Using Technical Entrepreneurship And Service Learning To Promote An International Perspective In An Undergraduate Engineering Program
- Conference
- Location
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2008
- Start Date
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June 22, 2008
- End Date
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June 25, 2008
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
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Technical Capacity Bldg for Developing Countries & Service Learning
- Tagged Division
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International
- Page Count
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18
- Page Numbers
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13.1359.1 - 13.1359.18
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--3850
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/3850
- Download Count
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540
Paper Authors
William Jordan Baylor University
WILLIAM JORDAN is the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair at Baylor University. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.A. degree in Theology from Denver Seminary, and a Ph.D. in mechanics and materials from Texas A & M University. He teaches materials related courses and does research concerning appropriate technology in developing countries. He also writes and does research in the areas of engineering ethics and engineering education.
Glenn Blalock Baylor University
GLENN BLALOCK teaches in Baylor's Professional Writing Program. His research interests include writing in the disciplines and uses of technology for writing instruction.
Walter Bradley Baylor University
WALTER BRADLEY received his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Texas. He taught at Colorado School of Mines from 1968-1976 and at Texas A&M University from 1976 to 2000 before assuming his current positions as a Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
Cynthia Fry Baylor University
CYNTHIA C. FRY is a Senior Lecturer of Computer Science and the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies for the School of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS) at Baylor University. She has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University, and a M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She has 14 years of industry experience, teaches computer systems related courses, and conducts research on retention of female students in STEM fields. She also writes and does research in the areas of female recruiting and global education.
Anne Grinols Baylor University
ANNE BRADSTEET GRINOLS currently serves as Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and College Initiatives at the Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University where she teaches Management Communication in the MBA core curriculum and develops case competitions and other ethics initiatives for the business school. Before coming to Baylor in 2004, Grinols taught Management Communication and Critical Thinking in Business in the University of Illinois MBA program and Critical Thinking at Cornell University. Her current teaching and research focus includes collaborative education, communication, and ethics. She has published 2 texts and several articles, and made over 50 invited presentations.
Brian Thomas Baylor University
BRIAN THOMAS is a Senior Lecturer in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He joined Baylor in 2001 after nine years in the cellular telephone industry, primarily in the field of microwave filters, duplexers, and other passive circuits. His current interests are in appropriate technology for developing countries, in particular, rural electrification schemes using renewable sources such as solar photovoltaic, micro-hydro, small wind power, and biogas. Since 2005 he has been taking small teams of engineering students to locations in Kenya and Honduras to implement engineering service projects for marginalized and/or impoverished groups. He is the co-founder of a student organization called Engineers with a Mission
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
Using Technical Entrepreneurship and Service Learning to Promote an International Perspective in an Undergraduate Engineering Program
Introduction
Promoting an awareness of the international aspects of engineering practice is not a simple task. At our university we believe that our students need to learn how to practice engineering in an international setting. Our plan to accomplish this has several new educational opportunities for our students.
The first opportunity is engineering service learning experiences in developing countries. These projects have all been based on prior contacts with a poor community that needs some engineering help. We have gone only to places where the people in the local community indicate to us that they have a need our students can help fulfill. With this prior contact our students are able to design the project here on our campus and then the international trip allows for on-site implementation as well as rewarding contact with the “customers.”
Our students have created a student run organization to promote such experiences. Over the last three years students have gone on service learning trips to Kenya (2 trips), Armenia (2 trips), Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Honduras (2 trips), and Vietnam. These trips help out poor communities in other countries. Even more, they change our students’ perspective about themselves and our world.
A second opportunity is our students providing engineering design services for a partner organization overseas. For example, our students have worked with Bridging the Gap-Africa. We have provided analysis for 45 meter long pedestrian bridges that BTGA is currently building to verify the safety factors. Currently we are helping to design a 90 meter long pedestrian bridge for Kenya that will allow a disenfranchised community on the far side of the river to access markets, medical care and schooling. Working with partners thousands of miles away has been a challenging experience for our students. Helping improve the quality of life for very poor people has been a very rewarding experience.
The third opportunity has been the creation of an option for our students to take a two course sequence focusing on technical entrepreneurship. We have created a new course entitled Global Business: Economics and Communication that introduces students to engineering economic analysis, professional speaking and technical writing. A term project requires the preparation of a feasibility study of a technical project, requiring students to use library and Internet resources, appropriate writing and formatting skills, engineering economic analysis and a professional presentation. In a sequel course taught by the business school entitled Technical Entrepreneurship, students use these skills to do a feasibility study for a technical company. The technical entrepreneurship class can be taken on campus in the spring or during the summer in east Asia.
Jordan, W., & Blalock, G., & Bradley, W., & Fry, C., & Grinols, A., & Thomas, B. (2008, June), Using Technical Entrepreneurship And Service Learning To Promote An International Perspective In An Undergraduate Engineering Program Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3850
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