Teaching

Measurements Lab

In this course, you will assemble and/or run a variety of instrumentation devices and machines and you will measure physical behavior. This can range from measuring the strain in a mountain bike frame to determining the vibration of rotating machinery, to analysis an electric guitar/amplifier system. Measurements are made for several reasons. First, as an integral part of the scientific method, measurements are necessary to determine the validity of models, and to suggest refinements or new approaches. One focus of this course will be on the comparison of theoretical models with experimental measurements. Second, measurements are made to quantify the performance of devices. Measurements are also used to control manufacturing processes. Sometimes, measurements are made just to get an answer, such as Young's Modulus, for example. In addition, you will learn how to estimate the quality of a measurement. Another focus of the course will be on communication skills. You will gain some exposure to the vastness of technical literature, as well as prepare formal reports. Since you will be working in teams in the lab, some training in group interactions will be included, as time permits.
Measurements Lab, MCEN 3027, Fall Semester 2006

This course will address natural and man-made sources of air pollution and prevention or minimization of air pollution using various control technology. We will investigate the major types of air pollution including particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides. In this class, we study a variety of background topics including population growth, health effects, aesthetic effects such as acid rain and visibility, regulations, meteorolgoy, atmospheric chemistry, and pollutant transport. Ultimately, you will be able to determine whether an air pollution problem exists, which emission sources should be controlled, how much control is needed, and which technology to use.
Air Pollution Control Engineering, MCEN 4131/5131, Spring Semester 2006

Aerosols, consisting of solid/liquid particles suspended in a gas, affect visibility, climate, our health, and quality of life. The objective of this course is to gain an understanding of the physical and chemical principles that underlie the behavior of aerosols and the instruments used to measure them.
Aerosol Dynamics, MCEN 4228/5248, Fall Semester 2005

Once a week, students meet to hear talks from leading scientists and engineering in the Boulder/Denver metro area discuss topics related to energy and the environment. Topics include renewable energy sources, air pollution, sustainability, etc.
Syllabus, Spring Semester 2006
Seminar Schedule, Spring Semester 2006

Life has an impact on the environment. Human beings have been modifying the environments in which they live for centuries. It is for these reasons that environmental engineers, who discover and create and apply technology to improve the environment, and artists, who explore and experiment with the values of society, have a role to play together in the environmental movement. Combining the creation of art with principles from environmental engineering science for the purpose of encouraging environmental change is the focus of this course. Prof. George Rivera from the Fine Arts Department, a world re-known artist and art curator in digital art, and Prof. Shelly Miller from the Mechanical Engineering Department, an expert in environmental engineering and air quality, will join together to team teach this course. Tues and Thurs from 2-3:15 PM, in Engineering's Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory and in the Fine Arts Building computer lab.
Art and the Environment, MCEN 4228/5228-003 and FINE 4929-801, Spring Semester 2004

This course will give you a different perspective on an important environmental problem - air pollution. Indoor environments are examples or larger environmental systems and learning to analyze indoor air pollutionproblems will develop skills needed to analyze other environmental problems. Indoor air pollutants can cause material damage to equipment and artifacts such as the Sistine Chapel, and contaminant manufacturing processes. Indoor air pollution adversely affects human health since people spend 80-90% of their time indoors and the concentration of many air pollutants is higher indoors than outdoors. In this class, we study many different indoor environments such as homes, offices, and hospitals. We learn about pollutants including radon, environmental tobacco smoke, and volatile organic compounds. We develop a strategy for designing appropriate control technolgies.
Indoor Air Pollution, MCEN 4141/5141, Fall Semester 2001

The Breathe Better Bus Project is sponsored by the nonprofit Breathe Better Foundation, which is concerned with educating and providing community services related to asthma. The main objective of the project is to build a Breathe Better Bus with interactive stations on board for children. The learning stations illustrate and teach issues related to allergies and asthma including learning about the anatomy and function of a normal lung, effects of asthma, hazards of smoking, and healthy outdoor air. The bus will enable lung health specialists to reach numerous children as schools and provide educational messages for prevention and management of lung disease in a setting that is exciting and fun to learn. The project tasks this semester are the design and construction of six learning stations and their installation in a dedicated bus.
Breathe Better Bus Project, MCEN 4228-002, Spring Semester 2001