The Faculty of Engineering Technologies of the Rochester Institute of Technology is aimed at a shortage of green skills thanks to a new project to make concepts of sustainability a more complete part of the teaching of undergraduate engineering.
The integration of the development of ecological practices in the social and economic facets of sustainability could further transform engineering teaching by equipping future skills engineers required for the profession today, said Ashish AngowalDeputy Professor at Rit College of Engineering Technologywho runs the three -year project.
“Sustainability is often taught as an autonomous concept. However, if we carry out engineering design projects, we must think of sustainability with regard to each stage of the design process, “said Agrawal. “We must also integrate sustainability into various courses and understand that he is shaping the identity of a student as an engineer.”
Thanks to the new content, the team will explore how specific interventions such as problem solving activities, case studies and cornerstone projects that integrate concepts of sustainability influence the knowledge, attitude and behavior of students . The undergraduate students and higher -year higher year at fifth year will be involved in data collection for this project.
The other teachers of this involved in the project team and experts in various fields of sustainability are Lisa GreenwoodAssociate teacher, environment, health and safety; Amanda BaoProfessor and president of the acting department, civil engineering technology; Yewande AbrahamAssociate professor of civil engineering technology; And Lucio Salles de SallesDeputy professor of civil engineering technology.
The project team has developed content for 10 engineering and science courses applied in this Civil engineering technology, environmental health and security program, and in the Electrical and IT engineering technology program. Each intervention under development will have the three dimensions of sustainability – environmental, social and economic.
“This is important in particular for the theoretical aspects of the courses,” said rooms. “Sometimes students do design calculations, and they may not see how these are linked to lasting dimensions. They will face this once these students are starting to work. No one designs a building without taking into account social, environmental and economic aspects. »»
Laughs has a long history of recognition of Impact of sustainable practices and the Evolution of requests of the engineering profession. University engineering programs are Abet accredited and include recognition of sustainability principles. This project is a way to continue to meet the requirements as well as to meet the requests of the industry for a skilled workforce in these practices.
“These students will be future professionals and by doing these interventions, we tell them that it is also engineering. While they are doing the work, they have to think about the sustainability of all dimensions, and all of this is part of his professional, “said Agrawal.
The group received a subsidy from the National Science Foundation for the “NLI: research on the influence of course interventions focused on sustainability of the development of student engineering identity”. Funding for the search for nearly $ 350,000 comes from the Division of Education and NSF Engineering Centers. The fundamental preparation of the new project is based on engineering for A planet frameworkA national initiative supported by the Lemelson Foundation to prepare graduate engineers, regardless of disciplines, with skills, knowledge and understanding to protect and improve environmental and social systems.