Quantifying and Improving the Industrial Assessment Center Student Experience from an Educational Perspective
- Conference
- Location
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Fairfield, Connecticut
- Publication Date
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April 19, 2024
- Start Date
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April 19, 2024
- End Date
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April 20, 2024
- Page Count
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7
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--45777
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/45777
- Download Count
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74
Paper Authors
Lynn A. Albers
Hofstra University
orcid.org/0000-0002-1436-0256
Dr. Lynn Albers is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering of the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science at Hofstra University. Her previous academic contribution was as one of the founding five faculty/staff at Campbell University, helping the newly formed School of Engineering grow and establish roots in the community. A proponent of Hands-On Activities in the classroom and during out-of-school time programs, she believes that they complement any teaching style thereby reaching all learning styles. She earned her doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University specializing in thermal sciences where her dissertation research spanned three colleges and focused on Engineering Education. Her passions include but are not limited to Engineering Education, Energy Engineering and Conservation, and K-20 STEM Outreach. Prior to matriculating at NCSU, she worked at the North Carolina Solar Center developing a passion for wind and solar energy research while learning renewable energy policy. She combined these passions with K-20 STEM Outreach while a National Science Foundation Fellow with the GK-12 Outreach Program at NCSU where she began Energy Clubs, an out-of-school-time program for third, fourth and fifth graders to introduce them to renewable energy.
Celia Teresa Chacko University of Connecticut
Celia Chacko is a graduate student at the University of Connecticut pursuing a Masters of Science in Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Systems after having completed her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. She is passionate about sustainability, renewable energy, and manufacturing.
Abstract
This project is investigating the approaches to education as part of the student experience in the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC). The Industrial Assessment Centers Program trains students at universities and trade schools across the nation to prepare them for careers in energy and the industry. Students learn to perform energy assessments and develop methods of improving energy efficiency in small-to-medium sized manufacturing facilities across several industries. Most IAC students transition into energy-related careers and are well-equipped to identify energy and cost-saving opportunities in their fields. The IAC is well-known for training students for successful careers and professional opportunities in the energy workforce. Standard onboarding tools are available to educate students when they first join the program. There is, however, little available data on the implementation of education, including these tools, throughout the student experience across IACs. Education is a critical component of student development in professional programs like this, but there is the possibility that some tools and methods in place are outdated or in need of improvement. This study aims to quantify those educational tools and methods and the impact it has on the student experience across all IACs in the nation. It hopes to identify both educational strengths and avenues for improvement in hopes of developing a curriculum and resources that can be standardized but also continuously improved. Data will be collected through surveys distributed to current IAC students, directors, and alumni to gather three different perspectives on the educational experience. The results from these surveys will be analyzed to assess the current education, identify areas of improvement, and suggest potential strategies to strengthen and standardize it.
Albers, L. A., & Chacko, C. T. (2024, April), Quantifying and Improving the Industrial Assessment Center Student Experience from an Educational Perspective Paper presented at 2024 ASEE North East Section, Fairfield, Connecticut. 10.18260/1-2--45777
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