2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This lightning talk presents a project that introduces first-year environmental engineering students to climate-resilient design through a realistic community case study. The project, titled Designing for Climate Resiliency, positions students as consulting engineers tasked with advising the City of XXX on repair, replacement, or removal of a bridge over XXX Creek. Students must balance economic, regulatory, and access considerations with ecological preservation goals advocated by local stakeholders and NGOs. The project is scaffolded through a sequence of weekly technical memoranda assignments. Each assignment builds a key competency: identifying project scope and stakeholders, interpreting permitting and regulatory requirements, analyzing hydrologic and climate data for future streamflow conditions, and evaluating sustainability measures using the Envision framework and ASCE Code of Ethics. The project culminates in a written report and a mock public meeting where students present and defend their design recommendations to peers acting as “community members.” Learning objectives include (1) demonstrating systems thinking by integrating climate projections into engineering design, (2) recognizing the ethical and societal dimensions of sustainability decisions, and (3) communicating technical information effectively to diverse audiences. The activity aligns with ABET outcomes 2, 4, and 5 and introduces students to the cross-disciplinary collaboration inherent in environmental engineering practice. This adaptable project offers a model for integrating climate change, ethics, and stakeholder engagement early in the environmental engineering curriculum. The presentation will share assignment materials, rubrics, and facilitation tips for faculty interested in developing similar community-based sustainability modules.