Brian Genduso's CPEP

ABET Outcomes for AE 481W/482	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
ABET Outcomes for AE 481W/482	(Score of 0)	(Score of 1)	(Score of 2)	(Score of 3)

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering	5	5	5	X
b. An ability to analyze and interpret data	5	5	5	X
c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs	5	5	5	X
e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems	5	5	X	5
f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility	5	5	X	5
g. An ability to communicate effectively	5	5	X	5
h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context	5	X	5	5
i. An ability to engage in life-long learning	5	5	X	5
j. A knowledge of contemporary issues	5	5	X	5
k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice	5	5	5	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	5	5	X	5
p. Communication and interaction with other design professionals in the execution of building projects	5	5	X	5

The fifth-year AE Senior Thesis Experience was an entire year of research, analysis, design, and assessment of a building's architecture and engineered systems. My personal study focused on the University of Cincinnati Athletic Center. Through a summer internship with Ove Arup Engineers in New York City during the summer of 2003 I was able to obtain the necessary building plans and documents to begin the thesis. After permission to use the building was granted by the owner, work began. The requirements for thesis were laid out in courses AE 481W and AE 482. Work in the fall semester was mainly comprised of research into how and why the building was designed the way it was by the design team. Analysis was primarily dedicated to the structural system. This research and analysis was prepared through several specific assignments collected for grades. Work in the spring semester was much more independent. I was able to set my own schedule and goals, and the only requirements were a final report and presentation.

Every Penn State AE student hears about thesis each year. They are told it is the capstone; the final hurdle before graduation. They are lectured by professors who explain that it is the preparation for success that seems to be so consistent among PSU AE students. Above all, they hear that it is hard. I remember hearing for several years how difficult a journey it is. All of these claims are true to some extent, however, thesis is probably best summed up as an experience that wildly varies among each individual who completes it. It is what you want it to be. Sure, there are requirements, there are deadlines, but they are only given meaning by the student who takes them on. Some of my peers spent countless hours over the entire semester performing mind-numbing tasks in effort to solve the problems they had set before them. Others scrambled at the last minute, trying to throw together into a 20-page report enough substance to meet the bare minimum requirements. I was somewhere in between. I did my work throughout the semester, at first with a leisurely pace and an attitude of "I've got plenty of time", then with an air of slight urgency, finally with a fervor and dedication of both time and energy that surprised even myself. I was fortunate enough to be able to complete - with substantial success - all the design goals I had set in my proposal. Though I wish I had been able to more accurately and thoroughly refine my final designs, there simply wasn't enough time to complete everything. There never really is. That's why engineers and architects constantly tell others they would have changed one thing or another after their buildings are complete. That's what pushes many of them to create better designs with each new building.

So yes, thesis was hard. I chose to make it hard. However, it was also enjoyable. I enjoyed demonstrating my competence in the many subjects studied as an architectural engineering student. Completing the written report and public presentation required organizational skills, time management, engineering knowledge, communication skills, and decision-making capabilities; all of which helped prepare me to be a practicing professional in the near future. Thesis gave me confidence to take the next step in my life after graduation and enter the "real" world. Surviving the experience was a reward worth working for.

The electronic components of thesis, Capstone Project E-Portfolios (CPEP) and Consultant Discussion Boards, were implemented at the beginning of the past year in order to facilitate effective communication from both the students to professionals and the professionals to students. I designed and updated the CPEP throughout the year to keep everyone posted on what was happening with my thesis project. Discussion board interaction was utilized once in the spring semester as well.

Though I had heard many complaints from last year's fifth years regarding electronic submissions and website maintenance, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed using them this year. I consider myself proficient in internet technologies, so the learning curve for required CPEP software and formats was very short. In addition to cutting down on paper waste, the electronic format allowed family, friends, potential employers, and consultants to quickly and easily access the work I was doing. CPEP also encouraged more efficient organization of the many documents which were accumulated during a long two semesters. Unfortunately the time required to perform the many conversions and data transfers ate up more time than a pure paper project, however, I had no overall problems with using either CPEP or the discussion boards.

The electronic components of thesis were helpful and will certainly be beneficial to me in the future as I may wish to further share my fifth year work with others. I was able to learn a bit about new internet technologies, however most of it was prior knowledge. CPEP certainly made the thesis experience much more cohesive.

This page was last updated on Wednesday April 21, 2004.
This page was created by Brian Genduso and is hosted by the AE Department.