During the 2009-2010 academic year, I will teach Air Quality Engineering in the Fall and Engineering Design for Sustainable Development in the Spring. Admission to the Sustainable Development course is by application; see below for details.
Graduate course. Fall 2008, Fall 2009.
Introduction to air pollution problems and solutions, at scales ranging from local to global. Quantitative analysis of chemistry and physics of atmospheric pollutants. Main topics: sources, sinks, and controls; atmospheric transport and transformation; air quality management and regulation; health impacts; global issues.
Undergraduate & graduate course. Spring 2009, Spring 2010.
This course provides hands-on training in evaluating technologies to improve health and quality of life in developing countries. Students work in teams, and in cooperation with students in India, to design a business serving low-income communities in Mumbai, India, with a focus on clean water or clean energy. At the end of the course, teams compete for funding to launch their business, including funds to travel to India and to attend a 6-week business "incubator" in Minnesota. Admission to the course is by application (see below). An announcement from the previous version of this course (Spring 2009) is available here. Students from a variety of backgrounds -- for example, public health, engineering, design, and business -- are encouraged to apply. This course is offered in collaboration with the Acara Institute and the Carlson School of Business. The Acara website provides further information about the competition. The winning team from last year, ReachOut Water, is currently in the process of launching their business.
Applications
Applications should be submitted to Teresa Rosen (rosen478@umn.edu; 122 Civil Engineering) by noon on December 1, 2009. Applications received after that time will be considered if space remains. Applications should consist of a single Word or PDF document with (1) a CV, including student's major, GPA, year in school (e.g., 3rd year undergraduate, 2nd year Masters degree, 1st year PhD), and relevant coursework, and (2) an essay describing why you would like to take this course, your relevant experience and expertise, and how you would contribute to a multidisciplinary team. Applications are not expected to propose a specific idea for the competition. The text must be Times New Roman size 12 font, with a strict length limit of 3 pages (combined CV and essay). Please include a page number and your name in the footer of each page. When emailing Teresa Rosen, please include the text "CE 5180: Engineering Design for Sustainable Development" in the subject line. Additional information about the Acara Challenge and the Acara Institute is available here.
Graduate seminar. Spring 2007, Fall 2007.
The goal of this seminar is to investigate important technologies that serve major societal needs. The seminar will be framed from the perspective of how technologies do or don't contribute to a move towards sustainability. Elements in the following systems may be considered: buildings, water, food, energy, climate, and transportation.
Undergraduate course. Fall 2007, Spring 2008.
This course offers an introduction to the topic of environmental engineering, and provides a basis for further coursework in environmental engineering if desired. The class incorporates information about current environmental problems, introduces methods for solving these problems, discusses fundamental principles of environmental chemistry and microbiology, and provides an overview of current environmental engineering practices. The course uses environmental issues to explore the role of government and citizens in developing policy, the inequities between different socio-economic classes at a variety of scales, and the ethical implications of technology.
