UPRM CHEME Sustainable energy demos, workshops, town hall meetings, etc; working the pipeline

Abstract

A Sustainable Energy Laboratory in the Chemical Engineering Department has been instrumental in the effective incorporation of sustainability into chemical education targeting audiences (hundreds per year) from the whole spectrum: K-12, undergraduate students, graduate students and the general public. The latter includes strong alliances with various stakeholders that led to several awards such as the 2009 EPA Region II Environmental Quality Award. The laboratory's cultural transformation started in 1995 sponsored by the Department of Energy with environmentally friendly topics related to renewable energy such as Fuel Cell applications, Solar Detoxification, Biomass Conversion processes, etc. Workshops and Demonstrations were integral components of those efforts. At the turn of the century the focus increased to include sustainability principles such as social equity, ethics and community participation but with energy as the central theme. This focus has been primarily supported by a Sustainable Energy Initiative implemented in the College of Engineering. These activities are effective in providing information to various stakeholders and increasing interest in sustainable energy. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.