Center for Sustainable Engineering Overview

Sustainable Engineering may be defined as engineering for human development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Bruntland Commission, 1987).


Examples of Sustainable Engineering include:

• Using methods that minimize environmental damage to provide sufficient food, water, shelter, and mobility for a growing world population

• Designing products and processes so that wastes from one are used as inputs to another

• Incorporating environmental and social constraints as well as economic considerations into engineering decisions

As the global population grows and standards of living improve, there will be increasing stress on the world's limited resources. Thus engineers of the future will be asked to use the earth's resources more efficiently and produce less waste, while at the same time satisfying an ever-increasing demand for goods and services. To prepare for such challenges, engineers will need to understand the impact of their decisions on built and natural systems, and must be adept at working closely with planners, decision makers, and the general public. Sustainable Engineering emphasizes these and related issues.

Goal

The goal of the center is to develop and implement activities to enhance education in Sustainable Engineering at colleges and universities around the world. A number of specific activities are planned:

1. Workshops (2 days each) have been organized to assist faculty who wish to add Sustainable Engineering to their courses. The workshops also help these faculty improve their teaching, evaluate their courses, obtain funding for educational innovations, and become part of a growing network of educators in Sustainable Engineering.

2. A website is being established with peer-reviewed educational materials on Sustainable Engineering. The site will be set up in cooperation with a professional society.

3. An assessment of Sustainable Engineering programs and courses around the U.S. is being conducted to benchmark the status of education in this emerging discipline. Measures of quality in these programs will be explored and used to initiate an award program for excellence in Sustainable Engineering Education.