The Use Of Undergraduate Students In A Long Term Air Pollution Reduction Research Project

Abstract

Over the last ten years, a research project involving the study of the air pollutant emissions from small utility engines has been conducted. The project studied (1) the extent of the deterioration of the emissions as the engines age, (2) the causes of the deterioration, and (3) strategies for improving the emissions. Thirteen undergraduate students have worked on this project over the years. In comparison, only two M.S.-level graduate students (one of whom originally worked as an undergraduate student on the project) worked on the project over the same time. As a result, much of the research work was completed by these undergraduate students and their efforts played a large role in sustaining the project over its duration. Students who worked on this project benefited by performing engineering work in a modern research laboratory facility, thereby gaining experience that could be helpful for them in their future careers. In addition, the students had the opportunity to work with engineers from the industrial sponsors of the project. In these interactions, the students needed to learn how to work with other engineers, and communicate their questions, ideas, and results clearly. The reliance on undergraduate students, rather than graduate students, on the project did have some drawbacks. These include an increased need for guidance, and often an increased time for the completion of project tasks due to the students having less time to devote to the project. This paper describes the research activities of the students on the project, and contains a summary of the results. The educational benefits experienced by these students are described. In addition, project management issues such as maintaining project continuity, interaction with the project sponsors, and student recruitment are discussed. Some consideration on the impact of the project on future graduate school enrollment by the students is also presented.