2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Accelerated by the increasing population and consumption of resources, industries are increasing manufacturing and production to contend with demands. The resulting pollution in air and water, climate change, and lack of access to basic resources have led to a global crisis, putting our ecosystems, economy, and quality of life at risk. To mitigate these risks, sustainable materials and manufacturing processes must be developed to replace those that solely rely on fossil fuels, generate excessive waste, or release harmful emissions. The field of materials science and engineering (MSE) is uniquely positioned to address these issues of waste mismanagement and sustainability across industries by directly influencing how products are processed, manufactured, and disposed. Engineers must possess fundamental understanding of materials, in addition to understanding of economic, social, and environmental drivers to advocate for sustainable alternatives. There are great opportunities in MSE undergraduate education to train the next generation of forward-thinking scientists and engineers, so they are prepared to address the large-scale climate change problems.

At a large state school in the Midwest, engineering is focused on developing fundamental technical and teambuilding skills so that our engineers can rebuild systems to better serve all people. This people-first engineering focus has led to the reshaping of the capstone design course for senior undergraduate students in MSE to focus on the economic, environmental, and social impact of advanced materials and processes. In this course, students collaborate in groups of 5 on a materials-focused sustainability project addressing specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The goal of the course is to provide a team environment in which each student can gain an understanding of key aspects of sustainability in materials development and engineering design, and apply relevant analysis methodologies such as life cycle assessments, techno-economic analysis, and eco-properties audits. Students use Ansys Granta Edupack to visualize and understand the economic and environmental impacts of their project to identify trade-offs in sustainable engineering decision-making and validate their solutions. Students gain skills in teamwork, critical thinking, and both oral and written communication through presentations and written reports. At the end of the semester, students participated in a survey to probe their perceptions about sustainability in MSE and their interest in jobs in related industries. In this article, we analyze student perceptions and self-evaluations to suggest improved methods of engaging students in sustainable materials design courses.