Amy J. Hamlin

Transport of ozone precursors from the Arctic troposphere to the North Atlantic region

The importance of Arctic outflow events to the budgets of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the North Atlantic region is estimated using a climatology of isentropic airflow trajectories, in combination with current understanding of the levels of these compounds in the Arctic troposphere. We first review available measurements of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), total reactive oxidized nitrogen (NOy), and major NOy species in the Arctic troposphere to develop best estimate average vertical profiles during January-May outflow events. Measurements of these compounds in the winter-spring Arctic are generally consistent. Average levels during March are ≥500 parts per 1012 by volume (NOy) and ∼20 parts per billion carbon (NMHC). Current evidence for a significant vertical gradient above the boundary layer is weak, although additional measurements are needed. Secondly, the flow patterns and frequency of Arctic outflow events which reach the North Atlantic region south of 50°–55°N are investigated using an 11-year climatology of isentropic forward trajectories originating at 70°N in the months of January-May. The dominant route of trajectories reaching the temperate North Atlantic originates north of Canada at 2–6 km altitude and continues southward along a semipermanent trough located near the East Coast of North America. Trajectories reaching the temperate North Atlantic originated in this region on ∼70% of the days analyzed. Significant subsidence occurs during the southward flow, resulting in warming conducive to photochemical processing of the Arctic pollutants. Based on these analyses, the southward fluxes of NOy and NMHCs out of the Arctic in events which reach the North Atlantic south of 50°N total 7.3 GgN/month NOy and 250 GgC/month NMHC during March. These values are biased low as they include only those trajectories originating below 6 km and exclude trajectories which pass over the United States or southeastern Canada. The calculated NOy flux during May is lower but may be underestimated due to uncertainty in conditions in the Arctic free troposphere in that month. The May flux of NMHCs is larger than that in March as a result of a more frequent occurrence of outflow events. These fluxes impact air parcels which are not affected by direct transport from source regions and appear to be seasonally significant relative to other sources of ozone precursors to the North Atlantic troposphere. If a significant fraction of the peroxyacetyl nitrate and alkyl nitrates which comprise most of the advected NOy decomposes over the North Atlantic, the transport of anthropogenic pollutants through the Arctic may play a significant role in the ozone budget of the North Atlantic troposphere.

Work in progress-impact of a remedial 3-D visualization course on student performance and retention

The purpose of this study was to assess whether a remedial spatial visualization course impacted student retention and success in lower level engineering courses. Engineering freshmen who score below 60% on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R) are encouraged to take an optional 1-credit remedial spatial visualization course in their first semester. Course grades and retention rates of students who failed the PSVT:R and either chose to take the optional course (n=169) or chose not to take the course (n=173) were compared. It was found the remedial course had a positive impact on retention, both at the university and in engineering. Students who took the optional course also earned higher grades in two introductory engineering courses and in a combined statics and mechanics of materials course.

How important is high-school computing experience for first-year engineering student success?

First-year engineering students enter our university with differing experiences using computers and technology. This affects the classroom dynamic especially with large differences between students. With this in mind, faculty must address the following questions when planning their course: Where should the faculty focus their time? Do they focus on bringing everyone to a specific level? Do they teach to the average student and hope the less experienced keep up and the more experienced are not bored? The first step to answering these questions is to determine the distribution of experience. To assess this, first-year engineering students at Michigan Technological University were given the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Computer Access and Familiarity Survey (Grade 12) during their first week of classes. The NAEP survey measures access to and familiarity with technology. The survey was modified to measure the familiarity with computing tasks students use in their first engineering courses. This paper will focus on determining: how much exposure to computers and technology have our students had, what exactly is the depth and breadth of the skills they enter the university with, and are there any factors within access or familiarity that impact success in the first-year engineering courses?

Facilitating interpersonal communication between students and faculty in an engineering design project

Traditional engineering education has focused on instructing students in the fundamentals of engineering and applying these principles in the solution of engineering problems. While it is important for engineering education to continue providing a strong technical background, recognition of communication skills (e.g., oral presentations, technical reports, memos) are becoming increasingly important in the current business environment. At Michigan Technological University, students complete these activities, but we have also included communication that has traditionally been used primarily in the workplace environment: the interpersonal communication that occurs between supervisor and employee. As part of their first-year engineering classes, student teams complete design projects, which consist of a series of deliverables throughout the semester. Beginning in the fall of 2008, students in several sections met with their instructor during the design process for a progress meeting. This paper discusses the dynamic experienced between different instructors and their student design teams as this concept was implemented into the first-year program.

Utilizing university research and upper-division course material for an enhanced first-year design experience

Design projects give instructors a chance to integrate lecture material into an engaging engineering experience. Students working on “real-world” design projects can see how their projects apply to life outside the classroom. There has been much talk about implementing a “cornerstone” design experience into first-year classes, but how “real-world” can a design project be for first-year engineering students without the technical background of their upper-division counterparts? Can students see the applications of their designs when their models and simulations are limited due to their skill set? At Michigan Technological University, we are investigating what happens when first-year students learn about future research opportunities and coursework from upper-division students, and how this material is related to their design project. It is hoped that students will have a greater enthusiasm for their project when they know that their knowledge will be useful in the future or when they see where their design project work could lead. In addition, it is hoped that students will have a greater understanding of the application of their own work.

Work in progress — What are you thinking? Over confidence in first year students

Michigan Technological University is one of the nations largest engineering schools (900+ first year students) and houses a large common first year engineering curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to introduce many of the fundamental components of engineering. One of these components is the use of modern computational and programming tools to solve engineering problems. This paper continues a long-term study that began in 2007 and focuses on student confidence with the use of computational tools. On the first day of class, students were surveyed on their proficiency with the use of spreadsheets. Students self reported levels of proficiency from expert to no experience. Students were then asked a simple question regarding a spreadsheet cell equation. Over three years only 16% of the students were correct, while 90% self ranked as familiar or better. A gender bias was noted as women under estimated their skills while men overestimated their own abilities. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge of gender confidence gaps. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for creating an assessment plan to identify the preparedness of incoming students and measure their skill at the end of the course.