Engineering Student Opportunities

Center for Watershed Research and Service

Nonprofit organizations perform vital service in the restoration of watersheds, both at home and abroad. These nonprofits often affect great positive change with very limited personnel and budgets, impacts that could be amplified with technical assistance, focused research or simply additional manpower. This is where the Center for Watershed Research & Service is called to serve. Through the Center, housed at SFU, we can provide:

• Real class projects in the service of nonprofit partners.
• Student-professor research teams investigating fundamental and applied research questions of interest to nonprofit partners.
• Service-learning internships pairing student interns and mentoring professors with nonprofit partners.
• Mobilization of the SFU student body for large volunteer events held by nonprofit partners.

International Service Learning: Bolivian Rehabilitation Project

We combine service-learning with research so that students may not only serve communities and the environment, gaining invaluable practical engineering experience, but advance the state of science as they are doing so. This Rehabilitation Project, Rio Juckucha, Potosí, Bolivia is a great example of how we do this on an international level. Our Environmental Engineering Department, the University of Oklahoma Center for the Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, and the Universidad Autónoma “Tomas Frías” Mining Engineering Department are leading a multinational coalition to restore the heavily impacted Rio Juckucha in Potosí, Bolivia. This project demonstrates all facets of environmental engineering (from environmental problem diagnosis to sustainable solution implementation).

Service-Learning in the Allegheny Highlands

Acid mine drainage is the greatest issue facing the streams, rivers, reservoirs, and lakes of Pennsylvania. Over 2,500 miles of streams and rivers are impacted by the acidic, metal-rich discharges from the innumerable abandoned mines and piles of mine waste that dot Pennsylvania. Acid mine drainage impacted waters are unsafe for drinking water, irrigation, livestock watering, and recreation. In addition, acid mine drainage destroys the biotic integrity of streams, rendering once productive fisheries devoid of life. This is a crisis where Environmental Engineers are needed to restore our landscape to its former beauty and productivity. Our Environmental Engineering program uses this crisis as a Service-Learning opportunity with genuine projects to serve our community.

Environmental Engineering: Design Projects

At Saint Francis, we emphasize design-based learning as a way for our engineering students to apply the math and science principles learned in lecture to real engineering problems. The design projects also enable our students to develop problem solving skills, to practice communicating technical information, and to building a portfolio of completed projects that can be shown to prospective employers. All of our engineering courses include a design project and 21 credits in the curriculum (ENGR-101, ENGR-102, CHEM-205, ENVE- 313, ENVE-321, ENVE-322, ENVE-415, ENVE-498, ENVE-499) are reserved for courses that use hands-on projects as the primary mode of content delivery.

Environmental Engineering: Summer Research

A great way for engineering majors to gain real world experience is to complete a summer research project with an engineering faculty member. Projects typically last eight weeks beginning in late May and students are paid a competitive stipend for their efforts. Freshmen and sophomores are especially encouraged to apply as a way to prepare for eventual internships.

Engineering Department Fellowship

A four year fellowship of $2,000 per year is awarded to up to ten incoming students per year majoring in Environmental Engineering or the 3-2 Engineering program. Prospective Fellows must have a minimum high school grade point average of 3.5, a SAT (critical reading and math) of at least 1100 or ACT of at least 24, and a letter of recommendation from their high school teacher or guidance counselor. Additionally, the Fellowship requires the Engineering students to remain in their major, maintain good academic standing (3.0 QPA) and be involved in a leadership position in the department. Engineering Fellows are also required to participate in outreach, tutorial or service activities.

Engineering Undergraduate Summer Research Award

The Engineering department conducts Undergraduate Summer Research over the course of the summer under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students, who are selected to participate, receive compensation for their summer research. A number of research topics are possible ranging from applied real world problems to theoretical questions.

Engineering Department Travel Award

Students may receive a monetary travel award to help defray the cost of presenting at regional or national conferences. Students present their summer undergraduate research results, seminar research projects and independent study projects at both on and off campus events.

Engineering Department Senior Award

This award is presented during the School of Sciences award ceremony. It is awarded to the highest achieving senior in the department based upon academic excellence and service to the department.