"Living" Engineering Laboratory: Enhancing Undergraduate Learning Through Place-Based Education and Lab-Scale Engineering Models

Kushal Adhikari

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: Multidisciplinary Engineering Division (MULTI) Technical Session 5
Tagged Division: Multidisciplinary Engineering Division (MULTI)
Page Count: 10
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55307

Paper Authors

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Kushal Adhikari Juniata College orcid.org/0000-0002-2842-402X

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Dr. Adhikari currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Juniata College and brings in his teaching experience from Cal Poly Humboldt and Texas Tech University. Dr. Adhikari strongly believes in experential learning and strives to create research opportunities for students while creating an impact on human lives and society. His research interest lies in integrating sustainability dimensions into engineering, thus building a sustainable and resilient society while using appropriate ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. He is also actively involved in engineering education research and strives for effective pedagogy practices and student success.

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Abstract

The engineering program at Juniata College, a private liberal arts institute, has witnessed a steady rise in applications and enrollment since its launch in Fall 2022. Beginning with a modest cohort of seven students in the inaugural year, the program has now grown to accommodate over 25 engineering students. While the upward trend in enrollment is promising, laboratories and facilities essential for hands-on learning must be expanded and improved, and thus, a "living" engineering laboratory was proposed. This project aims to integrate experiential learning into core engineering courses, aligning with ABET standards. The envisioned outcome is two-fold: first, to enhance the educational experience for students by providing them with practical and real-world learning opportunities within their core courses; second, this initiative aims to align Juniata's engineering program with criteria set by ABET. This paper will provide an overview of the living engineering laboratory and details of some recent projects.

The “living” laboratory provides hands-on learning experiences for students, bridging theory and practice. In the past two years, 15+ students have engaged in this initiative leading to tangible academic outcomes. Two notable projects include - 1) Water quality assessment of a local stream; and 2) Stormwater Management using Low Impact Developments (LIDs). A local stream served as a “living” laboratory for students in accomplishing these projects leading to peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Another key aspect of the “living” laboratory is building lab-scale models to demonstrate various engineering processes. Some accomplished and ongoing projects include - Lab-scale Green Stormwater Infrastructures: Integrating Research and Teaching; Lab-scale design for Pond-In-Pond: An alternative wastewater treatment system for reuse; 3D Printing to Test Waterwheel Efficiency: A Practical Approach to Engineering and Sustainability; Educational Lab Scale Model of a Surface Flow Wetland; and Construction of a Laboratory-Scale Subsurface Wetland to Investigate Large-Scale Wetland Dynamics.

Students will tackle local challenges, design and build lab-scale models, and implement solutions, enhancing critical thinking and engineering design skills. Students will better understand the interconnectedness between society, environmental issues, and sustainable development, fostering community engagement and empowering future environmental leaders. These projects will also enrich courses like Water Quality, Environmental Sustainability, and Water Treatment, improving the educational experience for environmental engineering and science students at Juniata. This student-led initiative benefits current and future cohorts, providing a sustainable solution for the college. The project’s interdisciplinary approach involves faculty and students from various other fields, including Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Additionally, the living laboratory's research and projects will serve as demonstration units and teaching modules for high school students, attracting them to engineering and STEM fields.

Citation
Format

Adhikari, K. (2025, June), "Living" Engineering Laboratory: Enhancing Undergraduate Learning Through Place-Based Education and Lab-Scale Engineering Models Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55307

TY - CPAPER
AB - The engineering program at Juniata College, a private liberal arts institute, has witnessed a steady rise in applications and enrollment since its launch in Fall 2022. Beginning with a modest cohort of seven students in the inaugural year, the program has now grown to accommodate over 25 engineering students. While the upward trend in enrollment is promising, laboratories and facilities essential for hands-on learning must be expanded and improved, and thus, a &quot;living&quot; engineering laboratory was proposed. This project aims to integrate experiential learning into core engineering courses, aligning with ABET standards. The envisioned outcome is two-fold: first, to enhance the educational experience for students by providing them with practical and real-world learning opportunities within their core courses; second, this initiative aims to align Juniata&#39;s engineering program with criteria set by ABET. This paper will provide an overview of the living engineering laboratory and details of some recent projects.

The “living” laboratory provides hands-on learning experiences for students, bridging theory and practice. In the past two years, 15+ students have engaged in this initiative leading to tangible academic outcomes. Two notable projects include - 1) Water quality assessment of a local stream; and 2) Stormwater Management using Low Impact Developments (LIDs). A local stream served as a “living” laboratory for students in accomplishing these projects leading to peer-reviewed conference proceedings. Another key aspect of the “living” laboratory is building lab-scale models to demonstrate various engineering processes. Some accomplished and ongoing projects include - Lab-scale Green Stormwater Infrastructures: Integrating Research and Teaching; Lab-scale design for Pond-In-Pond: An alternative wastewater treatment system for reuse; 3D Printing to Test Waterwheel Efficiency: A Practical Approach to Engineering and Sustainability; Educational Lab Scale Model of a Surface Flow Wetland; and Construction of a Laboratory-Scale Subsurface Wetland to Investigate Large-Scale Wetland Dynamics.

Students will tackle local challenges, design and build lab-scale models, and implement solutions, enhancing critical thinking and engineering design skills. Students will better understand the interconnectedness between society, environmental issues, and sustainable development, fostering community engagement and empowering future environmental leaders. These projects will also enrich courses like Water Quality, Environmental Sustainability, and Water Treatment, improving the educational experience for environmental engineering and science students at Juniata. This student-led initiative benefits current and future cohorts, providing a sustainable solution for the college. The project’s interdisciplinary approach involves faculty and students from various other fields, including Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Additionally, the living laboratory&#39;s research and projects will serve as demonstration units and teaching modules for high school students, attracting them to engineering and STEM fields.

AU - Kushal Adhikari
CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
DA - 2025/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - "Living" Engineering Laboratory: Enhancing Undergraduate Learning Through Place-Based Education and Lab-Scale Engineering Models
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55307
ER -