Award Abstract # 0647387
REU Site: Sustainable Design

NSF Org: EEC
Division of Engineering Education and Centers
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Initial Amendment Date: February 26, 2007
Latest Amendment Date: February 17, 2010
Award Number: 0647387
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Esther Bolding
EEC
 Division of Engineering Education and Centers
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: February 15, 2007
End Date: January 31, 2011 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $0.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $309,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2007 = $100,782.00
FY 2008 = $102,655.00

FY 2009 = $105,563.00
History of Investigator:
  • Eric Beckman (Principal Investigator)
    beckman@pitt.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Pittsburgh
4200 FIFTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH
PA  US  15260-0001
(412)624-7400
Sponsor Congressional District: 12
Primary Place of Performance: University of Pittsburgh
4200 FIFTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH
PA  US  15260-0001
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
12
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): MKAGLD59JRL1
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): EWFD-Eng Workforce Development
Primary Program Source: app-0107 
01000809DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01000910DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 116E, 9178, SMET
Program Element Code(s): 136000
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

EEC-0647387
Eric Beckman

The award provides support for a three-year REU Site at the University of Pittsburgh. The REU site will engage 14 undergraduate students each year for three years in a
12-week summer program. The undergraduates will form design teams to tackle research projects that focus on problems in the design of sustainable neighborhoods, namely green construction, the sustainable use of water, distributed energy systems, etc. The overall goals of the program are to: 1) teach undergraduate engineers to incorporate sustainability as a constraint in designs; 2) teach engineering undergraduates to work in design teams that progress from initial reliance on faculty and graduate student advisors to reliance on team members over the course of the program; and 3) teach undergraduate engineers how their research impacts people and the planet. To enhance the hands-on research experience, a variety of activities have been incorporated. These include: team building and leadership workshops; modules on sustainable design and effective communications; a series of sessions on ethics; and a number of social activities.

Recruitment efforts will be targeted at four populations: 1) engineering and science students attending primarily undergraduate institutions in the region; 2) ten minority serving institutions with which the Assistant Dean for Diversity has negotiated articulation agreements; 3) the University of Texas-El Paso and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; and 4) students who participate in Engineers without Borders and Engineers for a Sustainable World.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Bilec, M. M., Geary, M., Ries, R. J., Needy, K. L., & Cashion, M "A method for quantifying the benefits of greening a healthcare facility" Engineering Management Journal , v.22(3) , 2010 , p.3
Tabone, MD; Cregg, JJ; Beckman, EJ; Landis, AE "Sustainability Metrics: Life Cycle Assessment and Green Design in Polymers" ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY , v.44 , 2010 , p.8264 View record at Web of Science 10.1021/es101640

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