What do you love about teaching this course?

I appreciate the mix of students that end up in 19-101. I emphasize how complex problems require people knowledgeable in all areas to create effective solutions. I think (hope!) by the end that the engineers recognize they need the social scientists and vice versa. Everyone’s perspective and disciplinary knowledge is important.

How does what you do in the classroom reflect the impact your field has on the world?

I often bring in the news stories of the day as they relate to class, to demonstrate how what the students are learning will be used in their professional careers or even personal decisions later. This week (Fall 2023) as we started the segment focusing on risk there were reports about how the US is accepting seafood caught off the coast of Japan after the release of radioactive wastewater from the Fukishima nuclear power plant disaster. So, we had a discussion about how that might be deemed safe (a technical problem) but whether consumers should be aware (a social science problem)

What are some memorable projects you’ve had students do and how do they reflect your goals as an educator?

Using drone photography to support satellite imaging to monitor algal blooms on Lake Erie. The Lake had been given status as a person in state of Ohio, permitting environmental organizations to sue on its behalf to mitigate the pollution that caused algal blooms and the health and environmental impacts that resulted. So, a real-world situation, involving different disciplines, multiple stakeholders and constraints, no one correct answer - the type of problems the students will face in their careers.