Teaching MSE Students to Teach

The purpose of this chapter is to show how design-based research (DBR) methodologies can be implemented in technical programs. First, the authors provide a background of recent research in interdisciplinary education, Integrative Graduate Education Research Traineeship (IGERT) programs, and design-based research. Second, a brief summary the example case, a Pedagogy module which has been implemented with Materials Science and Materials Engineering students through an IGERT program, is discussed. The final portion of the chapter presents a new implementation model for DBR along with recommendations and strategies for interested faculty, department heads, or motivated graduate students to reform existing technical curricula using design-based research. The significance of the book chapter rests in the flexibility of this model to be adapted to any program, showing instructors the iterative process for developing a course to suit the needs of a department.

Setting up a Learning Environment in an Interdisciplinary Professional Collaboration

Collaboration between universities, industries and other professional societies enables students to enter interdisciplinary learning environments through joint research. Stakeholders can attain their objectives through collaboration and a range of competitive advantages in own business sector. From an economic perspective, the fruits of research and development such as intelligent property are motivators for collaboration. From an educational perspective, this three party collaboration provides opportunities for situated learning that link theoretical studies with practical research work. This chapter discusses the contributions to the learning environment from collaboration between education, research and industry, and their impact on the professional growth of engineering graduates in the field of Material Science. Through self-reflection on experience, author argued that by combining theoretical knowledge from university education and research with practical skills and experience gained from the industry, students develop individual empowerment and bring future business advantages to the industries where they would later work.

Interdisciplinary Course Development in Nanostructured Materials Science and Engineering

Modern industrial processes are presently adapting to the use of multiscale production techniques where consumer products can be made at the mesoscale and also approaching atomic, or the nanoscale level. Coupled with the fact that classical Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education typically does not address nanoscale science and engineering topics in most technical courses, this condition could potentially leave countless STEM students around the world relatively unprepared for the 21st century marketplace. This chapter focused on the development of the nanostructured materials science and engineering discipline from the most recent research and development topics to the integration of this information internationally into the technical classroom. The chapter presented future work on the adaption of the previous research and educational work on this topic at the College of Engineering at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia and suggestions were offered for successful new nanoscale science and engineering course development.

Developing Deeper Understanding of Green Inhibitors for Corrosion of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete

Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is a very serious and significant problem in the construction industry. The primary cause of corrosion of reinforcing steel is chloride attack or carbonation. Among several protection measures for concrete corrosion, the usage of corrosion inhibitors is very attractive from the view of cost and ease of application. Though there are numerous organic and inorganic compounds that have been tested and applied industrially as corrosion inhibitors, restrictive environmental regulations have compelled and motivated researchers towards the development of cheap, non-toxic and environmentally benign natural or green corrosion inhibitors. Recent studies on green inhibitors have shown that they are more effective and highly environmentally benign compared to synthetic inhibitors used in the industries. This chapter contributes to developing awareness, understanding and innovative involvement of materials and engineering students in this area that is vital to reduce expenditure related to corrosion problems when they serve in the industries.

Innovative Instructional Strategies for Teaching Materials Science in Engineering

Advancements in materials production and materials science education accelerate innovations in many engineering fields. Therefore, strong Materials Science education is extremely important for quality part development and efficient designs. Comfort, safety, and cost requirements can be met utilizing technology and knowledge base advancements. This chapter firstly introduces the contents of a more contemporary materials science education curriculum, and advanced content-related laboratory applications. The applicability of incorporating such content in the current curriculum and number of semester hours necessary to teach such a course are discussed. Finally, it explains the role that engineering educators have in preparing students to develop designs that add to the “triple bottom line” which considers costs in economic, social, and environmental terms. Successful Materials Science education helps technological development and increases innovations. This chapter is significant for its detailed discussion on the shortcomings of current Materials Science education and its recommendations of effective teaching strategies.

Development of Non-Technical Skills Required by Future Global Practitioners in MSE and Corrosion Engineering

Traditionally, engineers have been taught a subject specific curriculum that would have made them technically proficient in their specialist area. In this chapter, the author argues that currently a broader educational base is needed to prepare them for work in the global environment. Engineers need to become aware of, and be able to embrace, issues such as sustainability, ethics, human rights, social justice and at the same time develop their own skills through continuing professional development. They need to be able to continue keeping themselves technologically aware, take control over their own future career paths, and as their career progresses, they have to think strategically. The chapter covered the following subject matter: The Global Engineer, Strategic Thinking, Global Ethics (Engineering, Business, Social, and Environmental), sustainability, and career planning. It discussed the best approaches to deliver the materials on these topics to engineers from the author's reflections on his own experiences.

Applying a Coherent Academy Training Structure to Vertically Integrate Learning, Teaching and Personal Development in Materials Science and Engineering

An innovative academy structure has been applied to materials education in Swansea University, UK. The Materials Academy has multiple levels and layers, from the basic outreach and public engagement required to attract new through to doctoral training. The academy offers multiple paths for progress to all levels. With a diverse mix of talent in the participants, a range of backgrounds and experiences must be catered for in the learning environment, with teaching cycles continuously evaluated to ensure they are appropriate. From the earliest stages of engagement with the academy, learning is student led and industry demand driven. The aim is to fill skills gaps to create an employable workforce for the materials science and engineering industry and contribute positively to economic growth. This chapter described the approach taken at Swansea University, the driving force behind it, explained the features of each stage and interaction of the levels.

What Makes Them Stay and Go?

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) petroleum industry harnesses resources to produce hydrocarbon products in a cost-effective manner. Besides developing new technologies, companies need technical professionals knowledgeable in materials science and engineering for ensuring integrity of critical production facilities and corrosion management. Companies also need non-technical operations personnel to support production and business activities. Their recruitment efforts transpire in a multi-generational labour market complicated by under-utilization of Generation/Gen Y females. This chapter presents findings from a recent study that investigated gender differences in life priorities and work preferences of Gen Y in UAE petroleum industry. In the study, 150 professionals were surveyed on their views of life priorities and work preferences. The findings in this chapter show that Conservation and Self-transcendence were most important life dimensions with intrinsic and extrinsic work motivators most valued. Changes in the importance of specific motivators, by each gender, in recruitment were found compared with retention. Finally, the chapter provides recommendations for recruitment and retention that would help personnel managers develop initiatives that cater to the specific requirements of each gender.

Successes in the Development of an Arabian Gulf Materials Program

A materials research program was established to identify new corrosion resistant stainless steel alloys for the oil and gas industry. One important goal of this work was developing professionals to address the critical materials issues in the Arabian Gulf Region. This chapter reports the results of these efforts. Development of research professionals involved a multifaceted approach. One key element involved laboratory work to develop the critical research tools required in this area. The effort also included development of important course content for both undergraduate and graduate-level materials education. The research in this program stems from a collaboration between Texas A&M University at Qatar and the Colorado School of Mines. Collaboration provided many of the important tools required for this new Middle Eastern education initiative. The present chapter describes the challenges that were addressed in order to develop crucial new materials research and education capabilities in this major petroleum producing region.

Integrating Sustainable Engineering Principles in Material Science Engineering Education

The increasing demands on earth's resources require the need for engineering disciplines to address the limitations of materials and energy as well as the need to reduce waste production. This requirement is particularly acute for material science engineers as their work has a lasting impact on our future sustainability. Recent developments and innovations in material science can be useful tools for achieving sustainable development, provided material science engineers are aware of the issues. They should be particularly aware of global sustainability challenges, and should be able to understand how they can contribute to the solutions of these problems. Therefore, this chapter discusses how sustainable engineering principles can be introduced into material science education. It also discusses the curriculum for the subject Sustainable Infrastructure that is offered at La Trobe University in Victoria (Australia) for senior Civil Engineering students.