Instructors:
Michael Gorman
Email: meg3c@virginia.edu
Phone: 924-3425 (office)
Office: Thornton A237
Teaching Assistants:
Jesse Quinlan
Email: jrq2a@virginia.edu
Matthew Kraeutler
Email: mjk8x@virginia.edu
Emerald Midkiff-Skaggs
Email: elm6z@virginia.edu
Cara Magoon
Email: cmm8kb@virginia.edu
Library Website: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/science/dbases/
Course Objective
The main objective of this course to introduce students to Earth Systems Engineering and Management (ESEM)and related concepts such as industrial ecology, the objective, multidisciplinary study of industrial and economic systems and their linkages with fundamental natural systems.
General Description
A principle result of Industrial Revolutions and associated changes in human demographics, technology systems, cultures, and economic systems has been the evolution of an Earth in which the dynamics of major natural systems are increasingly dominated by human activity. Continued stability of both human and natural systems will require development of the ability to rationally design and manage coupled human-natural systems in a highly integrated and ethical fashion - an Earth Systems Engineering and Management (ESEM) capability.
General objectives for STS 200/300 level courses:
All STS 200-level courses focus on some significant set of interactions among science, technology, and society . This course will present you with one or more disciplined, analytical approaches to understanding the reciprocal relationship between technology and society. It will also help you:
(1) understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and social context,
(2) recognize and analyze the role that science and engineering play in contemporary issues
(3) impact a knowledge of social and historical context to put contemporary issues in perspective,
(4) appreciate differing perspectives and integrate your views with those of others, and
(5) sharpen your reading, writing, speaking, and discussion skills .
By the end of the course, you should be able to analyze in depth particular examples of the interpenetration and mutual influence of technology and society. This analytical ability provides the foundation necessary for understanding the social and ethical contexts of engineering and technology—understanding crucial to STS 401-402 and to each student’s thesis project. All of these purposes play an important role in ensuring that SEAS educates thoughtful and articulate professionals who will be able to be leaders in industry, government, and education
The Honor System and the School of Engineering and Applied Science
The School of Engineering and Applied Science relies upon and cherishes its community of trust. We firmly endorse, uphold, and embrace the University’s Honor principle that students will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor shall they tolerate those who do. We recognize that even one honor infraction can destroy an exemplary reputation that has taken years to build. Acting in a manner consistent with the principles of honor will benefit every member of the community both while enrolled in the Engineering School and in the future.
Project Assignments
The class conducts joint research on ESEM problems concurrent with the exploration of the frameworks, tools, cases, and context. .
You will do at least 20 pages of writing in this course--at least one page per reading, roughly 3 pp for a Shenandoah paper and 10 pp for a final paper. You will have the opportunity to present more than once.
Required Texts
Readings will be available through the course web site.
Read over Christmas break, review during class,
Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (New York: Houghton Miffllin, 2006), available at the UVA bookstore or Amazon or most bookstores in paperback. It is the story of how human intervention in this country changed the state of an environmental system, and what initial efforts were made to remediate.
Topics
Grading (subject to change)
Reading Responses: 25%
Shenandoah Reaction Paper: 15%
Project (presentation grading criteria--Materials page of the toolkit)
Part 1: Descriptive: 10%
Part 2: Normative: 10%
Part 3: Transitional: 10%
Final project paper: 20%
Class Participation and Attendance: 10%
Schedule (subject to change):
Last updated October 8, 2008
Homework
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments are to be submitted through toolkit 8PM the day they are assigned. There are multiple homework submissions per day. . Limit your response to ~one page.
Their may be modifications to assignments, as we develop a better understanding of what students need to know--they will be announced in class.
All readings and talks are copyrighted by the authors and publishers and are provided to you as part of educational fair use. Do not reproduce or disseminate or link to any of these materials without permission!
| Date |
Class |
Homework |
| 1/2 |
|
|
| 1/3 |
|
|
| 1/5 |
|
|
| 1/6 |
|
|
| 1/7 |
|
|
| 1/8 |
|
|
| 1/9 |
|
|
| 1/10 |
|
|