C. Ted Lee, Jr.

1
Reflecting on Your Teaching
Introduction to Chemical Engineering
(and Nanotechnology) at USC
C. Ted Lee, Jr. Assistant Professor Departmen
t of Chemical Engineering and Material Science

February 21, 2007
2
Outline

• Industries ChE grads serve
• Macroscopic vs. Molecular approach
• Courses students take
• Specializing in a particular area (emphasis)
• Nanotechnology
• Degree Projects

Chemical Engineering education is at a
crossroads. There is a disconnect between the
curriculum (which is largely focused on unit
operations, e.g., heat exchangers, distillation
columns, etc., and heavily geared towards
commodity chemicals) and faculty research (which
has recently emphasized nano- and
bio-technology). Furthermore, there is a
disparity between the courses students take and
the diversity of industries they will serve (only
about 25 of graduates go to work in the chemical
industry, while the biotech, food, fuels, and
electronics industries continue to aggressively
hire ChE graduates).
From NSF-DUE-0633372 A Degree Project Approach
to Engineering Education, PI C. Ted Lee
3
After graduation, where does a ChE work?

• Only about a quarter of ChE grads go to work in
  the chemical industry
  
• Many of our recent graduates have gone to work in
  new and emerging areas of importance
  

4
Whos Hiring?(USC ENGINEERING CAREER FAIR -
October 12, 2006
Over 25 companies actively recruiting
ChE/PTE/MASC graduates (class size 20)
5
Macroscopic vs. Molecular

• The bio/nano emphasis of research will likely
  result in new technologies, which will lead to an
  even greater number of graduates working in
  nontraditional enterprises
• So how then can the faculty continue to prepare
  highly-qualified students for todays changing
  workplace? macroscopic ? molecular
  
• Chemical engineering is uniquely positioned
  between molecular sciences and engineering

6
What courses do students take?

• ChE 120 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
• conservation of mass and energy
• ChE 330 Thermodynamics
• thermo (heat), dynamics (flow)
• ChE 350 Separations
• over 75 of the production costs for
  chemicals/synthetic materials
  
• ChE 442 Chemical Kinetics
• reaction rates, enzymes, etc.
• ChE 443 Viscous Flow
• flow through pipes, etc.
• ChE 444 Unit Operations
• components in a typical manufacturing facility
• ChE 445/446 Molecular Transport Processes
• diffusion vs. heat
• ChE 460 Process Control
• automation
• ChE 480 Plant Design
• putting it all together

7
ChE 120 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

• Mass and energy balances (neither can be created
  or destroyed)

8
ChE 330 Thermodynamics

• Total energy (E) of a system
• Kinetic Energy (K.E.) velocity of the center
  of mass
  
• Potential Energy (P.E.) location of the
  center of mass
  
• Internal Energy (U) associated with
  molecular motions,
  
• interactions, and bonds in the system

Thermodynamics is concerned with internal energy
changes
E K.E. P.E. U
Frink And these should give you the grounding
you'll need in thermodynamics, hypermathematics,
and of course microcalifragilistics.Homer Look,
I just wanna know how to invent things...tell me!
9
Customizing your degree

• ChE students may select an emphasis in a
  particular field (biochemical,
  environmental, and petroleum engineering, polymer
  science)
• Most students take advantage of this opportunity
• Biochemical Engineering and Nanotechnology are
  the most popular emphases
  

10
(No Transcript)
11
Nanotechnology Degree Projects
NSF-DUE-0633372 A Degree Project Approach to
Engineering Education, PI C. Ted Lee
12
Nano-module 1 Synthesis of Gold
gold nanoparticles
13
Degree Projects for all Options
14
Conclusions

• ChE is not just chemical engineering
• Graduates go to work in many diverse areas
• A broad range of scientific and engineering
  topics are covered in the curriculum, making ChE
  grads highly desired (and making the curriculum
  increasingly difficult to teach)
• ChE students at USC can further fine tune there
  degrees with an academic emphasis

15
Questions?

• 1. Do your own experiences as a learner
  influence your teaching approaches when you
  teach? In what way?
  
• 2. Critical reflection is described as a
  deliberate, consistent, systematic effort to
  uncover assumptions As you reflect on your
  teaching, what might have been erroneous
  assumptions that, upon critical reflection,
  needed your attention regarding either the
  effectiveness of a teaching approach or one
  aspect of student learning?
• 3. What type of student feedback do you find
  most helpful to your own critical reflection and,
  thus, your assessment about your teaching?
  
• 4. Research has shown that College teaching
  should not be an isolating profession critical
  reflection about teaching requires a community of
  peers its a social process one needs peer
  feedback and emotional support. Do you agree?
  Why?