EGR 112

Course Description

In this introductory engineering course, students learn and apply engineering fundamentals and professional skills in the context of two different problems. Each problem is part of a larger grand challenge. One project requires students to collect data on campus using Arduino sensor systems, and the other project tasks students with designing a water filtration prototype that can remove E. Coli and nutrients from campus stormwater runoff. The course learning objectives are as follows:

1. Demonstrate an ability to seek out and synthesize new, relevant knowledge.

2. Demonstrate “internship readiness” through professional behaviors and responsibilities.

3. Apply appropriate engineering tools and fundamentals to investigate contemporary and technical problems.

4. Work effectively within a team of peers towards a common engineering goal, including reflecting on and improving teamwork skills.

5. Demonstrate effective collection, analysis, and communication of data.

Stormwater Pollution Project

I have worked with Dr. Kyana Young (WFU Engineering) on the stormwater pollution project. Students work in teams throughout the semester and complete several lab exercises and data analysis activities. They construct a filter prototype and collect data that they integrate into a research grant proposal as their final deliverable. The specific learning objectives of this module are listed below. Students are frequently reminded of the research process and the iterative nature of developing hypotheses, designing an experiment, and collecting data, the focus areas of this course.

1. Apply the design process to a real-world challenge focused on communities with real needs.

2. Identify sociocultural, economic, and other factors that impact decision-making practices in human-centered design practices.

3. Articulate contemporary water security challenges faced by communities and the possible role(s) of engineers in addressing those challenges.

4. Articulate basic structural properties of materials and design, implement, and analyze water quality tests for contaminant removal.

5. Select and summarize reliable, relevant, and diverse information sources in order to explain concepts and justify arguments.

6. Demonstrate basic technical writing skills by preparing a research project proposal.