Brian Brenner

Civil Engineering Design as the Central Theme in Civil Engineering Education Curriculum

B RIAN B RENNER , P. E., F. ASCE Revision of the civil engineering CE curriculum has been under discussion for some time. The ASCE Body of Knowledge BOK-1 and BOK-2 committees engaged in a lot of discussionaboutchangingthewaytheCEcurriculumispresented,andthispaperproposessuggestedwaystoaccomplishthis goal. The present system is fragmented, and it is very difficult for students to understandhowallthepiecesofknowledge fit together to enable them to become an engineer. Students get very littleexposuretoengineeringuntiltheir junioryear,astheconcentrationisonthe mathandsciencefundamentals.Courses suchasmathematics,physics,staticsand mechanics of materials, chemistry, Eng

Implementation of the ASCE BOK-2: Some Thoughts

Faculty required credentials are discussed in Chapter 4 of the BOK-2, which states, in part, “A good guide of minimum relevant practical experience required is you must be able to both perform the engineering being taught as well as critique and judge the relative merits of alternative solutions in the context of project-specific constraints.” This is a significant step forward in raising the bar for the engineering education process. A systematic program should be established that will create adequate opportunities for faculty to develop the necessary practical and professional credentials. We also suggest that universities provide opportunities for this practical experience to occur. There are many ways to obtain experience. During the process of obtaining practical experience, many opportunities will occur for faculty to interact with industry. Research opportunities to solve many of the existing engineering and construction problems likely will occur. The paper “Importance of Practical and Professional Experience for Engineering Faculty” Kirschenman 2008 describes a few ways to obtain practical experience. In addition to experience, faculty should obtain adequate credentials in the nontechnical, professional, and leadership areas in order to teach these required areas. Faculty should lead this process of raising the bar. An important piece of the puzzle is establishment of a faculty reward system that encourages achievements in the areas of professional practice in order to reinforce that faculty development will be beneficial to implementing the BOK-2. Ways should be developed in the faculty reward system to encourage faculty achieving the appropriate expe

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says about Us)

This will present findings and implications from the New York Times bestselling book “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us),” including the dynamics of traffic flow, the social interactions of drivers, the perceptual illusions and cognitive biases to which humans behind the wheel are prone, the relationship between the built environment and our behavior, among other aspects of this complex, yet overlooked, everyday activity. There will be a particular focus on the role of science in effecting behavioral change.