[DJC]
[design '96]

PARTNERING WITH ACADEMIA: REAL WORLD PROJECTS FOR STUDENTS

By Diane Kinman
Kinman & Associates

Did what you learned in college apply to what you were expected to do in your job? If so, you are the exception. How can industry and academia collaborate to make the curriculum better reflect what industry needs in its future work force? Weve all heard the catch-22 of how to get a job without experience, and how to get experience without the job. One solution: take the class room out of the school and into the field, and produce real results for real clients. The following examples examine how students played a key role in getting the work done, and earning the experience that helps get them in the door with potential employers.

The Course: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC) Design Technology Program, North Seattle Community College (NSCC).

The Project: North Seattle Community Colleges chilled water system replacement and energy management system update .

The project was done in conjunction with instructor Bill Quillinans Mechanical Engineering class. NSCCs HVAC program is a 2-year course that leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree. A perfect fit for Quillinans students, the project was for their own school on their own campus. The partnership between industry and academia began when Quillinan dropped by Don Beach s office at Halvorson Beach & Bower, mechanical engineers, to visit. They discussed the chiller plant upgrade project HB&B had just been verbally awarded by NSCC. Harry Bower had been trying to figure out how to cut the cost of the project by using Bills class. Quillinan and Beach agreed that the students would participate by taking the survey for load calculations, a significant cost reduction due to the number of rooms involved. HB&B supervised the survey, which was done during off hours, and let students shadow the engineers and designers involved.

The original design, done in 1969, was for a cooling plant based on future expansion that didnt happen. Design loads for the update needed careful study, in light of numerous changes over 25 years. Students volunteers were supervised and worked in 2-man teams. The survey teams recorded how many computers, people, lights, sunlight, coffee pots, etc., were in each room so the load calculations could be developed. They finished the survey in 10 days, a week quicker than estimated.

HB&B used the survey of internal loads to calculate the most efficient plant size; then the most effective size of chilling plant was arrived at by computer simulation. According to Beach, The cost of energy is so high and has such an impact on operations of the school that you need the most efficient system possible. We were looking for the best match of efficiency, cost, and size. Quillinans deal with Beach was that Beach was to come to class periodically to update the students on the progress to date using the information they had given the engineers.

The accuracy of the data from the survey lead to a well-designed project. According to Quillinan, You can tell its well designed when the bids come in very tight, all under budget. In fact, we were enough under budget that instead of two 500-ton refrigeration units, we had enough money left that we could increase one of the units to 750 tons for future expansion.

The Course: Conceptual Design for Watersheds, University of Washington (UW).

The Project: UW and the Suquamish Tribe teamed to study and monitor the extensive wetlands on the reservation.

According to Dave Fuller, Hydrogeologist for the Tribe, this project began when Ken Stinson, the Tribes Director of Natural Resources, found out that there were classes being taught on wetlands. He contacted the University to see if the instructors would be interested in working on the reservations wetlands. A prime motivation: One of the wetlands is listed as the best preserved estuary of its kind in the state. The Tribe had decided, through the grant writing process, to determine as many potential impacts as possible to the treasured natural resource.

Sally Shaumans interest, as UWs Director of the Department of Landscape Architecture, was to have a prime example for field outings for students. The 6-credit design studio on conceptual design for watersheds is taught by Shauman, along with civil engineer Rich Horner and the director of the Center for Urban Water Resources Derrick Booth.

The wetlands will be studied over a number of years; each term, the students examine the wetland systems, riparian habitat, drainage, and other components of small watersheds in urban areas that might be impacted by development or other circumstances. The students are encouraged to look beyond just the basic engineering solution. For example, what would happen if the neighborhood plan called for giving benefits to residents who disconnect downspouts from the storm water system?

A prime concern for the Suquamish Tribe wetlands: the two small watersheds extend beyond the reservation boundaries. Question is, what happens when others around these watersheds do something different that impacts them? What the students propose in their class papers can be engineered, but whether or not it is feasible is another question. The client gets a copy of each students proposal to consider. The student studies are more conceptual in nature, and Shaumans experience is that whatever the students do in their studies, it is typically the kickoff for real-world projects for A/E consulting firms. Although Shaumans classes are mostly LA students, some marine affairs, political science, engineering, urban planning, and fisheries majors also take the course.

The role filled by Fuller, the Tribes hydrogeologist, was to give students the Tribes perspective on protecting the resource and the cultural significance of it, of the plants and animals.

The benefit to the student is to work as a consultant, honing their skills on the Tribes land. Another benefit is the increased comfort level on project work, says former Suquamish Tribes wetland student, Lauren Rich, who now works for the Swinomish Tribe. The experience helped me understand more about wetland systems and quality within them and how related land use may impact the resources, such as retention of vegetative cover versus impervious surface development within the watershed. This wetland is diverse and beautiful, from forest to estuary. Its so essential to the Puget Sound, we have to ask ourselves: what would be the effect on the wetland of the government that regulates it?

Rich is also concerned about the need to identify the water quality issues and how to establish the criteria for a wetland system. Without any baseline data, it is hard to set protective standards; hence, the value of a monitoring plan to see what influences the system.

The Tribe benefits from the abundance of data gathered, and from being able to work with the University. Tribal Council Member Merle Hayes says, We see it as a win-win propositionstudents get a good education in wetlands and the Tribe gets data and information that will help preserve our resource. Equally important, the students who worked with the Tribe now know that, once they enter the work world, if they are working in the vicinity of a tribe, they should contact them to see what data already exists. Chances are the tribe has done a vast amount of work and accumulated a wealth of information on this valuable resource.

The Tribe is doing thingsmonitoring water levels and wetlands and the amount of impervious surfacesthat EPA is excited about, according to Andy Driscoll, Director of the Marine Science Center at Poulsbo. Driscoll began working on the Suquamish Tribes wetlands years ago, as part of a UW certification program in wetland science and management. With a background as a marine biologist, he wanted to learn about upland (freshwater) wetlands. He now works as a volunteer, continuing to fulfill the requirements of a 3-year grant, training tribal members in monitoring techniques.

Driscolls wife, Karen, is a land use planner with the Suquamish Tribe, and suggested that the Tribe apply for the grant her husband is participating in. As part of the land use plan, she is studying stream water, clam beds, fish, etc., as the basis for making sure the land use doesnt ruin the resource. The watershed analysis provides the basis of implementing the land use plan. The information generated by the students in past years was used as the basis for the study. Andy has been verifying the data, and will eventually do a joint paper to show the difference in how the techniques were used, how additional information helps to define the wetland.

Its interesting how it ties into the Tribes land use development, says Driscoll. The Tribe is gradually taking on more and more responsibility with self governance. They are trying to protect their natural resources because these resources are what they have sovereign rights over. They are trying to come up to speed quickly on things that took decades for us to learn. They have to decide what development they should allow, how that development will affect their resources, and how they can assist the tribal land owners as well as non-tribal neighbors in protecting the wetland resource over the long term.

Diane Kinman, principal of Kinman & Associates, a communications and relationship management consulting firm, has worked in the design industry since 1977.

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