UMD Launches Online Course for Transitioning Service Members and Veterans on Energy Problem Solving

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Dec 12, 2013, 02:30 ET

--Engineering course supported by Department of Defense will focus on design skills--

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland's Clark School of Engineering will offer a new online course on energy problem solving supported by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for transitioning military service members and veterans. The four-credit, undergraduate level course, titled "BIOE 100: Designing Quantitative Solutions for Energy," will offer real world design experiences for students.

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Research Associate Professor Leigh Abts and Assistant Professor Ian White designed the course specifically for transitioning service members and veterans. The course is supported by the DoD's Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (ADL) through their Broad Agency Announcement for basic and applied research. The vision of the ADL initiative is to provide access to the highest quality learning experiences that can be tailored to individual needs, harnessing the power of information technologies.

"This course has the potential to be transformational in helping transitioning active duty and veterans to develop design process skills and adopt a different approach to problem solving," said Abts. "Design is the best context for students to learn about energy and work toward addressing real world challenges."

Abts, along with colleagues in UMD's College of Education, previously partnered with the Department of Energy, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Environment and Energy Study Institute to develop an interdisciplinary "Energy 101" curriculum aimed at offering standardized energy and sustainability learning experiences for undergraduates at colleges and universities across the country.

The new "BIOE 100: Designing Quantitative Solutions for Energy" course at the University of Maryland is consistent with efforts by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to spur science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for U.S. military veterans to help prepare them for high-tech jobs.

The course will be offered in the spring semester of 2014.

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering
The University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering is a premier program, ranked among the top 20 in the world. Located just a few miles from Washington, D.C., the Clark School is at the center of a constellation of high-tech companies and federal laboratories, offering students and faculty access to unique professional opportunities.

Our broad spectrum of academic programs, including the world's only accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering program, is complemented by a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, early hands-on educational experiences, and participation in national and international competitions.

The Clark School is leading research advancements in aerospace, bioengineering, robotics, nanotechnology, disaster resilience, energy and sustainability, and cybersecurity. From the universal product code to satellite radio, SMS text messaging to the implantable insulin pump, our students, faculty, and alumni are engineering life-changing innovations for millions. Learn more at www.eng.umd.edu.

About the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 37,000 students, 9,000 faculty and staff, and 250 academic programs. Its faculty includes three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, 49 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. The institution has a $1.7 billion operating budget, secures $500 million annually in external research funding and recently completed a $1 billion dollar fundraising campaign.

SOURCE University of Maryland