Arlington, Virginia
March 12, 2023
March 12, 2023
March 14, 2023
Professional Engineering Education Papers
8
10.18260/1-2--45041
https://peer.asee.org/45041
75
Professional Skills and Safety are my main pedagogical interests. I use the Chemical Engineering laboratory to implement safety training to improve safety culture, and to adapt assessment methods to enhance development of students’ professional skills. I am an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia and I hold a B.Sc. (University of Saskatchewan) and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Queen’s University). Complimenting my pedagogical research is an interest in bioprocess engineering, environmental engineering, environmental risk management, and I have authored >40 peer reviewed publications in these fields. I’m also active in developing workforce development initiatives, specifically within the biopharmaceutical manufacturing space. Beyond academia, I have 7+ years of international consulting experience working with the U.K. government, European Union, and the United Nations.
Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia.
Engineering Laboratory courses are used to teach many of the core professional development competencies that are required of engineering graduates. Technical communication, ethical reasoning, and critical thinking are examples of these professional skills that are valued across all disciplines. Safety is another core competency that is highly regarded by industries (e.g. petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, aeronautical) that hire from a variety of engineering disciplines. Thus, coordinating safety instruction between disciplines is a worthwhile endeavor to improve students’ preparation for the workforce. This work-in-progress paper will discuss the transfer of safety pedagogy from a Chemical Engineering undergraduate laboratory to a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate laboratory. The engineering laboratory provides an excellent environment for safety instruction because it enables hands-on application of the concepts and can be used to simulate industrial practice. First, we will discuss the results of a baseline safety culture survey that provides information about commonalities in student perceptions about safety between the disciplines. Second, we will discuss the challenges and benefits of sharing pedagogy between the disciplines, highlighting our efforts to contextualize content within the disciplines. Finally, we will comment on the integration of professional development training within the engineering laboratory and how it ensures that students practice expected professional behavior rather than simply learn about professional standards.
Prpich, G., & Smith, N. (2023, March), Sharing Best Practice in Safety Between Engineering Disciplines Paper presented at ASEE Southeast Section Conference, Arlington, Virginia. 10.18260/1-2--45041
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