Humanitarian Projects in Multidisciplinary Senior Design Catherine Skokan David Munoz Joan Gosink Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines ► Founded in 1874 ► Engineering and Applied Science ► 3500 Students
Engineering Division ► Design oriented ► Interdisciplinary ► Accredited non- traditional ► 1000 undergraduate and 100 graduate students ► Design throughout the curriculum
Multidisciplinary Senior Design ► Required of all Senior Students ► 2-semester sequence of 7 credit hours ► Open-ended projects ► Non-technical as well as technical constraints ► Industry, government, or non-profit sponsors
Grant from Hewlett Foundation ► 2002 – call for proposals to improve quality of engineering education in terms of recruitment and retention of under-represented groups, innovative teaching and learning strategies, advancement of student professionalism, development of academic and industrial partnerships, and extended impact. ► CSM proposed Humanitarian Engineering Program.
Engineering Schools of the West Initiative ► Boise State University ► Colorado School of Mines ► Idaho State University ► Montana State University ► Northern Arizona University ► Oregon State University ► University of Nevada/Reno ► University of Utah ► University of Wyoming
Goals of Humanitarian Engineering Program ► Create a culture of acceptance and value of community and international service activities at CSM. ► Increase the number of CSM engineering graduates that enter occupations that have a community or international service emphasis ► Increase the recruitment of women and minority students to the engineering program at CSM. ► Increase the number of internships in community or international service.
History of Humanitarian Senior Design Projects Semester # of projects # of students Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring TOTAL1681
Senegal ► Student Team: 2 civil, 1 mechanical, 1 electrical ► Student Team: 1 environmental, 1 civil, 2 mechanical, 1 electrical ► Client: Rao Development Authority ► Design and construct an onion storage facility; design and construct a drip irrigation system, map groundwater
Nepal ► Student Team: 1 environmental, 2 civil ► Client: Namlo Foundation ► Design a water filtration system (slow sand filter) to remove E coli
Romania ► 2004 Student Team: 1 electrical, 3 civil ► Client: Global Hope ► Design a group home for 8 children and 2 adults using local materials
Honduras ► Student team: 2 civil, 1 civil/environmental, 2 environmental, 1 mechanical, 1 electrical ► Client: People of Colinas de Suiza and Mayor of Villanueva ► Design a municipal water system ► Winner of 2005 Mondialogo Engineering Award http//
Local K-12 Connections ► Student Team: 1 environmental, 1 electrical, 2 mechanical ► Student Team: 1 civil, 3 mechanical, 1 electrical ► Client: ( ) Cedaredge Middle School, Delta School District ► ( ) Centennial Elementary School, Harrison School District ► Design engineering curriculum to excite students in learning mathematics and science
Progress Towards Hewlett Goals ► Minor program formally approved (15 hours liberal arts, 3 hours MEL, 3 hours engineering elective, 7 hours Multidisciplinary Senior Design) ► Percentage of women in humanitarian projects double the percentage of women in standard projects ► Assessment ongoing
Lessons Learned ► Multidisciplinary senior design projects included interdisciplinary elements both in engineering and in liberal arts ► Students learned about working in different cultures ► Students learned feasibility of doing engineering in communities with limited resources ► Students increased listening and communication skills
Future Directions ► Need to analyze impact on minority students ► Need to develop more engineering electives ► Need to insure future financial support ► Need to strengthen connections with other universities in ESWI