the number of students admitted to the program and the means to educate them. We are very grateful for the support.” The grant will allow the university to keep software and equipment updated for students to use in the classroom in a hands-on, real-life experiential way. The new types of jobs in the field of energy engineering will require that Indiana Tech keep up with the developments by also adding new courses and updating existing courses as needed. Careful planning as the degree program was created has allowed flexibility in credit hours to accomplish this. The grant funds also will provide faculty with training opportunities to keep them abreast of new equipment, research findings, and instructional resources. “The challenge with curriculum for any energy engineering program is that the field is so new that there simply aren’t many textbooks for it yet,” explained Dave Aschliman, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. “For example, there are no textbooks at all about batteries or wind power. This means our faculty have to draw upon other types of documents to create instructional materials that are of a high level in terms of technical content, and our professors do an outstanding job of that.”
students beyond understanding systems and equipment as they currently exist to recommending ways to improve them. That is why partnerships with companies in the energy industry, like AEP, are so valuable. These experts can offer suggestions for course work. As students and professors explore how to better combine components to achieve maximum efficiency in production, storage and delivery of energy, they will take a deeper look at design impact. For example, they will consider such questions as: ■■ What is the ideal size of panels and storage tanks? ■■ What is the ideal temperature to recirculate the water in an alternative system? Energy sources, and a corresponding need for energy engineers, will prove ever more valuable as environmental awareness increases and more companies adapt energy efficient practices, as Indiana Tech has done. The AEP gift and what it makes possible are the most recent steps in Tech’s focus on sustainable energy. In 2009, a $1.34 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy funded the university’s geothermal conversion project. In 2010, a $2 million gift from alumnus Wilfred Uytengsu, Sr. provided for the energy efficient renovation of the administration center, achieving LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Level certification. Also in 2010, a grant from the State of Indiana Office of Energy Development allowed Tech to replace the lighting in the Schaefer Center gymnasium with energy efficient LED lights. The university also has a Sustainability Team and many green practices in place.
Some of the resources used to create teaching materials include manufacturers’ manuals and handbooks, which provide excellent operational information but no instructional elements such as lessons, questions, homework assignments or additional resources. Other resources may provide background on theory, but again, these are not textbooks. Faculty development funds will allow professors to research and network effectively to continually adapt instructional materials and methods as new technologies and “Our commitment to energy efficiency learning resources are developed. reduces costs and helps protect natural resources. That’s very evident right here The first phase of Indiana Tech’s energy on campus. But what we don’t see immeengineering degree program has focused diately is the impact that our example and on providing students with a techniour energy engineering students will have cal understanding of how sustainable on the world,” Snyder said. systems work. This next phase will take Volume 7, Issue 3
Why Tech’s Energy Engineering Degree Stands Out Indiana Tech’s degree is interdisciplinary in nature. Most university engineering programs view the systems from a vantage point within each engineering discipline; for example, the mechanical engineering student might learn about the mechanical portion of a geothermal system. Indiana Tech’s energy engineering program, on the other hand, is a holistic blending of several different disciplines, providing the energy engineering student with an understanding of the entire system — not only for geothermal energy but also for biofuels, wind, and solar power. For example, consider solar panels: ›› The mechanical engineer looks at the strength and reliability of the entire solar panel system. “Can we design a strong, yet lightweight, solar panel assembly to install on a roof?” ›› The electrical engineer looks at improving the process of converting solar energy to electrical energy. “Can we make better use of materials and components to develop a more efficient product?” ›› The materials engineer looks at designing long-lasting and durable assemblies. “Can we select materials that will survive the harsh outdoor environment?” ›› The industrial and manufacturing engineer looks at transferring the design to high-volume production. “Can we develop processes to mass produce panels with high quality and low cost?” The Indiana Tech energy engineering graduate is prepared to consider all these areas, and more.
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