Using Innovative Topics to Attract Future Engineers: Liquefaction and Sustainability Modules for Engineering Camp

Jeffrey C. Evans; Michelle Oswald Beiler; Akmal S Daniyarov; Christopher Adam Kulish

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Conference: 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Publication Date: June 23, 2013
Start Date: June 23, 2013
End Date: June 26, 2013
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Teaching and Assessing Sustainability and Life Long Learning
Tagged Division: Civil Engineering
Page Count: 15
Page Numbers: 23.1320.1 - 23.1320.15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--22705
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/22705
Download Count: 544

Paper Authors

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Jeffrey C. Evans P.E. Bucknell University

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Dr. Jeffrey Evans has been professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Bucknell University since 1985. Prior to entering academia he was at Woodward-Clyde Consultants (now URS) and in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Reserves). He has been a visiting academic at the University of Nottingham and the University of Cambridge where he was an Overseas Fellow in Churchill College. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering degrees from Clarkson University, an M.S.C.E. from Purdue University and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University.

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Michelle Oswald Beiler P.E. Bucknell University

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Dr. Michelle Oswald is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Bucknell University. She has completed her doctoral degree in Civil Engineering as well as a Master's of Arts in Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware, specializing in sustainable transportation planning. She received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College in 2007 and a Master's of Civil Engineering at the University of Delaware in 2008.

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Akmal S Daniyarov

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Christopher Adam Kulish

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Abstract

Using Innovative Topics to Attract Future Engineers: Liquefaction and Sustainability Modules for Engineering CampEfforts to attract quality and diverse students into civil engineering have given rise toengineering camps aimed at secondary school students. Innovative topics such as liquefactionand sustainability are topics usually studied in depth in graduate programs in civil engineering.However, recent natural events such as the earthquake in New Zealand, storm surge effects inNew Orleans, along with the on-going issue of global warming have initiated interest andbrought attention to these topics. These phenomena have been connected in a way to begineducating the secondary school students while at the same time encouraging their interests inengineering. To do this, two teaching modules were developed focused on these two topics andimplemented twice, targeting 13 to 16 year old students. The liquefaction module is aimed atfamiliarizing students with the term as well as fundamental engineering concepts related to thetopic. Experiments were conducted both on a small scale shake table available at manyuniversities and a teaching device for fluidized beds also widely available. Students took variousmeasurements and made calculations of density before and after liquefaction. For thesustainability module, the students were introduced to key concepts related to environmental,social, and economic sustainability. Two activities were implemented with regards to ecologicalfootprint and green building. Students calculated their ecological footprint based on a survey oflifestyle-related questions and compared their impacts to average values in developing countries.In addition, they completed a case study assessment of exemplary green buildings and developeda concept map depicting the related triple bottom line goals. To simplify the task ofimplementing the modules, detailed procedures for the experiments/activities, along withworksheets for the students have been developed for interested instructors. The modules havebeen tested at xxx University during the summers of 2011 and 2012 and the survey assessmentresults from student evaluation confirm that the modules are effective in meeting the definedobjectives.

Citation
Format

Evans, J. C., & Beiler, M. O., & Daniyarov, A. S., & Kulish, C. A. (2013, June), Using Innovative Topics to Attract Future Engineers: Liquefaction and Sustainability Modules for Engineering Camp Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--22705

TY - CPAPER
AB - Using Innovative Topics to Attract Future Engineers: Liquefaction and Sustainability Modules for Engineering CampEfforts to attract quality and diverse students into civil engineering have given rise toengineering camps aimed at secondary school students. Innovative topics such as liquefactionand sustainability are topics usually studied in depth in graduate programs in civil engineering.However, recent natural events such as the earthquake in New Zealand, storm surge effects inNew Orleans, along with the on-going issue of global warming have initiated interest andbrought attention to these topics. These phenomena have been connected in a way to begineducating the secondary school students while at the same time encouraging their interests inengineering. To do this, two teaching modules were developed focused on these two topics andimplemented twice, targeting 13 to 16 year old students. The liquefaction module is aimed atfamiliarizing students with the term as well as fundamental engineering concepts related to thetopic. Experiments were conducted both on a small scale shake table available at manyuniversities and a teaching device for fluidized beds also widely available. Students took variousmeasurements and made calculations of density before and after liquefaction. For thesustainability module, the students were introduced to key concepts related to environmental,social, and economic sustainability. Two activities were implemented with regards to ecologicalfootprint and green building. Students calculated their ecological footprint based on a survey oflifestyle-related questions and compared their impacts to average values in developing countries.In addition, they completed a case study assessment of exemplary green buildings and developeda concept map depicting the related triple bottom line goals. To simplify the task ofimplementing the modules, detailed procedures for the experiments/activities, along withworksheets for the students have been developed for interested instructors. The modules havebeen tested at xxx University during the summers of 2011 and 2012 and the survey assessmentresults from student evaluation confirm that the modules are effective in meeting the definedobjectives.
AU - Jeffrey C. Evans P.E.
AU - Michelle Oswald Beiler P.E.
AU - Akmal S Daniyarov
AU - Christopher Adam Kulish
CY - Atlanta, Georgia
DA - 2013/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Using Innovative Topics to Attract Future Engineers: Liquefaction and Sustainability Modules for Engineering Camp
UR - https://peer.asee.org/22705
DO - 10.18260/1-2--22705
ER -