2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Sustainability is an intersection of environmental, social and economic perspective [1]. A sustainable mindset finds solutions to restore nature and its resources to help local, regional and global communities and reduce economic burden on an establishment [2]. Engineering and manufacturing units have recognized the importance of sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) of a product [3]. Aspects such as design, material choice, manufacturing technique, packaging selection, energy efficiency, emissions and waste disposal are now critical elements of design decision making to comply with regulations. Corporations are now trying to incorporate best sustainable practices into organizational workflow. This makes it critical to foster a sustainable mindset among the new generation of engineers for them to utilize sustainable choices when designing and manufacturing an engineered product [4]. To accomplish this goal, four sustainable manufacturing mini-class modules (2-3 class hours) were designed for undergraduate engineering classrooms from first year through senior year. Student learning outcomes for each module were mapped to the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) Framework. First-year engineering students created 3D parts with cultural or historical inspiration in a design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) workshop. In the sophomore year, students designed sustainable prosthetic limbs and proposed a novel eco-friendly design with a practical service delivery model for developing countries. Junior engineering students focused on waste management policies of hospitals, pollution data related to the disposal of non-biodegradable medical waste and federal regulations. Seniors inspected single-use medical devices like suture kits and Foley catheters and explored redesigns to packaging and circular manufacturing techniques to reduce the number of single use parts and attempted to reduce packaging requirements.

The impact of this work is currently being assessed using pre- and post-activity surveys approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The survey consists of 5-point Likert-scale questions rating the development of sustainable mindset among undergraduate students. In addition, technical skills and knowledge regarding sustainable design, material selection and manufacturing were determined via quiz and exam questions. Before the modules, students had a 53% confidence score in manufacturing and a 37% confidence score in sustainability. This will be compared to scores after the modules have been completed. 80% of the students polled demonstrated an interest or a strong interest in taking a course focused on sustainable manufacturing. On the sustainable design of a prosthetic leg, pre-scores on four technical questions related to student’s knowledge of sustainable practices were 28% +/- 24 correct. We expect to see marked improvements upon completion of the modules. Sample size for each module varies n=25, first-year, n=13, sophomores, n= 28, juniors, and n=18, seniors. Not all post-surveys have been completed yet, but the study will be completed by December 2023.

In conclusion, the modules developed throughout the curriculum add awareness and design intentionality towards sustainable manufacturing. In a single semester, all years of undergraduate engineering students (total 84 students) were impacted by this new deployment. The modules helped students in creating designs and adopting manufacturing practices with a new global perspective of inclusion, environmental impact awareness and intentional conservation efforts.