multidisciplinary-engineering-science-program-at-trinity-university

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING SCIENCE PROGRAM AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY Mahbub Uddin Department of Engineering Science Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas Introduction Trinity University is an independent, coeducational university in the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences Trinity’s principal focus is on undergraduate education Academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences and preprofessional and professional fields are consciously intertwined to provide mutually reinforcing intellectual experiences for students and faculty The mission of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University is to provide talented students with a broadly based undergraduate engineering education by offering a design oriented, multidisciplinary engineering science curriculum in the context of the University’s tradition of the liberal arts and sciences The curriculum emphasizes an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering science that form the foundation for technical work in all fields in engineering Some specialization is available through elective courses in Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, taken during the junior and senior years The program provides significant hands-on experience in engineering laboratories and participation in engineering design projects throughout the eight-semester engineering design course sequence The emphasis on fundamentals is intended to prepare students for dealing with the rapid pace technological change and the interdisciplinary demands of today’s and tomorrow’s, engineering practice The laboratory and design portions of the program provide the student with a balanced perspective of the realities and limitations required for practical problem solving The professional practice of engineering requires skill and resourcefulness in applying science and technology to the solution of problems in our complex technological society The successful engineer must possess a thorough understanding of social and economic forces and have an appreciation of cultural and humanistic traditions The Trinity Engineering Science Program encourages the development of this kind of graduate by providing a broad technical background and a significant liberal education in the humanities and social sciences The first engineering students entered Trinity in 1961 The program has been continuously accredited by ABET since 1969 It is the first accredited engineering program in San Antonio, Texas Our engineering science students come to Trinity with fine credentials They are bright, inquisitive, and success oriented The average SAT score of entering engineering students is about 1280 About 60 students enroll in the first year engineering design course Page 9.934.1 Students apply for the engineering major in the second semester of their sophomore year A high percentage of the students who are accepted as engineering majors graduate with engineering degrees We graduate about 20-25 students per year Typically, 25% of our engineering graduates are female and 10-15% are minorities 2 The Curriculum The Engineering Science program requires a minimum of 129 hours consisting of a 51-semester hour engineering core, 33 hours in math and science, 33 hours in the common curriculum, and 12 hours of elective, leading to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science degree Engineering students are also awarded mathematics minor A summary of engineering science program requirements is given in Table The multidisciplinary core engineering science courses emphasize critical and creative thinking and the development of student’s communication skills An eight-semester multidisciplinary engineering design course sequence is the centerpiece of the engineering science program Engineering students are strongly recommended to take at least 12 credit hours of engineering electives to acquire some specialization in the areas of Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical engineering Engineering elective courses are listed in Table Students are encouraged to take elective engineering elective courses during the junior and senior years Student’s can also take elective courses necessary to pursuit graduate studies in law and medicine All engineering students are required to take 33 hours of courses in the areas of Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences to satisfy university’s common curriculum requirement The Common Curriculum reflects Trinity’s commitment to the liberal arts and sciences and is meant to establish for each Trinity student a basis for understanding the varied domains of human knowledge and experience The Common Curriculum also includes skills necessary for active, critical and creative participation in the academic life of the University Paramount among those skills are the abilities to think creatively and critically, and to express such thinking effectively both orally and in writing The Common Curriculum includes six fundamental understandings: Understanding the Intellectual Heritage of Western Culture, Understanding World Cultures, Understanding the Role of Values, Understanding the World Through Science, Understanding the Human Social Context and Understanding Aesthetic Experience and Artistic Creativity (Engineering students satisfy the Understanding the World Through Science and the Understanding Aesthetic Experience and Artistic Creativity by taking required Science courses and Engineering Design VII respectively.) The Common Curriculum requirements for engineering students are listed in Table Niche Trinity’s Engineering Science Program has several special features that are rare; some are unique among the hundreds of engineering programs in the country Page 9.934.2 Teaching – engineering education and advising are given the highest priority among the department’s endeavors Design – the essence of engineering, is the central thrust of the program The curriculum includes eight design courses, one each semester for four years Emphasis is placed on creative and critical thinking and the development of decision-making skills The Multidisciplinary Engineering Science Curriculum – supports interdisciplinary design, Knowledge and understanding of how engineered products, processes, and systems work are used to develop students’ prediction, judgment, and design optimizing skills Common Curriculum – Engineering students complete the University’s common curriculum in concert with all Trinity students, interacting with students from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences Table Engineering Science Program Requirements [1] Engineering Science and Design Mathematics and Sciences Engineering Science Mathematics Course Number Course Name 1313 Mechanics I: Statistics 2311 Mass and Energy Balances 2314 Mechanics II: Dynamics 2320 Network Analysis 2120 Network Analysis Lab 2364 Electronics I 2164 Electronics I Lab 3323 Fluid Mechanics 3123 Fluid Mechanics Lab 3327 Thermodynamics 3355 Control Systems 3155 Control Systems Lab 4326 Heat Transfer 4126 Heat Transfer Lab 4341 Engineering Materials Engineering Design Course Number 1311 1312 2321 3336 3320 3357 Course Name Calculus I Calculus II Calculus III Differential Equations & Linear Algebra Probability & Statistics Partial Differential Equations Physics Introductory Physics Intro Physics & Lab Intro to Electricity & Magnetism Intermediate Physics Laboratory 1311 1111 1312 1112 Chemistry Chemistry in the Modern World 1118 Intro To Analytical Methods Laboratory Plus, a science or math elective of no less than three (3) semester hours is required 1318 1381 1382 2181 2182 3181 3182 4381 4382 Analysis and Design I Analysis and Design II Engineering Design III Engineering Design IV Engineering Design V Engineering Design VI Engineering Design VII Engineering Design VIII Total = 33 hours Required Electives = 12 hours Total = 51 hours Common Curriculum Requirements Name Hours 3 9 Total = 33 hours Total semester hours required for graduation: 129 hours Page 9.934.3 First Year Seminar English Writing Workshop Intellectual Heritage of Western Culture World Cultures Role of Values Human Social Context Mathematics Minor – Engineering students are required to take six mathematics courses leading to a minor in mathematics Communication, Interpersonal, and Leadership Skills – Special attention is given to the development of students’ communication, interpersonal and leadership skills Writing and presentations skills are practiced and developed in many courses, as are discussion, speaking, and teamwork skills Undergraduate Research – Engineering students have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research projects supervised by individual faculty members Life Long Learning – Engineering graduates are educated to become self-learners, life long learners, critical and creative thinkers, creative problem solvers, effective communicators and wise decision-makers Table Engineering Elective Courses [1] Course Number 2359 3321 3121 3339 4342 4356 4357 4358 4365 4165 Course Name Environmental Engineering Signals and Systems Signals and Systems Lab Mechanics of Material Bioengineering Science Modern Control System Design Chemical Reaction Engineering Biochemical Engineering Digital Logic Design Digital Logic Design Lab Course Number 4366 4368 4369 4370 4372 4373 4375 4377 4177 4390 Course Name Unit Operations Applications of Signals and Systems Microcomputer Systems Mech of Continuous Media Computational Methods in Engineering Thermal/Fluid Applications Structural Dynamics Electronics II Electronics II Laboratory Problems in Engineering The Eight Semester Multidisciplinary Engineering Design Experience [2,3] Engineering design, specifically creative design, is the central focus of our program An eight-semester engineering design course sequence that begins in the first semester of the freshman year and terminates with a two-semester senior capstone design project from the backbone of our curriculum The first design course introduces students to the engineering design process utilizing a competitive design project The second semester freshman design course continues the introduction to engineering design concepts with another interactive team-oriented design project Examples of freshman design projects: design, build , test and analyze the performance of a wooden truss; design, build and test a water balloon launcher, etc Page 9.934.4 Freshman design courses are followed by one credit hour mini capstone design projects in the sophomore and junior years The first sophomore design project builds on the students’ background in solid mechanics with the introduction of competitive mechanical engineering design projects The second semester sophomore design course continues the development of students’ prediction, decision-making, and optimization skills with a project oriented to the statistical design of multivariable industrial systems Examples of sophomore design projects: design, build and test a solar powered vehicle; catapult design, etc The first mini capstone design course in the junior year builds on the students’ background in electrical engineering while second junior mini capstone course involves a thermal/fluids competitive design project Examples of junior design projects: design build and test a traffic light control system; product redesign such as toaster oven, electric heaters, etc The senior year capstone engineering design experience includes two three credit hour design courses in which year long comprehensive projects are undertaken by groups of three or four students By the time students reach senior year, they have experienced mini capstone projects in electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering In the development of senior design projects, industry/university partnerships are heavily emphasized Examples of senior design projects completed in the academic year 2002-2003 are as follows: Fire Fighting Robot: This project involves in design, build and testing a robot that can move through a model floor plan structure of a house, find a fire (lit by a candle) and then extinguish it in the shortest time Measurement of Longitudinal Wave Speed through Solids: This project involves in design, build and testing a system to measure the speed of sound and energy dissipation through solid materials Development of an Active Tether: This project involves in design, construction and testing of an active tether capable of assisting a search and rescue robot Model Aircraft: This project involves in design, construction and testing of a high-lift radio-controlled, model aircraft according to the SAE design competition specification Renewable Energy Efficiency Demonstration Unit: This project involves in design, construction and testing of a solar and wind powered modules that display the operation of renewable energy Soil Venting Remediation: This project involves in design, build and testing of a system to optimize the soil venting remediation process contaminated with organic compounds Page 9.934.5 A summary of the eight-semester engineering design sequence is included in Table Table Summary of Engineering Design Course Sequence [1] ENGR 1381 – Engineering Analysis and Design I Introduces students to the engineering design process utilizing a competitive design project Small groups of students conceive, design, build and test a structure or device to best achieve specified performance criteria Emphasis is placed on Computer Aided Design (CAD) Supporting topics include sketching, construction and testing techniques, measurement concepts, data analysis and communication ENGR 1382 - Engineering Analysis and Design II Continues the introduction to engineering design with another interactive team-oriented design project Emphasis is placed on numerical analysis using computational software Supporting topics include programming mathematical models of physical systems, and data gathering, analysis and presentation ENGR 2181 - Engineering Design III Builds on the students' background in solid mechanics with the introduction of a competitive mechanical design project Engineering economics is introduced in support of the project Other supporting topics include mathematical modeling, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis and statistical concepts Oral and written reports are required ENGR 2182 - Engineering Design IV Continues the development of student's prediction, decision-making and optimization skills with a project oriented to the statistical design of multivariable industrial systems Supporting topics include engineering modeling, problem solving and industrial design of experiments with related mathematical statistics Oral and written reports are required ENGR 3181 - Engineering Design V Builds on the students' background in electrical engineering with emphasis on the design of a system that may employ circuits, electronics, electromagnetics, component tolerances, specification and performance standards Oral and written reports are required ENGR 3182 - Engineering Design VI Builds on the students' background in thermodynamics/fluids with the introduction of a competitive thermal-fluids design project Supporting topics include thermal-fluids measurements and computerized data acquisition, analysis and visualization Oral and written reports are required ENGR 4381 - Engineering Design VII A capstone design experience with small groups of students, each group advised by a designated engineering faculty member The establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, safety, aesthetics and preliminary design of a different project for each group Robust product design considerations Formal written and oral presentations ENGR 4382 - Engineering Design VIII The capstone experience continued covering final design, construction, testing and evaluation of the projects started in ENGR 4381 Life cycle testing and reliability Formal final written report and presentations open to the public Page 9.934.6 Facilities The Engineering Science Department is housed in the William L Moody Engineering Science Building Major facilities include: the W.M Keck Design Center, the Control Systems Laboratory, the Electronics Laboratory, the Thermal/Fluids Laboratory, the Chemical Engineering Laboratory, well-equipped machine and electronics shops, and additional laboratory space for student design projects Technicians are available in both the shops and the electronics laboratories to assist in the construction phase of student projects A network of modern computers is centered around a cluster of UNIX/Linux workstations in the Keck Design Center The workstations are used extensively throughout the curriculum for analysis, simulation, and design, and run a wide range of state-of-the-art engineering applications including Matlab, Simulink, Pro/ENGINEER, SPICE, MACSYMA, ANASYS, FIDAP, HYSIS and many others In various laboratories, networked computers running Labview software are used for data acquisition, control and system design Engineering students have direct internet connections in their dormitory rooms, which allow them access to the Department’s computers, and wireless connections are common on campus Overall, our facilities provide pleasant and effective means to accomplish our educational objectives They create an atmosphere conducive to faculty-student interactions, cooperation among student, and promulgate a sense of family in the department Opportunities After Graduation Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree, approximately 50% of our graduates go directly into industry and business Trinity’s Counseling and Career Services Department helps to facilitate job placement Networking among the Engineering Science Board of Advisors, faculty and alumni also plays a valuable role in securing jobs for students Employers include IBM, Boeing, Dow Chemical, SAIC, Advanced Micro Devices, United States Alliance, Texas Instruments, McDonnell Douglas, Southwest Research Institute, Columbia Industries, etc The remaining 50% of engineering science graduates enter top rated graduate schools such as Stanford, Georgia Tech, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California, Berkeley, etc., in the electrical, chemical or mechanical engineering disciplines Some graduates have opted to continue their studies at medical school or law school, including the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center at Dallas and the University of Texas Law School Conclusions The Department of Engineering Science at Trinity University offers a design-oriented multidisciplinary engineering curriculum leading to an ABET accredited Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Science The primary mission of the engineering science program is to provide talented students with a broad-based engineering education in the context of the University’s traditions of the liberal arts and sciences The Engineering Science program is Page 9.934.7 directed toward developing students’ creative and critical thinking skills for innovative design and problem solving within the context of society’s heritage and value systems The engineering courses emphasize critical and creative thinking and the development of students’ communication skills The eight-semester design experience allows students to apply knowledge of science, mathematics and engineering design projects This experience reinforces their knowledge of core engineering disciplines and offers opportunities to extend it with advanced engineering practice It develops students’ professional, interpersonal, teamwork, and leadership skills Students practice their oral and written communication skills through design presentation and project report writing in engineering design courses and continuously improve these skills by incorporating feedback from faculty and student colleagues Through courses in the liberal arts, humanities and social sciences, engineering students form a basis for understanding the varied domains of human knowledge and experience and develop understanding and appreciation of their cultures and religions Liberal arts and engineering design courses have a synergistic effect of the development of creative and critical thinking skills, oral, and written communication skills, interpersonal and leadership skills, and a quest for life-long learning Our design sequence provides our students with a wonderful opportunity to consider the moral, ethical, economical, environmental, societal, and geo-political impact of engineering design decisions Engineering Science graduates are well prepared for challenging positions in engineering practice, graduate study and for lives as innovative thinkers and problem solvers in today’s rapidly changing society Feedback from our alumni, employers of our graduates, graduate school personnel and members of the industry confirm that our graduates are well prepared for graduate school, engineering professional practice and a broad challenging range of careers References: Trinity University Courses Bulletin for the 135th Academic Year, 2003-2004 Doderer, E.S and R.D Swope, “Eight Semesters of Progressive Design Courses at Trinity University”, Proceeding of the ASEE 1987 Gulf-Southwest Section Annual Conference, March 1987 Uddin, Mahbub, “Eight-Semester Multidisciplinary Engineering Design Experiences at Trinity University”, Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education, Manchester, U.K., August 2002 Page 9.934.8 MAHBUB UDDIN Mahbub Uddin is a professor and the Chair of the Engineering Science Department at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas He received a Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University Dr Uddin’s research interests stochastic modeling, pollution control, two-phase flow and engineering education Dr Uddin is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education