(Last updated May 2005)
Overview
As a civil and environmental engineer, I view my teaching as an opportunity to pass
on my enthusiasm for and knowledge of the built and natural environment and to guide
my students to acquire the skills necessary to evaluate, assimilate, apply, and communicate
new concepts and information. While each class is unique, with its own strengths, needs,
and personality, I have a few tenets that underlie all my teaching in order to achieve
these goals. I focus on having each student develop a strong intuition for the
fundamental concepts of the course, so the students will have a deep understanding of the
primary principles in addition to the ability to apply specific methodologies. I relate
the course material to problems, applications, and experiences outside of the classroom to
establish its relevance and help students recall their learning long after they have taken
my courses. I structure my coursework to instill a sense of self-reliance in each student,
so each will have the confidence to work independently and learn continuously throughout her
career. I am open and honest with my students to promote trust and effective communication
so the students see me as an ally in the learning process and are willing to provide me with
critical feedback to improve my teaching.
EGR 100, Designing the Future: An Introduction to Engineering
EGR 100 students present their self-designed educational toys to local 5th graders.
This course presents an introduction to engineering practice through participation in a
semester-long team-based design project. Students will develop a sound understanding of the
engineering design process, including problem definition, background research, identification
of design criteria, development of metrics and methods for evaluating alternative designs,
prototype development, and proof-of-concept testing. Working in teams, students present their
ideas frequently through oral and written reports. Reading assignments, in-class discussions,
and written reflections challenge students to critically analyze contemporary issues related to
the interaction of technology and society.
EGR 101, Structures and the Built Environment
Robert Maillart's Salginatobel Bridge (photo by David P. Billington)
This course examines the development of large structures (towers, bridges, domes, dams, canals,
and tunnels) throughout history with emphasis on the past 200 years. Following the evolution
of ideas and materials, it introduces students to the interpretation of significant works from
the scientific, social, and symbolic perspectives. Examples include the Brooklyn Bridge, the
Eiffel Tower, and the Big Dig.
Guswa, Andrew J., 2004. Implementation of "Structures and the Urban
Environment" at Smith College: Development of a Digital Image Database,
Teaching and Scholarship in the Grand Tradition of Modern Engineering,
Proceedings of the Summer Symposia and Workshops held at Princeton University,
USA, August 8-13, 2004. (pdf version)
Guswa, Andrew J., 2005. Implementation of "Structures and the Urban
Environment" at Smith College: Doing Design,
Teaching and Scholarship in the Grand Tradition of Modern Engineering,
Proceedings of the Summer Symposia and Workshops held at Princeton University,
USA, August 7-10, 2005.
EGR 271, Continuum Mechanics II
This is the second course in a two-semester sequence designed to introduce students to fundamental
theoretical principles and analysis of mechanics of continuous media, including solids and fluids.
Concepts and topics to be covered in this course include intensive and extensive thermophysical
properties of fluids, control-volume and differential expressions for conservation of mass, momentum,
and energy, dimensional analysis, and external, internal, and open-channel flows.
EGR 315, Ecohydrology
This upper-level course focuses on the study of hydrology and its interplay with ecosystems. Material
includes the conceptual understanding of hydrologic processes and their statistical and mathematical
representation. Topics for the latter portion of the semester are driven by student interest and include
nutrient transport, biogeochemical cycles, cloud-forest hydrology, and evaluation of evapotranspiration
models.
EGR 346, Hydrosystems Engineering
Through systems analysis and design projects, this course introduces students to the field of water
resources engineering. Topics include data collection and analysis, decision-making under uncertainty,
the hydrologic cycle, hydropower, irrigation, flood control, water supply, engineering economics, and
water law.
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