2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

On the Symbiotic Nature of Science, Sustainability, and Systems Thinking in an Introductory Course on Sustainability Concepts

Presented at Tech Session 1: Integrating Sustainability in Engineering Curriculum: Pedagogy, Assessment, and Systems Thinking

As part of an initiative to integrate sustainability principles into engineering, a course entitled “Creating a Sustainable World” was created to provide an introduction to sustainability through the following themes: (1) sustainability definitions and frameworks, including a brief history of the UN meetings and treaties; (2) earth systems cycles and planetary boundaries; (3) energy; (4) materials usage patterns and circular economy; (5) water, agriculture, and land use; (6) career planning and development from a sustainability perspective; and (7) selected topics. The course has no prerequisites, and is open to students of all levels, including first-year students.

The scientific and mathematical content is mostly from elementary chemistry and algebra. For example, scientific notation and log scales are used to understand phenomena that occur over multiple scales. With respect to chemistry, the equations of photosynthesis and respiration/combustion are used to understand the core of carbon cycling. More broadly, earth systems cycles are studied in a qualitative manner to understand generalities of energy and mass flows through the principal reservoirs of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, using a concept mapping activity. These topics, together with a pedagogical approach that emphasizes mapping complex systems and comparing data across different data sources, constitute the approach to addressing “systems thinking” in the course.

Two research questions are investigated in this study: (1) How do students express scientific and mathematical reasoning in the context of an introduction to principles of sustainability?; and (2) How do students develop and express systems thinking? Results of assessing key assignments and a post-course survey suggest that engineering students demonstrate proficiency with basic quantitative skills and other well-structured activities.
Further students can articulate specific details about systems thinking, chemistry, and mathematics. However, as activities become less well prescribed, students need more practice to perform “higher order” tasks, such as interpreting, cross-checking, citing, and communicating ideas outside of their routine.

Authors

Dr. Christopher Papadopoulos http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0259-7264 University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus [biography]

Christopher Papadopoulos is Professor of Engineering Sciences and Materials at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (UPRM). He earned B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University (1993) and a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at Cornell University (1999). Prior to UPRM, Papadopoulos served on the faculty in the Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Papadopoulos has diverse interests in structural mechanics, sustainable construction materials (with emphasis
in bamboo), engineering ethics, and engineering education. He is co-author of Lying by Approximation: The Truth about Finite Element Analysis, and after many years, he has finally (maybe) learned how to teach Statics, using an experiential and peer-based learning ”studio” model. As part of the UPRM Sustainability Engineering initiative to develop a new bachelor’s degree and curricular sequence, Papadopoulos is PI of A New Paradigm for Sustainability Engineering: A Transdisciplinary, Learner-Centered, and Diversity-Focused Approach, funded by the NSF HSI program, and he is also a member of the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) Network.
Papadopoulos is active in the Mechanics (former Chair), Ethics, and LEES Divisions of ASEE, and is the co-president of the UPRM Institutional Committee for General Education. He enjoys biking, swimming, cooking, and eliminating disposable plastic.

Papadopoulos endeavors to orient his research and teaching activities around advancing, peace, socialequity, justice, and human wellbeing. In the words of Roberto Clemente, anytime when you have the opportunity to make a difference in the world, and you don’t do it, then you are wasting your time on earth.
Christopher X J Jensen Pratt Institute
Dr. Ivan J Baiges-Valentin University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus [biography]

Dr. Ivan Baiges is a Professor in the Department of Engineering Sciences and Materials (CIIM) at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. Dr. Baiges has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UPR Mayaguez, a MSME from MIT and a PhD in Mech Eng from the University of Florida. He is leading the creation of the Sustainability Engineering Bachelor of Science program at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez which is one of the first of its kind to prepare transdisciplinary engineers for the transition towards a more sustainable future and to work for human wellbeing in balance with the Biosphere.
Krystal Colón-Rivera University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus [biography]

I'm Krystal Colón Rivera, a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (RUM), where I completed my master's degree in School Psychology in the summer of 2024. Previously, I earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a double concentration in General Psychology at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey. During my undergraduate studies, I was a member of two student organizations: the Sociology Association (ASOCI) and the Association of Psychology Students (Psy-chi). Additionally, I worked as a research assistant on two projects: the Resilience and Medical Helpseeking project in Cayey (2019-2021) and the Negotiating Dementia project (2021-2022), both under the supervision of Professor Patria López de Victoria.
Currently, I am involved in two research projects at RUM. The first is the Sustainable Engineering (ISOS) project, directed by Dr. Christopher M. Papadopoulos, and the second is the project on the relationship between executive functions and academic performance in university students (ESFERA), under the direction of Dr. Cristina Perea and Dr. Mary Moreno. I am also a member of the Association of School Psychology Students (AEPE) at RUM. I volunteered in the community program Aula en la Montaña.
My research interests cover a wide range of topics, including the role of play in early childhood cognitive development, mindset, social support, behavior, learning, and physical activity. Additionally, I have a particular interest in studying executive functions, with a special emphasis on planning.

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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