NLI: Research: Integrating Sustainability into Industrial and Systems Engineering Curriculum

Social and environmental sustainability is key to human and environmental well-being, both now and in the future. Engineers have an ethical responsibility to consider the social and environmental impact of their designs. Engineering education plays a vital role in shaping future engineers equipped to tackle sustainability challenges. Traditionally, sustainability has been taught merely as a skill or topic, but this approach is no longer sufficient. A systems approach is needed to integrate sustainability into engineering courses. This project will examine how integrating sustainability, particularly environmental and social sustainability, into Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) can enhance student learning and prepare them to become professional engineers capable of addressing sustainability challenges in complex system. It aligns well with the NSF-Lemelson Initiative on Environmental and Social Sustainability in Engineering Education.The specific objectives of this project include: (1) integrating sustainability into various ISE courses at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) using the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) framework, (2) preparing course materials for sustainability following the design-based engineering learning (DBEL) model, (3) conducting research on student learning using data collected from the courses, including pre- and post-tests, log files, formative and summative assessments, and self-reports using questionnaires, and (4) developing and implementing a course material transferability plan to broaden the impact of this project beyond ISE and NCA&T. This project will integrate sustainability into ten critical ISE courses spanning from freshman to senior year. Students will progressively learn sustainability concepts, theories, and tools throughout their academic journey. Each course will be revised, and student learning outcomes from the EOP framework will be implemented. This project will adopt DBEL to teach students sustainability concepts and tools. Two application areas—manufacturing and hunger relief—will be used to develop design problems that address social and environmental sustainability. This project will also identify and address critical challenges in integrating sustainability into the ISE curriculum. The findings of this project will significantly contribute to the knowledge base regarding innovative pedagogies for integrating sustainability. It will address questions such as how EOP can be applied to ISE courses and how effective these applications are. The research outcomes will provide engineering educators with a roadmap to integrate sustainability into their curriculum. This research will provide substantial benefits to the environment and society by preparing the next generation of engineers to tackle environmental and social sustainability issues, thereby improving human and environmental well-being. By adopting a systems approach to integrating sustainability into the curriculum, graduates will become ethically responsible engineers, equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to design for a better future planet. Given that African Americans are underrepresented in engineering and disproportionately affected by environmental and social impacts, this research will help cultivate a large number of African American engineers passionate about generating effective and innovative designs to address sustainability challenges and improve social and environmental justice. The results of this project will be disseminated through a web portal, where course materials, design problems, and project ideas will be shared with the engineering education community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.