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Article
Transdisciplinary Green Engineering Education at San José State University
ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (2009)
  • Belle Wei, San Jose State University
  • Patricia R Backer, San Jose State University
Abstract
Climate change is a pressing issue for the world today. There are an increasing number of technological by-products posing a threat to the stability and quality of the world environment. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming appears to be accelerating, resulting in higher increases in global temperature and higher rises in the sea level. To effectively address this problem, there is a need for transdisciplinary, transnational approaches, reflecting the complexity of the problem and the interdependence of people’s lives around the world. Consequently, the Davidson College of Engineering at San José State University (SJSU) has programmatically encouraged and supported the development of new green engineering curriculum and research, collaborating with Silicon Valley companies, many of which are at the forefront of green technologies. At the university level, the college has spearheaded a university-wide curriculum that brings together students from all seven colleges of the university to develop a deep understanding of the different aspects of climate change solutions: economic, political, moral, aesthetic, and technological. Furthermore, to augment student learning with a global perspective, the college sponsored the production of a “global green” documentary that showcases the collaborative efforts of people in both the U.S. and China. These efforts, among other initiatives, highlight a systematic theme of sustainable and green engineering at SJSU.
Keywords
  • green engineering,
  • education
Publication Date
June, 2009
Publisher Statement
© 2009 American Society for Engineering Education. 
This article originally appeared in the proceedings of the 2009 ASEE Annual Conference, and can also be found online at this link.
Citation Information
Belle Wei and Patricia R Backer. "Transdisciplinary Green Engineering Education at San José State University" ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (2009) p. 14.1277.1 - 14.1277.9 ISSN: 2153-5965
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/patricia_backer/24/