2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Preparing Students to Solve Challenges Related to a Changing Climate

Presented at Engineering Technology Division (ETD) Technical Session 5

The National Academy of Engineering has identified restoring and improving urban infrastructure as one of the grand challenges for engineering. Urban coastal communities are particularly at risk as their infrastructure is experiencing frequent inundation related to climate change impacts. Rising sea levels in coastal communities create backflow into stormwater systems and deplete capacity. In addition, the increase in rainfall intensity, duration, and frequency related to climate change create additional challenges for aging infrastructure systems. To prepare students to solve these challenges, the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Civil Engineering Technology (CET) programs at Old Dominion University (ODU) are introducing a new minor titled Engineering Solutions for Climate Adaptation and Resilience. This minor ensures that graduates understand how climate is changing, how it will impact society, and what solutions can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The minor will incorporate two new classes, Managing the Climate Crisis, which will provide an understanding of climate science, the impacts, the associated hazards, and what solutions can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and Adaptation to Sea Level Rise, which will explore solutions at the community and individual property scale to mitigate stormwater impacts related to climate change. The approach balances theory with practical engineering and technology solutions which can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change related to stormwater in coastal communities. The minor is supported by existing courses in both curriculums related to sustainability, pollution prevention and green engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, and coastal engineering. This paper describes the need for the minor, the minor requirements, the methodology for establishing what coursework the minor requires, and the minor's availability to students. Furthermore, the learning objectives and course outlines for the two proposed courses that will be developed to support the minor will be thoroughly discussed. The new minor is part of a broader research, engagement, and education initiative at ODU to support adaptation and resilience for coastal communities.

Authors

Dr. Mujde Erten-Unal Old Dominion University [biography]

Mujde Erten-Unal is an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and director of Sustainable Development Institute at Old Dominion university. She has a Master of Engineering in Environmental & Planning Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Science and Technology University of Missouri-Rolla. She has worked in industry as a project engineer before joining ODU. Her research interests include adaptive design to climate change and sea level rise (SLR), sustainable development, pollution prevention and wastewater treatment. She has been involved in trans-disciplinary collaboration among students from ODU civil engineering and Hampton University architecture departments through coastal community design collaborative which encourages minority women in STEM education. She has been identified by the City of Norfolk one of the 100 Resilient City Builder due her work in SLR and flooding.
Dr. Dalya Ismael Old Dominion University [biography]

Dr. Dalya Ismael holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering Technology (CET) in the Department of Engineering Technology at Old Dominion University, where her research focuses on encouraging sustainable design and construction practices through behavioral interventions and visualization techniques. Dr. Ismael has more than nine years of teaching and industry experience, and is a LEED Green Associate and an Envision Specialist.
Ms. Carol L. Considine Old Dominion University [biography]

Carol Considine is the Director of Applied Projects in the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University (ODU) and a Professor of Engineering Technology. She has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from University of California, Berkeley. She has fifteen years of industrial experience as an estimator and project manager and is a LEED AP BD+C. Her research interests include climate adaptation, engineering education, industry collaboration, sustainability and resiliency.

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