Environmental Engineering Capstone: Partnering with Practicing Environmental Engineers to Train the Next Generation

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Date

2019-04

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Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement

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Abstract

A capstone course provides students with a project-based course near the end of the program of study and is typical for many majors. The Environmental Engineering program has worked with City of Columbus engineers to create a unique capstone experience. Students select to have a capstone experience on a drinking water project occurring at a Columbus drinking water plant or on a Blueprint Columbus project implemented to manage stormwater. Due to the very large size of typical environmental engineering projects, a non-traditional approach is used. Through this course, students get exposure to at least 10 practicing engineers from the City of Columbus, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and between four and nine consulting firms. These engineers guide the students through the design process with lectures and submittals to create a preliminary design. The hands-on and on-the-job knowledge and experience brought to our classrooms results in better-trained students ready for practice.

Description

A capstone course provides students with a project-based course near the end of their program of study and is typical for most majors. In Environmental Engineering, we have worked for 10 years with City of Columbus Division of Water and Division of Sewerage and Drainage engineers to create a unique capstone experience. Students select to have a capstone experience on a drinking water project occurring at one of three City of Columbus drinking water plants or on a Blueprint Columbus project being implemented to manage storm water. Due to the very large size of typical environmental engineering projects, a non-traditional approach is used. Through this course, students get exposure to at least 10 practicing engineers from the City of Columbus, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and between four and nine consulting firms. These engineers guide the students through the design process with prepared lectures and assigned submittals to guide the students in creating a preliminary design report. At the end of the semester, capstone presentations at the Department of Public Utilities, provide valuable visibility for our students and Ohio State. The opportunity offered to students to present before central Ohio environmental engineering professionals is not only a great educational experience, but also a chance to exhibit their skills to impress potential future employers. The quality of projects, the presentation skills, candor, and professional confidence, which our students have been demonstrating since Ohio State has been partnering with City of Columbus engineers, are remarkable. The partnership created between the City of Columbus and Ohio State is very highly valued and greatly needed. This capstone course is a tremendous example of what can be accomplished when both academic and professional resources are leveraged. The value to Ohio State is obvious, but the importance to the City of Columbus is that Ohio State is providing better-trained graduates, who are ready to tackle the environmental challenges of the 21st century.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Linda Weavers, professor, Ohio State Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and co-director, Ohio Water Resources Center, weavers.1@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Timothy Wolfe, senior consultant and VP emeritus, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.; Mark Eppich, project manager, Division of Water, City of Columbus; Jason Sanson, assistant administrator, Division of Sewerage and Drainage, City of Columbus

Keywords

capstone, water, green infrastructure, partnership

Citation

Engaged Scholars, v. 7 (2019).