Using Standardized Examinations To Assess Chemical Engineering Programs

Unit operations laboratories are a standard feature of most chemical engineering programs. Students spend long hours running distillation columns, gas absorbers, and work with pumps, valves and heat exchangers. This provides much of the hands-on learning that they take into industry after graduation. Process control laboratories are often integrated into the unit operations laboratory. The most common control laboratory involves heating a tank with a steady inflow of cold water. Our laboratory has all of these features. Our approach can be described as using 20th century technology to control 19th century type processes in an 18th century learning environment while educating engineers for the 21st century. A different way to say it is that our approach is nothing like what a new graduate engineer sees when they arrive at a chemical facility. Several years ago, our department created a team tasked with upgrading the approach to the unit operations laboratory, and several guiding principles were created. It is important to retain a "hands-on" operational component – students need to open and close valves, read gauges, as well as start and stop pumps. It is equally important to introduce students to a proper distributed control system. It is also important that the DCS is not seen as a "black box" that does everything – the link between the equipment, the P&ID and the DCS needs to be reinforced.The equipment is now in regular operation, and we continue to expand its capabilities. This submission describes the genesis of the system and the staged approach that has been taken to manage the time and budget pressures.

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An Education Program in Support of a Sustainable Future

Manufacturing ◽

10.1115/imece2003-43422 ◽

2003 ◽

Author(s):

J. W. Sutherland ◽

V. Kumar ◽

J. C. Crittenden ◽

M. H. Durfee ◽

J. K. Gershenson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systems Engineering ◽

Chemical Engineering ◽

Current Status ◽

Life Cycle Thinking ◽

Development Effort ◽

Bottom Line ◽

Environmental Chemical ◽

Engineering Programs ◽

Sustainable Future ◽

Environmental Curricula

The historical evolution and current status of sustainability education at Michigan Technological University is described. The history considers the last 15 years, during which, the faculty of Michigan Tech have been collaborating on the development of environmental curricula and courses. This development effort initially focused on specialized offerings for the environmental/chemical engineering programs. With time, recognition of the importance of environmental issues (wastes, natural resources, energy, etc.) to other disciplines across the campus grew. For example, chemists, biologists, foresters, etc. each have a role in characterizing the behavior of ecological systems. Engineering disciplines that are focused on the design of products, processes, or systems influence long term societal sustainability. Social scientists must understand the relationship/linkages between the environment, industry, citizens, and government. Greener products, environmentally responsible processes, life cycle thinking, and environmental stewardship need to become part of the modern lexicon of globally aware students. Faculty from diverse disciplines across the campus are now collaborating to develop courses and modify curricula to educate students with respect to the triple bottom line (i.e., sustainable economic, societal, and environmental future). Problems associated with the traditional education paradigm are discussed. A new education model aimed at training students to create a sustainable future is proposed.

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The Gender Gap in Engineering Programs in Colombia

Ingeniería e Investigación ◽

10.15446/ing.investig.v41n2.86758 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. e86758

Author(s):

Nancy Elena Hamid Betancur ◽

Maria C. Torres-Madronero

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Information System ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Chemical Engineering ◽

Engineering Programs ◽

Women In Engineering ◽

Representation Of Women ◽

Undergraduate Engineering ◽

National Programs ◽

National Information

In Colombia, engineering is an unattractive field for women. As of 2018, 63,7% of undergraduate engineering graduates were men, and only 36,3% were women. This gap has not changed significantly between 2001 and 2018. This paper analyzes the gap between women and men who obtain undergraduate or graduate engineering degrees in Colombia. The analysis is based on data from the Labor Observatory for Education (OLE) and the National Information System for Higher Education (SNIES) between 2001 to 2018, and it is presented according to degree levels (undergraduate, master and Ph.D.), regions, specific fields of engineering, and salary. The data show a clear difference between the number of women and men graduating from engineering programs at all levels. This gap disappears in programs related to environmental, biomedical, and chemical engineering, where more than 50% of the graduates are women; but, in programs such as electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering, the gap is more critical, with less than 20% of women’s representation. To propose public policies or national programs to improve this situation, this paper also presents a review of international initiatives that have succeeded in improving the representation of women in engineering programs.

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