2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: Introducing Engineering for Sustainable Development. The Circular Design Thinking Approach to First Year Engineering.

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FPD) Work-in-Progress 1: Curriculum Design and Innovative Pedagogy

WIP: Introducing Engineering for Sustainable Development. The Circular Design Thinking Approach to First Year Engineering.

ABSTRACT
This work-in-progress paper describes the process of a short course to introduce the circular design thinking approach of Engineering for sustainable development to first-year engineering students at a large University in the Southwest. The short course focuses on how Sustainable Circular Engineering Designs are developed to fit into the Circular Economy that will embrace them.
Engineers realize that the world is becoming unsustainable mainly because humans misuse technology. Due to the societal expectations to resolve the increasing side effects of the unsustainability we are immersed in, like the environmental effects of pernicious global warming, and its economic consequences, engineering educators are exploring how to redirect engineering curricula towards sustainable technology development.
The learning objectives for the training session are tailored according to the outcomes of a comprehensive questionnaire that explores knowledge of the basics of sustainable circular engineering design, circular economy, sustainability requirements, how the energy and mass balance account for the critical indexes of sustainability, and how the new technology design accommodates the requirements of an effective circular economy. Metrics of the student’s knowledge of circular engineering design before and after the training are presented. The outcomes show the effectiveness of the pedagogical methodology used. Of special significance is the student’s interest shown after this short training, in learning the more advanced engineering courses that will equip them to apply their technical knowledge on technology developments designed towards a better world not only for future generations but also for the present.

Authors

Dr. Jorge R Lara Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Jorge R. Lara, Texas A&M University

Dr. Lara is Instructional Associate Professor of Engineering at Texas A&M University in the First Year Engineering Program. He is faculty affiliate of the Institute of Engineering Education and Innovation and the Energy Institute. He received his PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering from Texas A&M University after studying heat transfer enhancement with dropwise condensation and developing a vapor compression desalination system. He worked with building technologies design and optimization for his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico. His research interests include the various aspects of Sustainable Complex Energy Systems Design, Engineering Education for Sustainable Development, and Theory Design and Optimization of Energy Systems Components. He worked with the aero-dynamical design of an axial turbo-compressor and wind tunnel assessment. Before joining the College of Engineering at Texas A&M, he managed the energy program for the Texas A&M University System Utilities and Energy Services, which encompasses twenty campuses across the state of Texas. He has extended experience teaching Mechanical Engineering courses in the Thermo-Fluid Sciences. Computer programing and Fundamentals of Engineering.
Dr. Sunay Palsole Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Palsole is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Remote Engineering Education at Texas A&M University, and has been involved in academic technology for over 20 years. He helped establish the Engineering Studio for Advanced Instruction & Learning (eSAIL),
Dr. Mark Weichold P.E. Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Mark H. Weichold, Regents Professor and Halliburton Engineering Global Programs Professor, is an electrical engineer and has worked for General Dynamics Ft. Worth Division, Motorola in Austin, TX and the U.S. Army Electronic Technology and Devices Lab

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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