Engineering and Geoscience Essays

These essays were submitted by faculty in preparation for the Engineering, Sustainability, and the Geosciences workshop in March 2013. Participants were asked to share their approaches to integrating engineering and geoscience, why they think this approach is valuable in preparing students for the workforce, and their ideas for building upon this base to strengthen the integration of geoscience and engineering.


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Teaching from multiple perspectives
Dan Morgan, Vanderbilt University
Daniel Jones Morgan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University Teaching from multiple perspectives "Like most North Americans of his generation, Hal tends to know way less about why he feels ...

A few thoughts on the integration of engineering and geoscience
Vince Cronin, Baylor University
Vincent S. Cronin, Geology, Baylor University I am a geologist rather than an engineer, so my comments should be read with this perspective in mind. The first place to look for opportunities to integrate ...

Teaching life cycle assessment (LCA) modeling through project based learning.
James Stone, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
James Stone, Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology My approach to integrating sustainable engineering into the classroom at SDSM&T is through a life cycle assessment ...

Common Ground Between Applied Geology and Engineering
Horacio Ferriz, California State University-Stanislaus
Horacio Ferriz, Physics and Geology, California State University-Stanislaus Engineering, the most creative profession in the world! In Latin and its derived languages, the word engineering (e.g., ingeniería in ...

It's a leucocratic gneiss. So what?
Paul Santi, Colorado School of Mines
Paul Santi, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines "Fine, it's a leucocratic gneiss. So what?" This statement captures the essence of my approach to integrating ...

Navigating an Ersatz Dichotomy (Science vs Engineering)
Freddi-Jo Bruschke, California State University-Fullerton
Freddi-Jo Bruschke, Geological Science, California State University-Fullerton Everyone attending this workshop already believes in integration of geosciences and engineering for students in both disciplines, and ...

The Built Environment: A Common Ground for Geoscience and Engineering
John Duggan, Wentworth Institute of Technology
John Duggan, Wentworth Institute of Technology Most of us don't put a lot of thought into the origin of the materials in a paved road, a concrete sidewalk or a brick wall, but we should. We take for granted ...

Embracing the "Mess" in Environmental Systems
Kyle Monahan, Clarkson University
Kyle M. Monahan, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University Geological problems such as those commonly found in the fields of environmental engineering and the geosciences are uniquely suited to ...

Reinventing the Introductory Geology Course for Engineering and Other Quantitatively-able Students
Laurel Goodell, Princeton University
Laurel Goodell, Geosciences, Princeton University Our fairly traditional GEO203: Physical Geology had for years served as entry into the department. However, enrollment in the course had been steadily declining; ...

Engineering Hydrology with a Real-World Perspective
Anne Ronan, New York University
Anne Dudek Ronan, Civil and Urban Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of NYU I regularly integrate engineering and geoscience in my junior-level Water Resources Engineering course which is required for all civil ...

Integration of Geoscience into Geothermal Bore Field Design
Kevin Amende, Montana State University-Bozeman
Kevin Amende, P.E., Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University-BozemanToday's technological advancements play an important role in the way our society gathers and disseminates ...

Teaching Engineering Geology in a Geoscience Department
Robert Mitchell, Western Washington University
Robert Mitchell, Geology, Western Washington University I'm pleased to have this opportunity to share specific examples of how I integrate engineering and geoscience in an engineering geology course I teach ...

Finding Interdisciplinary Common Ground for Sustainability
Brenda Bowen, University of Utah
Brenda Bowen, Geology and Geophysics & Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of UtahThe grand challenges facing society today-- climate change, depleting natural resources, environmental ...

Finding a Global View at the Intersection of Geology and Engineering
LeAnne Teruya, San Jose State University
LeAnne Teruya, Geology, San Jose State University On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused massive destruction and an astounding loss of 316,000 lives. Little more than a ...

Materials and the Environment
Mark Koopman, University of Utah
Mark Koopman, Metallurgy, University of Utah I must confess at the outset that these are not the words of an experienced and wizened professor of engineering and the geosciences, but rather the observations of an ...

Integrating Engineering and Geoscience Through Technical Writing
Thalia Anagnos, San Jose State University
Thalia Anagnos, Professor, Department of General Engineering, San Jose State University Well prepared engineering students must understand the context in which they apply their knowledge and skills. In particular, ...

Integrating Geoscience into Water Resources Engineering
Manoj Jha, North Carolina A & T State University
Manoj Jha, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina A & T State University Since fall of 2010, I have been teaching few undergraduate courses in water resources areas including ...

Integrating Geoscience into Water Resources Engineering
Manoj Jha
Manoj Jha, , North Carolina A & T State University Since fall of 2010, I have been teaching few undergraduate courses in water resources areas including "hydrology" and "water resources ...

The Challenge and Reward of Teaching Geological Engineering on the Border
Diane Doser, University of Texas at El Paso
Diane Doser, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso Teaching geology to engineers is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I do each year. Each year a new class of ...

Techniques to Teach Sustainability in Multi-Disciplinary Classrooms Comprised of Engineers, Geoscientists, and other Disciplines
Steven Burian, University of Utah
Steve Burian, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah I believe teaching sustainability to engineering and geoscience students in integrated courses requires new approaches to course ...