Educating Engineers in the Sustainable Futures ModelEducating Engineers in the Sustainable Futures Modelwith a Global Perspectivewith a Global Perspective

22ndnd International Conference on Sustainability Engineering & Science International Conference on Sustainability Engineering & ScienceFebruary 20-23, 2007February 20-23, 2007

James R. Mihelcic, Kurtis G. Paterson, Linda D. Phillips, Qiong Zhang, David W. Watkins, Brian Barkdoll,

Valerie J. Fuchs, David R. Hokanson

Civil & Environmental EngineeringSustainable Futures Institute

Michigan Technological University&

Trussell Technologies, Pasadena, Californiawww.cee.mtu.edu/sustainable_engineering

&www.sfi.mtu.edu

Lets review five motivators for our effortsLets review five motivators for our efforts(figure from Mihelcic & Hokanson, 2005)(figure from Mihelcic & Hokanson, 2005)

Economic/Industrial SustainabilityProductivityTechnological growthProfit and employmentEco -efficiency analysisClean manufacturingThe built environmentDesign for environmentProduct end -of -lifeEnergy production & efficiency

Societal SustainabilityInformed citizenry Risk communicationStakeholder participation Public policySocial Justice, Equity Diffusion of knowledgeEnvironmental Justice Land use planning

Environmental SustainabilityRisk assessmentImpact modeling

Natural resourcesHuman & ecosystem health

Sustainability metricsFate & transport mechanisms

Geographic information systemsRemote sensing

SustainableFuturesModel

Globalization, trade & developmentCoping w/ climate change & variabilityThe growth of megacitiesHuman vulnerability to climate changeFreshwater depletion and degradationMarine and coastal degradationPopulation growthRising consumption in developing countriesBiodiversity depletionBiosecurity

Existing & Emerging Existing & Emerging Environmental Issues Environmental Issues (UNEP, 2002)(UNEP, 2002)

Top 10 Causes on Minds of Young PeopleTop 10 Causes on Minds of Young People(Cone Inc., AMP Insights, 2006)(Cone Inc., AMP Insights, 2006)

Millennium Development Goals, Health, and Millennium Development Goals, Health, and Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

“Healthy life is an outcome of sustainable development, as well as a powerful and undervalued means of achieving it. We need to see health both as a precious asset in itself, and as a means of stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty.”

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General Emeritus, WHO, 2005

Opportunities to increase Opportunities to increase diversitydiversity

We need to understand why in a society so dependent on technology, a society that benefits so richly from the results of engineering, a society that rewards engineers so well, engineering isn’t perceived as a desirable profession. . . . Our profession is diminished and impoverished by a lack of diversity-William A. Wulf, President of the National Academy of Engineering

In the upcoming decades, engineers will play a critical role in the eradication of poverty and hunger and facilitation of sustainable development, appropriate technology, beneficial infrastructure, and social change.

Our mission is to promote international sustainable development engineering by nurturing and educating young people to value and implement this vision of a better world.

Mission Statement of Michigan Technological University Mission Statement of Michigan Technological University Civil & Environmental Engineering’s Civil & Environmental Engineering’s

International Sustainable Development InitiativeInternational Sustainable Development Initiative

International Sustainable Development Initiatives Available to Students

• Engineers without Borders-USA • International Senior Design• 3-year Engineering Enterprise• Master’s International Graduate Program• Water & Society Center’s partnerships with Mexico

& Canada • National Science Foundation Doctoral Training

Program (IGERT) in Sustainability• National Science Foundation Program that

Integrates an International Research Experience in Bolivia with Sustainable Development Engineering Education

Locations where students serve, Locations where students serve, learn,learn,

and perform research and perform research

Vanuatu

Ghana

Philippines

Mauritania

Mali

Madagascar

Panama

Jamaica

Kenya

Uzbekistan

Honduras

Belize D.R.

Macedonia

Cameroon East Timor

Samoa

Uganda

Bolivia

Palau

Service & Serving Learning: Service & Serving Learning: Engineers without Borders & Engineers without Borders & International Senior DesignInternational Senior Design

International Senior DesignInternational Senior Design

• Goal is to provide students a service-learning design experience situated in the developing world so they can explore the technical, economical and social implications of engineering design and construction.

• Integration of the U.S. Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation criterion throughout the design experience is crucial to this activity.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

ENG 3530UndergraduateColloquium inSustainability(1 Credit)

French/SpanishLanguage or Culture(3 Credits)

Business InternationalElective(3 credits)

CE3503 Intro Environmental Engineering(3 credits)

SS Technology& SocietyElective(3 credits)

HU4702 (3 credits)Ethical Theory or HU4625 (3 credits)Risk Communication

CE4905/4910InternationalSenior Design(3 credits)

In Country Construction& Design Experience

International Design Experience within context of Undergraduate Certificate in International Sustainable Development Engrg

Master’s International Master’s International ProgramProgram

• Partnership with U.S. Peace Corps in a scarce-skill area

• Coursework at Michigan Tech for 2-3 semesters

• 2-3 months of Peace Corps training (cultural, language, technical)

• At least 2 years of service in Peace Corps (student maintains full-time enrollment status)

• Return to Michigan Tech to complete research requirement

Integrating Graduate Integrating Graduate Education with Education with

Service & ResearchService & Research

Master’s International program is integrated with a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability that combines breadth and depth in sustainability through coursework in social, economic, environmental, and integrated systems

Specialized CoursesSpecialized Courses• Rural Community Development Planning and

Analysis • Field Engineering in the Developing World• Colloquiums in Sustainable Development• French and Spanish Language

International Sustainable Development International Sustainable Development Engineering Research ExperienceEngineering Research Experience

InternationaInternational l

SustainableSustainableDevelopmeDevelopme

nt nt Eng. Eng.

CertificateCertificateGraduate Graduate Certificate Certificate

in in SustainabiliSustainabili

tyty

Boliv

ian

student

:

0

:

0

Boliv

ian

student

DesignDesign

ExecuteExecute

AssessAssess

Reading/SeminarsReading/Seminars

Identify needIdentify need

ShareShare+U

nderg

rad

: 0

: 0

Gra

d

Program IntegrationProgram Integration

1 2 3 4 5 6

Academic Year0 7

Int. Senior Int. Senior DesignDesign

International Sustainable International Sustainable Development Eng. CertificateDevelopment Eng. Certificate

Engineers Without BordersEngineers Without Borders

Master’s International Master’s International Peace CorpsPeace Corps

SustainablSustainable Dev. e Dev.

ResearchResearch

SustainablSustainable Dev. e Dev.

ResearchResearch

AquaTerra Tech AquaTerra Tech EnterpriseEnterprise

Sonora Sonora Water Water

Resource Resource ClassClass

Student Numbers Student Numbers

  first first yearyear

# # studentstudentss

% % femalfemalee

# engrg # engrg disciplinediscipliness

# non-# non-engrg engrg disciplindisciplineses

Engs. Engs. without without BordersBorders

20052005 100100++ 45%45% 88 55

Inter. Senior Inter. Senior DesignDesign

20002000 118118 53%53% 55 22

Master’s Master’s InternationaInternationall

19971997 5858 42%42% 99 66

Inter Sust. Inter Sust. DevelopmenDevelopment Research t Research ExperienceExperience

20072007 66 66%66% 44 11

Does Sustainable Futures Model Does Sustainable Futures Model integrate with an International integrate with an International

Experience?Experience?

In response to a question about what he learned from his international experience, a graduate student answered that “along with gaining valuable engineering skills, he also learned what it was like to put engineering into practice while taking into consideration the social, economic, and environmental limitations of the developing world.”

To date approximately 300 students (49% female) To date approximately 300 students (49% female) that represent 11 engrg and 9 non-engrg that represent 11 engrg and 9 non-engrg disciplines have partnered with communities in 21 disciplines have partnered with communities in 21 countriescountries

• Mihelcic, JR “Educating Tomorrow’s Global Engineer through a Unique Partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps,” Woman Engineer, 30-33, Fall, 2004.

• Mihelcic, JR, “Educating the Future’s Water Professional, Water Environment Technology, 16(9): 86-92, 2004.

• Mihelcic, J.R. and D.R. Hokanson, “Educational Solutions: For a more Sustainable Future,” in Environmental Solutions, Eds: N.L. Nemerow and F.J. Agardy, Elsevier, 2005.

• Mihelcic et al., “Integrating a Global Perspective into Education & Research: Engineering International Sustainable Development,” Environmental Engineering Science, 23(3): 426-438, 2006.

Paterson, K., D. Watkins, J. Mihelcic and L. Phillips, “International Service Engineering Across Academic Borders,” Proceedings American Society of Engineering Annual Conference & Exposition, June 18-21, Chicago, IL, 2006.

• Fuchs, V.J. and J.R. Mihelcic, “Engineering Education for International Sustainability: Curriculum Design under the Sustainable Futures Model,” Proceedings of 5th Annual ASEE Global Colloquium on Engineering Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 9-12, 2006.

• Hokanson et al., “Educating Undergraduate & Graduate Engineers to Achieve a More Sustainable Future: Education & Diversity Initiatives with a Global Perspective,” International Journal of Engineering Education, in press, 2007.

Learn More: Learn More: Acknowledgements

• Our International Partners• U.S. Peace Corps • U.S. National Science Foundation

Questions?Questions?

www.cee.mtu.edu/sustainable_engineering