A 2002 Conference: Integrated Environmental Teaching, Research & Practice: Linking Engineering & Science to Address Complex Problems

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

0222779 Aitken The Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) and the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) are preparing a conference on education and research needs in environmental engineering and science. The conference will be held August 10-14, 2002, on the campus of the University of Toronto. Since no single professional society represents the entire field, this conference provides a unique opportunity for the community of educators, researchers and practitioners in environmental engineering and science to discuss mutual interests, compare methods, and identify needs for the advancement of the profession. The overall theme of the conference is Integrated Environmental Teaching, Research and Practice: Linking Engineering and Science to Address Complex Problems. Within this broad theme, five sub- themes will be addressed: Understanding Complex Environmental Systems; Use of Information Technologies for Monitoring and Data Management; Integrating Novel and Advanced Technologies into Understanding and Solving Environmental Problems; Sustainable Systems; and Innovative Educational Approaches. These sub-themes represent an extension of AEESP's last Research Needs conference (1999, Penn State), which focused on complex systems, a sustainable environment, and advanced molecular tools; a recognition that information technologies play an increasingly important role in obtaining, organizing and analyzing a vast amount of data for use in decision-making for environmental systems; and an exploration of how advanced knowledge and methods can be incorporated into both education and practice. Such an emphasis on the continuum among research, teaching, and practice is critical to the long-term evolution of this engineering discipline. ***