, University of Pittsburgh Kim LaScola Needy is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh