The following reflection is a sincere assessment of the real knowledge gained through the professional development of the AE Senior Thesis program. All comments are meant to professionally and honestly portray any positive or negative experiences realized in completing the requirements for the senior thesis project. If you find any discrepancies, feel free to contact Joseph Podwats to further discuss your comments.
ABET Outcome Survey:
The ABET Outcome Survey below is reflects a personal (student) assessment of the course, not the instructor's assessment.
ABET Outcomes |
Outcome not able to be assessed |
Level of ability demonstrated but below acceptable |
Minimum acceptable level of ability demonstrated |
More than minimum level of ability demonstrated |
(Score of 0) |
(Score of 1) |
(Score of 2) |
(Score of 3) |
a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering |
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X |
b. An ability to analyze and interpret data |
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X |
c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs |
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X |
e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems |
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X |
f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility |
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X |
g. An ability to communicate effectively |
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X |
h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context |
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X |
i. An ability to engage in life-long learning |
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X |
j. A knowledge of contemporary issues |
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X |
k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice |
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X |
o. Engineering design capabilities in at least two (2) of the (3) basic curriculum areas of architectural engineering, and that design has been integrated across the breadth of the program |
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X |
p. Communication and interaction with other design professionals in the execution of building projects |
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X |
AE 481W/482 Course Reflection:
Overall, these courses have taught me a lot about myself and how I will fit into the design and construction industry. Through countless hours of studying the project to learn the various systems and building components, I have earned a new respect for today's industry professionals. These courses have tied together previous course work and have also filled any gaps in the curriculum. The combination of being provided with direction from a faculty member and performing self-guided research has proved to be a valuable aspect of the AE 481/482. Additionally, my thesis sponsor provided me with a direct line of communication to key project members. Turner Construction Company (Turner-Konover) and Ingleside at King Farm exceeded my expectations and cannot be thanked enough for their help.
CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection:
The CPEP offers a well rounded experience to those students that have not attempted to develop a website in the past. I have developed websites in the past, so I appreciated the opportunity to hone my skills in this area. A CPEP is extremely valuable in providing an online portfolio space to document thesis work for future review. I used it to communicate my progress to family, friends, and professionals. Many were surprised to learn the amount of work that has gone into the project.
I feel that the discussion board was not helpful in my situation. Multiple posts to this discussion board were made with no response and I have chalked this up to the simple fact that many of the CM professionals spend more time away from their computers than design professionals spend. Another possibility is that many of the CM professionals were aggressively pursuing more work for their companies in this tough economy and simply did not have enough time in the day to reply to all posts. In either case, the discussion board was not a good channel of communicating with professionals for me and I feel it is more conducive to a design option student; as I have heard positive comments from them. Timely follow up phone calls and direct emails to project members proved to be more effective in my situation.
Final Thoughts:
It has been a long and challenging journey through the AE program at Penn State. The program helped define my character and helped me realize my goals in the industry. I look forward to greeting the industry with a refined outlook and feel I can overcome many future challenges in a way that would not be possible without the help of the AE program. My family and friends outside of Penn State have also been appreciatively supportive of my journey.
Again, I thank Turner-Konover and Ingleside at King Farm for taking time out of their busy schedules to fulfill all of my requests. The whole project team was eager to help me and showed genuine interest in my research. I also thank Penn State for their continuous evaluation of the AE program and maintaining positive connections in the design and construction industry. I encourage all the underclassmen and underclasswomen to stay positive as they rise through the program. It will be over before you know it and I hope to meet you all again in the professional world.
