2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Assessing Civil Engineering Students' Knowledge and Perception towards Sustainable Infrastructure Development at an HBCU

In advancing sustainable development to achieve long-term environmental and societal goals, civil engineers play a critical role. To address future sustainability challenges, Civil Engineering education must be designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills. This study aims to evaluate the understanding and perceptions of civil engineering students toward sustainable infrastructure development at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Additionally, it seeks to determine how much the institution has integrated sustainability principles into its curriculum and faculty initiatives, using the sustainability consciousness theory as a guiding framework. A mixed-method approach will be employed in this study. Quantitative data will be collected from students through a sustainability awareness questionnaire, which will assess: (1) students' knowledge of sustainable infrastructure principles; (2) their perceived understanding of the
importance of environmental, social, and economic sustainability; and (3) their awareness of
sustainable infrastructure practices within the industry. Additionally, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with faculty members to gather qualitative data. The data will be analyzed using SPSS to identify trends and validate the findings. The results of the study will inform curriculum development and enhance teaching strategies to ensure that students acquire the necessary skills to implement sustainable practices.

Authors

Mr. Pelumi Olaitan Abiodun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4969-9591 Morgan State University [biography]

Pelumi Abiodun is a current doctoral student and research assistant at the department of Civil Engineering, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Pelumi got his BSc and MSc degree in Physics from Obafemi Awolowo University, where he also served as a research assistant at the Environmental Pollution Research unit, in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. As part of his contribution to science and engineering, Pelumi has taught as a teaching assistant both at Morgan State University and Obafemi Awolowo University. With passion to communicate research findings and gleaned from experts in the field as he advances his career, Olaitan has attended several in-persons and virtual conferences and workshop, and at some of them, made presentation on findings on air pollution, waste water reuse, and heavy metal contamination.
Mr. Julius Ogaga Etuke Morgan State University [biography]

Julius Etuke is a COREN-registered civil engineer and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), with over 15 years of experience in structural design, construction, and consultancy. He has led major infrastructure projects across Nigeria and holds a BSc in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Civil Engineering (Construction Management). Julius is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Engineering at Morgan State University, where he serves as a graduate research assistant, focusing on sustainable transportation design. He has served as a STEM research judge, including at the University of Bridgeport, and previously lectured at Delta State University, Abraka, where he taught core civil engineering courses and held key departmental roles. His academic contributions include peer-reviewed publications on infrastructure resilience and engineering education, reflecting his strong commitment to sustainability, research, and capacity building in civil engineering.

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