Sustainable Materials Design in Undergraduate Engineering Education

Cecelia Kinane; Kaitlin Tyler; Alan Taub; Abdon Pena-Francesch

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) Technical Session 13
Tagged Division: Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED)
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44390
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44390
Download Count: 207

Paper Authors

biography

Cecelia Kinane University of Michigan

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Cecelia Kinane (she/they) is a PhD candidate in the Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program at the University of Michigan. She earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of St. Thomas (MN). Their current research focuses on developing new polymeric materials for soft robotics for biomedical and environmental applications. Their professional interests include developing undergraduate engineering courses and culture that supports and serves students from all backgrounds.

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Kaitlin Tyler PhD ANSYS, Inc. orcid.org/0000-0002-5052-4262

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Kaitlin is currently an Academic Development Specialist at Ansys. She received her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign under Professor Paul Braun. Her research was split: focusing on manipulating eutectic material microstructures and engineering outreach.

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Alan Taub

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Abdon Pena-Francesch

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Abstract

Accelerated by the increasing population and consumption of resources, industries are increasing manufacturing and production to contend with demands. The resulting pollution in air and water, climate change, and lack of access to basic resources have led to a global crisis, putting our ecosystems, economy, and quality of life at risk. To mitigate these risks, sustainable materials and manufacturing processes must be developed to replace those that solely rely on fossil fuels, generate excessive waste, or release harmful emissions. The field of materials science and engineering (MSE) is uniquely positioned to address these issues of waste mismanagement and sustainability across industries by directly influencing how products are processed, manufactured, and disposed. Engineers must possess fundamental understanding of materials, in addition to understanding of economic, social, and environmental drivers to advocate for sustainable alternatives. There are great opportunities in MSE undergraduate education to train the next generation of forward-thinking scientists and engineers, so they are prepared to address the large-scale climate change problems.

At a large state school in the Midwest, engineering is focused on developing fundamental technical and teambuilding skills so that our engineers can rebuild systems to better serve all people. This people-first engineering focus has led to the reshaping of the capstone design course for senior undergraduate students in MSE to focus on the economic, environmental, and social impact of advanced materials and processes. In this course, students collaborate in groups of 5 on a materials-focused sustainability project addressing specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The goal of the course is to provide a team environment in which each student can gain an understanding of key aspects of sustainability in materials development and engineering design, and apply relevant analysis methodologies such as life cycle assessments, techno-economic analysis, and eco-properties audits. Students use Ansys Granta Edupack to visualize and understand the economic and environmental impacts of their project to identify trade-offs in sustainable engineering decision-making and validate their solutions. Students gain skills in teamwork, critical thinking, and both oral and written communication through presentations and written reports. At the end of the semester, students participated in a survey to probe their perceptions about sustainability in MSE and their interest in jobs in related industries. In this article, we analyze student perceptions and self-evaluations to suggest improved methods of engaging students in sustainable materials design courses.

Citation
Format

Kinane, C., & Tyler, K., & Taub, A., & Pena-Francesch, A. (2023, June), Sustainable Materials Design in Undergraduate Engineering Education Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44390

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Accelerated by the increasing population and consumption of resources, industries are increasing manufacturing and production to contend with demands. The resulting pollution in air and water, climate change, and lack of access to basic resources have led to a global crisis, putting our ecosystems, economy, and quality of life at risk. To mitigate these risks, sustainable materials and manufacturing processes must be developed to replace those that solely rely on fossil fuels, generate excessive waste, or release harmful emissions. The field of materials science and engineering (MSE) is uniquely positioned to address these issues of waste mismanagement and sustainability across industries by directly influencing how products are processed, manufactured, and disposed. Engineers must possess fundamental understanding of materials, in addition to understanding of economic, social, and environmental drivers to advocate for sustainable alternatives. There are great opportunities in MSE undergraduate education to train the next generation of forward-thinking scientists and engineers, so they are prepared to address the large-scale climate change problems.

At a large state school in the Midwest, engineering is focused on developing fundamental technical and teambuilding skills so that our engineers can rebuild systems to better serve all people. This people-first engineering focus has led to the reshaping of the capstone design course for senior undergraduate students in MSE to focus on the economic, environmental, and social impact of advanced materials and processes. In this course, students collaborate in groups of 5 on a materials-focused sustainability project addressing specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The goal of the course is to provide a team environment in which each student can gain an understanding of key aspects of sustainability in materials development and engineering design, and apply relevant analysis methodologies such as life cycle assessments, techno-economic analysis, and eco-properties audits. Students use Ansys Granta Edupack to visualize and understand the economic and environmental impacts of their project to identify trade-offs in sustainable engineering decision-making and validate their solutions.  Students gain skills in teamwork, critical thinking, and both oral and written communication through presentations and written reports. At the end of the semester, students participated in a survey to probe their perceptions about sustainability in MSE and their interest in jobs in related industries. In this article, we analyze student perceptions and self-evaluations to suggest improved methods of engaging students in sustainable materials design courses. 
AU  - Cecelia Kinane
AU  - Kaitlin Tyler PhD
AU  - Alan Taub
AU  - Abdon Pena-Francesch
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Sustainable Materials Design in Undergraduate Engineering Education
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44390
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44390
ER  -