welcome to joshua mccalls ae senior thesis e-Portfolio
Reflection
ABET Outcome Survey
ABET Outcomes for AE 481W/482 |
Outcome not able to be assessed (Score of 0) |
Level of ability demonstrated but below acceptable (Score of1) |
Minimum acceptable level of ability demonstrated (Score of 2) |
More than minimum level of ability demonstrated (Score of 3) |
a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering |
O |
O |
O |
X |
b. An ability to analyze and interpret data |
O |
O |
O |
X |
c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs |
O |
O |
O |
X |
e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems |
O |
O |
O |
X |
f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility |
O |
O |
X |
O |
g. An ability to communicate effectively |
O |
O |
O |
X |
h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context |
O |
O |
O |
X |
i. An ability to engage in life-long learning |
O |
O |
X |
O |
j. A knowledge of contemporary issues |
O |
O |
X |
O |
k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice |
O |
O |
O |
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 |
O |
O |
O |
X |
p. Communication and interaction with other design professionals in the execution of building projects |
O |
O |
O |
X |
AE 481W/482 Course Reflection
As seen throughout this web-page, my Senior Thesis dealt with the Bloomingdales Department Store. Coming into the Fall semester, I felt uneasy thinking that my summer project would not have been large enough to be an acceptable building. Once given final approval by the Architectural Engineering department I was a little more at ease about the up coming year.
Having a summer internship with Buch Construction came to be an invaluable experience both inside the classroom and out. My closest contact was a Project Engineer that isa Penn State Architectural Engineering graduate and knew what was to be expected throughout the year once my internship was over. An open path of communication through emails and site visits from time to time were the sources of much of my information utilized for Thesis.
During the Fall semester, we were expected to complete a number of assignments to familiarize ourselves and our advisors of the project background. With help from my co-workers, completing assignments during the Fall semester did not come to be much of a problem. In countless instances a quick e-mail or phone call was all that it took to obtain the proper information within a few days time. By the end of the first half of the course, I put together a proposal which was to guide me through the second semester course work.
Between Semesters I must admit that Thesis was always in the back of my mind. I was slightly intimidated by stories of years past, but eventually czame back to campus slightly more relaxed. My attitude was soon changed when I was informed that my proposal was to be revised. By the time it was handed back in after a number of meetings with my advisors, two weeks of the semester had already passed. Formal approval of the revised proposal never came about. Progress was made in a slow manner because I did not want to get too far into things and find out that my proposal was still not adequate.
Overall, my Senior Thesis experience was a good one. It gave me invaluable communcation practice with industry members and forced me to set my own personal deadlines. Having to solve real-life problems with the help of peers and superiors will undoubtedly help me through my future career in the field of construction.
CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection
Considering I have minimal experience developing websites I felt the templates were invaluable. I could have use additional pointers on how to better maintain a more aesthetically appealing site. Although it was not overly difficult to learn Macromedia Dreamweaver MX and manage our site, I feel that I was unable to fully express the passion and findings of my research because of my lack of website experience.
A discussion board was also provided to us by our facauly. This gave us a medium in which to communicate with industry professionals for real-life solutions to our academic dilemnas. Personally, I was able to utilize this discussion board in order to disperse my Construction Management research and interest in Partnering for Value Engineering. With the feedback of a number of mentors, I was given the ability to put together a comprehensive analysis of industry opinions on project redesign and issues of respect in the construction industry.