A New Model for Engineering Education
For the 28 students in the Thompson Scholars Program at Michigan
Tech University this past year, devising pavement designs for a local
airport slated for reconstruction, analyzing the current process for
measuring pavement noise, and learning how to put together a bid estimate
for a paving project were all in a day's work. Established in 1999
with a $3.5 million contribution from Bob Thompson, President of Thompson-McCully
Company, and his wife Ellen, the innovative program combines a traditional
undergraduate engineering education with hands-on experience in the
program's Pavement Design, Construction, and Materials (PDCM) Enterprise.
This initiative mimics a real-life asphalt paving firm, with students
working together to solve problems, complete projects, and devise
improved methods for getting the work done.
 |
| A
student uses an asphalt rheometer to measure asphalt viscosity
for mixing and compaction. |
"The program differs quite dramatically from the traditional
educational format," says George Dewey, associate professor of civil
and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech and director of the
PDCM Enterprise. "This is a real project-based program with a lot
of self-learning. Students are required to go out and find information
on their own. The projects provide a real contextual basis for what
they learn."
As part of the airport pavement design project, students conducted
an onsite investigation, using such equipment as a falling weight
deflectometer. Students also met with the design engineering firm
and contractor who will be working on the real life reconstruction.
The Enterprise participants came up with three options for reconstructing
the pavements and did a life-cycle cost analysis of all three options.
|
"With
the combination of the Enterprise projects and the internships,
the students are going to be ahead of someone who wasn't in
the program by 2 or 3 years of experience when they graduate." |
Students also gained real-world experience from the paving bid exercise,
where they were split into teams and asked to put together a bid estimate
for the paving project. Each group had to make decisions on such factors
as crew size and which pieces of equipment to use.
The students' Enterprise projects were recently presented to the
PDCM advisory board, in what will be an annual event. The board includes
representatives from industry, the Michigan Department of Transportation
(DOT), and the Federal Highway Administration. "The presentations
mean that students are forced to explain their choices and why they
did what they did. It's a valuable experience for them," says Dewey.
 |
| A
student demonstrates the use of a rolling thin film oven. |
The hands-on approach to the program allows students to take a much
more proactive role in their education. "Some students want to look
at the planning and design aspects of engineering, while others are
more interested in the environmental aspects or the more traditional
construction work," says Dewey. "Next year will give us a chance to
try and experiment more with these different aspects of the engineering
field." The program also gives the students "the opportunity to see
at an early stage what civil engineering is all about. It can help
them make a decision as to whether this is what they want to do,"
says John Fortier of Bacco Construction Company and a member of the
Enterprise Advisory Board.
Another key part of the program is that all students are required
to work at summer internships. "There are many, many things that you
cannot learn in a classroom. The internships are a nice complement
to what we do during the academic year," says Dewey. The internship
opportunities for students range from working for State DOTs or contractors
to getting a taste of life at consulting firms.
"With the combination of the Enterprise projects and the internships,
the students are going to be ahead of someone who wasn't in the program
by 2 or 3 years of experience when they graduate," says Tom Maki,
Chief Operations Officer for Michigan DOT and a member of the Enterprise
Advisory Board.
 |
| Enterprise
program participants prepare a gyratory compactor for hot-mix
asphalt compaction. |
The program will increase its enrollment by 25 students per year
over the next 3 years until it reaches its maximum enrollment of 100
undergraduate and 6 graduate students. Students selected for the program
receive full tuition scholarships.
Ultimately, says Dewey, "this program will better prepare students
for their future. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to do this
at Michigan Tech." For more information on the Thompson Scholars Program,
contact George Dewey at 906-487-2522 (email: gdewey@mtu.edu).
Other
articles in this issue:
In
brief
A
new model for engineering education
Highway traveler satisfaction on the rise
Your one-stop shop for better bridges
Preventive maintenance videos win public relations
award
Highway Technology Calendar
