Figure 3 - uploaded by Ben Mason
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Three-Dimensional rendering developed by an undergraduate researcher that won the award for ‘Photo Favo u rite’ at the 2010 NEES/PEER Quake Summit.
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During the past three years, seven undergraduate students have worked as assistants on four large-scale geotechnical centrifuge experiments. The research investigation focuses on soil-structure interaction during earthquakes and includes an extensive experimental component. Given the project scope, the undergraduate participants, who were advised p...
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Context 1
... to the complicated nature of the experimental test series, it was ideal that the program applicants demonstrated as least a junior-level knowledge of geotechnical engineering and structural design principles, above-average academic performance, and previous laboratory experience (expected to be from coursework). Different marketing approaches were utilized to advertise the undergraduate research positions, such as: presentations by a principal investiga- tor during meetings of student professional organizations (e.g. ASCE, SWE, and SHPE), e-mail announcements to upper division students, and tech- nical/experiential presentations by former undergraduate researchers to their peers. Details regarding the recruitment process, the candidate assessment rubric, and the qualifications of the candidates are included in Fiegel et al. (2011). Table 3 summarizes the educational goals and current education status of undergraduate researchers who participated on this research project to date. Based on these results, the undergraduate research appointments appear to have stimulated interest in continued education and research. To acquaint the undergraduate students with the research project, a ‘reader’ was developed , which included publications on centrifuge modelling principles, soil-foundation-structure interaction, and effective communication (Fiegel et al. 2011). Specific examples included City Block conference publica- tions (e.g. Mason et al. 2010; Chen et al. 2010), centrifuge modelling publications (e.g. Kutter 1995), in- troductory earthquake engineering references (e.g. Kramer 1996), and internal documents such as previous test plans, literature summaries, and data reports. Before arrival on site, the undergraduates were also required to make contact with their graduate student mentors to begin building a rapport. During the later tests, the graduate student mentors also present- ed short geotechnical engineering and SFSI ‘ les sons’ to the incoming undergraduate researchers. These pre-appointment activities resulted in undergraduate researchers who were excited about being involved in the experimental component of the work and knowledgeable in the research topics they were to address. The pre-appointment activities also allowed the graduate student mentors to practice their teaching skills, which was especially valuable to those planning to work in academia. 3.2 Research Activities The specific on-site research activities performed by the undergraduate researchers varied from test-to- test. There was generally a correlation between the increasing complexity of the test series (from Test #1 to Test #4) and the complexity of the tasks given to the individual students. In addition, the graduate student mentors became less reluctant to cede con- trol of individual details of model construction and instrumentation during later tests, due to the satisfac- tory performance of the early program participants. This allowed the undergraduates to perform tasks that are more complex. Figure 2 shows an undergraduate researcher as she works on instrumenting a model after it has been placed on the centrifuge arm. In general, each student was given the chance to be involved in four phases of each test: (1) construction of the centrifuge model (e.g. assembling the structural models, placing the foundation soil, re- cording important measurements, etc.); (2) instrumentation of the model (e.g. calibrating transducers, applying strain gages to structural components, etc.); (3) data acquisition (e.g. troubleshooting instrumentation, performing preliminary data analyses using pre-programmed Mathcad sheets, etc.); and (4) project documentation (e.g. capturing and organizing digital photographs and videos, preparing CAD drawings, contributing to research notebooks, etc.). In addition, undergraduate researchers that participated during Test-3 and Test-4 contributed to the authorship of the data reports, which included preliminary data reduction and analyses. The undergraduate researchers were also given tasks that allowed them to utilize their specific skill sets. One undergraduate researcher, an architectural engineering student, was proficient in developing three-dimensional models using AutoCAD. As a result, he was tasked with developing detailed models of the completed centrifuge models, including instrumentation and displacement reference frames, as shown in Figure 3. In addition to on-site tasks, the undergraduate researchers also participated in post-experiment activities. These activities included post-appointment presentations to their peers at Cal Poly during student organization meetings, poster presentations at technical conferences, and participation in special events/contests at technical conferences. For example, undergraduate researchers won awards for their submissions to the media competitions at the 2010 NEES/PEER (see Figure 3) and 2011 NEES/MCEER "Quake Summit" annual ...
Context 2
... to the complicated nature of the experimental test series, it was ideal that the program applicants demonstrated as least a junior-level knowledge of geotechnical engineering and structural design principles, above-average academic performance, and previous laboratory experience (expected to be from coursework). Different marketing approaches were utilized to advertise the undergraduate research positions, such as: presentations by a principal investiga- tor during meetings of student professional organizations (e.g. ASCE, SWE, and SHPE), e-mail announcements to upper division students, and tech- nical/experiential presentations by former undergraduate researchers to their peers. Details regarding the recruitment process, the candidate assessment rubric, and the qualifications of the candidates are included in Fiegel et al. (2011). Table 3 summarizes the educational goals and current education status of undergraduate researchers who participated on this research project to date. Based on these results, the undergraduate research appointments appear to have stimulated interest in continued education and research. To acquaint the undergraduate students with the research project, a ‘reader’ was developed , which included publications on centrifuge modelling principles, soil-foundation-structure interaction, and effective communication (Fiegel et al. 2011). Specific examples included City Block conference publica- tions (e.g. Mason et al. 2010; Chen et al. 2010), centrifuge modelling publications (e.g. Kutter 1995), in- troductory earthquake engineering references (e.g. Kramer 1996), and internal documents such as previous test plans, literature summaries, and data reports. Before arrival on site, the undergraduates were also required to make contact with their graduate student mentors to begin building a rapport. During the later tests, the graduate student mentors also present- ed short geotechnical engineering and SFSI ‘ les sons’ to the incoming undergraduate researchers. These pre-appointment activities resulted in undergraduate researchers who were excited about being involved in the experimental component of the work and knowledgeable in the research topics they were to address. The pre-appointment activities also allowed the graduate student mentors to practice their teaching skills, which was especially valuable to those planning to work in academia. 3.2 Research Activities The specific on-site research activities performed by the undergraduate researchers varied from test-to- test. There was generally a correlation between the increasing complexity of the test series (from Test #1 to Test #4) and the complexity of the tasks given to the individual students. In addition, the graduate student mentors became less reluctant to cede con- trol of individual details of model construction and instrumentation during later tests, due to the satisfac- tory performance of the early program participants. This allowed the undergraduates to perform tasks that are more complex. Figure 2 shows an undergraduate researcher as she works on instrumenting a model after it has been placed on the centrifuge arm. In general, each student was given the chance to be involved in four phases of each test: (1) construction of the centrifuge model (e.g. assembling the structural models, placing the foundation soil, re- cording important measurements, etc.); (2) instrumentation of the model (e.g. calibrating transducers, applying strain gages to structural components, etc.); (3) data acquisition (e.g. troubleshooting instrumentation, performing preliminary data analyses using pre-programmed Mathcad sheets, etc.); and (4) project documentation (e.g. capturing and organizing digital photographs and videos, preparing CAD drawings, contributing to research notebooks, etc.). In addition, undergraduate researchers that participated during Test-3 and Test-4 contributed to the authorship of the data reports, which included preliminary data reduction and analyses. The undergraduate researchers were also given tasks that allowed them to utilize their specific skill sets. One undergraduate researcher, an architectural engineering student, was proficient in developing three-dimensional models using AutoCAD. As a result, he was tasked with developing detailed models of the completed centrifuge models, including instrumentation and displacement reference frames, as shown in Figure 3. In addition to on-site tasks, the undergraduate researchers also participated in post-experiment activities. These activities included post-appointment presentations to their peers at Cal Poly during student organization meetings, poster presentations at technical conferences, and participation in special events/contests at technical conferences. For example, undergraduate researchers won awards for their submissions to the media competitions at the 2010 NEES/PEER (see Figure 3) and 2011 NEES/MCEER "Quake Summit" annual ...
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Citations
... It has been widely recognised that integrating research into GGE education can provide students with better learning experiences, which are translated into increased understanding of important concepts and greater interest in continued education in GGE (Pierce, 2016;Trombetta et al., 2012). Besides findings from new research are likely to supplement traditional teaching contents and update students with the state of the art and practice (Orlandi and Manzanal, 2020). ...
This paper reports the impact of COVID-19 on the practice and delivery of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering (GGE) education modules including lectures, lab sessions, student assessments, and research activities based on the feedback from faculty members in 14 countries/regions around the world. Faculty members have since adopted a series of contingent measures to enhance teaching and learning experience during the pandemic, which includes facilitating active learning, exploring new teaching content related to public health, expanding e-learning resources, implementing more engaged and student-centered assessment, and delivering high-impact integrated education and research. The key challenge faculty members are facing appears to be how to maximize the flexibility of learning and meet physical distancing requirements without compromising learning outcome, education equity, and interpersonal interactions in the traditional face-to-face teaching. Despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic, this could also be a good opportunity for faculty members obliged to lecture to rethink and revise existing contents and approaches of professing GGE education. Three future opportunities including smart learning, flipped learning, and interdisciplinary education are identified. The changes could potentially provide students with a more resilient, engaged, interactive, and technology-based learning environment.
... Positive experiences with undergraduate researchers supported through NSF REU Supplements motivated the authors to develop the subject REU program. 1, 2 The new REU site, funded through the Global Waste Research Institute (GWRI) at Cal Poly, provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in the advancement of fundamental research related to wastes and byproducts. The institute provides the focal point of the REU program. ...
... Positive experiences with undergraduate researchers supported through NSF REU Supplements motivated the authors to develop the subject REU program. 1, 2 The new REU site, funded through the Global Waste Research Institute (GWRI) at Cal Poly, provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in the advancement of fundamental research related to wastes and byproducts. The institute provides the focal point of the REU program. ...
The following paper summarizes recent experiences in designing and implementing a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Faculty at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo recently established the Global Waste Research Institute (GWRI), which provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in the advancement of fundamental engineering and scientific research. The GWRI provides the focal point of the REU program. The program, currently in its second year, supports ten students over a 10-week period during the summer. Faculty and graduate students serve as research mentors. The principal objectives of the program are: (1) to engage undergraduate participants on projects that provide opportunities for discovering new knowledge; (2) to mentor a diverse team of undergraduates; (3) to promote graduate study as a future professional goal; and (4) to provide instructive and appealing learning components. Undergraduates in the program attain three learning outcomes: design, conduct, and document a research experiment; function effectively on a multidisciplinary research team; and summarize both the technical and experiential aspects of the research experience. The program assessment plan and initial program results are discussed in the paper. The research team assessed and evaluated specific performance metrics defined under each outcome, where a performance metric represents a skill or ability that the undergraduate participant is expected to demonstrate by the end of the research appointment. Also included in the paper are short discussions on schedule and programming, professional development activities, student tasks/submittals, and mentoring. In addition, the paper provides a summary of research projects undertaken during the first year of the program.
