Mathematicians and Scientists Teaching Engineering Courses: 
Practices, Advantages, and Concerns

Aiman Said Kuzmar, P. E.

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Conference: 2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference
Location: Farmingdale State College, NY, New York
Publication Date: October 25, 2024
Start Date: October 25, 2024
End Date: November 5, 2024
Conference Session: Technical Sessions 3
Tagged Topics: Diversity and Professional Papers
Page Count: 37
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--49451
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/49451
Download Count: 170

Paper Authors

biography

Aiman Said Kuzmar, P. E. Islamic University of Madina, Saudi Arabia

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Dr. Aiman Kuzmar, P. E. has a 1994 Ph. D. from Duke University. He has a 1987 Master’s from Rice University. His 1984 BS degree is from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. All of his degrees are in Civil Engineering.

Dr. Kuzmar is a licensed Professional Engineer (P. E.) with the State of North Carolina since 1999. He is also a licensed Registered Engineer with the Jordanian Association of Engineers since 2007.

For 10 years since 2015, Dr. Aiman Kuzmar has been an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the Islamic University in Madinah Saudi, Arabia.

His industrial experience includes working as a Consultant Structural Engineer for one year in 1994 and 1995 with Stewart Engineering, Inc. in North Carolina. He worked as a Pavement, Materials, and Structures Research Staff Engineer with the Research and Development Unit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation in Raleigh, NC for five years between 1995 and 1999. He was a Bridge Engineer with the Structures Unit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation in Raleigh, NC for one year in 1999 and 2000.

His other academic experience includes the following: He was an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Penn State Fayette for 10 years between 2000 and 2010. He served as an Associate Professor of Construction Management and Engineering Technology with the Department of Agricultural and Engineering Technology at Sam Houston State University in Texas for five years from 2010 to 2015. He also taught as an Adjunct Professor with Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey, USA in the 2014/2015 academic year. He worked as an instructor with the College of Mainland in the Galveston area in Texas, USA.

Dr. Kuzmar has dual citizenships. He is a Jordanian as well as a US citizen.

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Abstract

Engineering is highly intertwined with science and mathematics. The connection between the three fields of engineering; and mathematics and science is illustrated based on the commonly known and ABET definitions of mathematics and science with those of engineering. An evidence of this connectivity lies in STEM which is a recent field that has been highly visible in the last twenty years. It stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students have been noticeably swayed away from these crossing disciplines for various reasons. STEM was partially created to attract students back to these careers again.

Discussions are made based on the fact that although engineering has many definitions in the literature, all of them point to a common description. Engineering is basically the application of mathematics and science to solve society’s real life problems. Design is a, or perhaps the, key aspect of engineering. This is exactly why engineering students have to take several mathematical courses that can be as high as four or even more at some institutes. They have to take other courses in natural sciences like physics, chemistry, geology, and even biology in some cases, as well. They also must take courses in social sciences. The purpose of such requirements is to have a body of knowledge in mathematics and science sufficient enough to apply in their engineering courses and later in their professional careers.

The general framework of the engineering curriculum is illustrated with examples in the context of the topic of this article. Mathematics and science courses almost entirely make up the 1st year and continue partially in the 2nd year in a typical engineering curriculum. The curriculum starts to include basic engineering courses in the 2nd year. Advanced and specialized engineering courses are in the 3rd and 4th years. This is in line with ABET and other global accreditation requirements. Scientists and mathematicians follow different paths.

This clearly shows that having backgrounds in mathematics and science is a necessary condition for engineers, but it is definitely not sufficient. Engineers have to have many profound engineering courses on top of basic and advanced mathematics and science courses in their engineering curricula. A scan was made regarding the topic of teaching engineering courses by mathematicians and scientists rather than engineers. On one hand, it was found that mathematicians and scientists are enlisted in engineering departments at several elite universities. On the other hand, almost all institutes of higher education require a degree or more in engineering to be engineering instructors in their announcements. This is especially the case with community colleges. Universities in general leave the door a little bit open in this regard. For universities, the required academic credential to become an engineering instructor is crafted as an advanced degree in the intended engineering field or in “a closely related field.” This closely related field can be interpreted as a similar engineering field, but it can also be expanded to include other fields like mathematics and science.

The paper looked critically but objectively at the topic of mathematicians and scientists teaching engineering courses. It discussed the practices, advantages, and concerns associated with this engineering education topic. Of course, the purpose of it is to promote engineering education.

Citation
Format

Kuzmar, P. E., A. S. (2024, October), Mathematicians and Scientists Teaching Engineering Courses: Practices, Advantages, and Concerns Paper presented at 2024 Fall ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section Conference, Farmingdale State College, NY, New York. 10.18260/1-2--49451

TY - CPAPER
AB - Engineering is highly intertwined with science and mathematics. The connection between the three fields of engineering; and mathematics and science is illustrated based on the commonly known and ABET definitions of mathematics and science with those of engineering. An evidence of this connectivity lies in STEM which is a recent field that has been highly visible in the last twenty years. It stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students have been noticeably swayed away from these crossing disciplines for various reasons. STEM was partially created to attract students back to these careers again.

Discussions are made based on the fact that although engineering has many definitions in the literature, all of them point to a common description. Engineering is basically the application of mathematics and science to solve society’s real life problems. Design is a, or perhaps the, key aspect of engineering. This is exactly why engineering students have to take several mathematical courses that can be as high as four or even more at some institutes. They have to take other courses in natural sciences like physics, chemistry, geology, and even biology in some cases, as well. They also must take courses in social sciences. The purpose of such requirements is to have a body of knowledge in mathematics and science sufficient enough to apply in their engineering courses and later in their professional careers.

The general framework of the engineering curriculum is illustrated with examples in the context of the topic of this article. Mathematics and science courses almost entirely make up the 1st year and continue partially in the 2nd year in a typical engineering curriculum. The curriculum starts to include basic engineering courses in the 2nd year. Advanced and specialized engineering courses are in the 3rd and 4th years. This is in line with ABET and other global accreditation requirements. Scientists and mathematicians follow different paths.

This clearly shows that having backgrounds in mathematics and science is a necessary condition for engineers, but it is definitely not sufficient. Engineers have to have many profound engineering courses on top of basic and advanced mathematics and science courses in their engineering curricula.
A scan was made regarding the topic of teaching engineering courses by mathematicians and scientists rather than engineers. On one hand, it was found that mathematicians and scientists are enlisted in engineering departments at several elite universities. On the other hand, almost all institutes of higher education require a degree or more in engineering to be engineering instructors in their announcements. This is especially the case with community colleges. Universities in general leave the door a little bit open in this regard. For universities, the required academic credential to become an engineering instructor is crafted as an advanced degree in the intended engineering field or in “a closely related field.” This closely related field can be interpreted as a similar engineering field, but it can also be expanded to include other fields like mathematics and science.

The paper looked critically but objectively at the topic of mathematicians and scientists teaching engineering courses. It discussed the practices, advantages, and concerns associated with this engineering education topic. Of course, the purpose of it is to promote engineering education.
AU - Aiman Said Kuzmar, P. E.
CY - Farmingdale State College, NY, New York
DA - 2024/10/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Mathematicians and Scientists Teaching Engineering Courses:
Practices, Advantages, and Concerns

UR - https://peer.asee.org/49451
DO - 10.18260/1-2--49451
ER -