Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2023

Publication Title

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Pages

12 pp.

Conference Name

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, June 25-28, 2023, Baltimore, Maryland

Abstract

The National Academy of Engineering has identified restoring and improving urban infrastructure as one of the grand challenges for engineering. Urban coastal communities are particularly at risk as their infrastructure is experiencing frequent inundation related to climate change impacts. Rising sea levels in coastal communities create backflow into stormwater systems and deplete capacity. In addition, the increase in rainfall intensity, duration, and frequency related to climate change create additional challenges for aging infrastructure systems. To prepare students to solve these challenges, the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Civil Engineering Technology (CET) programs at Old Dominion University (ODU) are introducing a new minor titled Engineering Solutions for Climate Adaptation and Resilience. This minor ensures that graduates understand how climate is changing, how it will impact society, and what solutions can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The minor will incorporate two new classes, Managing the Climate Crisis, which will provide an understanding of climate science, the impacts, the associated hazards, and what solutions can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and Adaptation to Sea Level Rise, which will explore solutions at the community and individual property scale to mitigate stormwater impacts related to climate change. The approach balances theory with practical engineering and technology solutions which can be adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change related to stormwater in coastal communities. The minor is supported by existing courses in both curriculums related to sustainability, pollution prevention and green engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, and coastal engineering. This paper describes the need for the minor, the minor requirements, the methodology for establishing what coursework the minor requires, and the minor's availability to students. Furthermore, the learning objectives and course outlines for the two proposed courses that will be developed to support the minor will be thoroughly discussed. The new minor is part of a broader research, engagement, and education initiative at ODU to support adaptation and resilience for coastal communities.

Rights

© 2023 American Society for Engineering Education, ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings (Baltimore Maryland, June 25-28, 2023).

Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference.

Original Publication Citation

Erten-Unal, M., Ismael, D., & Considine, C. L. (2023, June 25-28). Preparing students to solve challenges related to a changing climate [Paper presentation]. 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore, Maryland. https://peer.asee.org/43955

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