News 2018: Exciting renovations in the College of Engineering will enhance teaching, learning, and research

Upgrades include instructional and research laboratories

Classrooms with auditorium-style seating and state-of-the-art work stations and a new laboratory with a Field Emission Electron Microscope are some of the $1 million renovations made to upgrade teaching and learning spaces in the College of Engineering

Upgrades are now complete in five instructional laboratories and two research labs.

“Our new state-of-the-art learning spaces allow faculty to engage students in hands-on learning and teamwork. These major renovations to our facilities are critical for the support of our engineering faculty to lead collaborative research on applied and fundamental topics, and prepare the future innovators of our region,” said Jean VanderGheynst, dean of the College of Engineering.

"These major renovations to our facilities are critical for the support of our engineering faculty to lead collaborative research and prepare the future innovators of our region."

Renovations completed in labs used for environmental, civil, and mechanical engineering

The Environmental Engineering Lab (SENG 103) and Civil Engineering Computing Lab (SENG 105) were upgraded for the introduction of the new concentration in Environmental Resources Engineering.

The completely renovated Environmental Engineering Lab is a fully self-contained wet lab. Students will be introduced to this lab in the spring of their junior year as a hands-on companion course to their Introduction to Environmental Engineering lecture. In this lab, students will perform many of the procedures found in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities.

In addition to instruction, the lab is also used for year-round research, focusing primarily on novel methods to remove contaminants in wastewater and repurpose them for other uses. Undergraduates are often hired during or after their junior to assist in research in this lab.

The Civil Engineering Computing Lab (SENG 105) was completely renovated with new furniture and computers and will be used for first-year Intro to AutoCad courses. In addition to campus-wide software packages like Office and Matlab, these computers carry an assortment of specialized civil engineering programs, including AutoCAD for drafting and design, GeoStudio for geotechnical projects, SAP2000 for structural design, Highway Capacity Software for traffic engineering, and other programs. The printer provides standard prints while a 36-inch plotter allows students to print full-sized CAD drawings and schematics.

Four new computer-controlled robots with custom software are featured in the renovated Mechanical Engineering Robotics Lab (SENG 107). According to Donald Foster, lecturer in mechanical engineering, these robots will help students learn to design, install, program, maintain, and repair highly complex and advanced robotic systems used in manufacturing.

“Robots are increasingly used in many areas of manufacturing and in many specialized applications in society–or in space,” said Foster. “Robots are ideal for manufacturing tasks that may be hazardous for humans, and they excel at repetitive and tedious tasks and those that require extreme dexterity or strength. Robots are also essential for dangerous missions, such as searching for survivors in confined areas after a disaster or retrieving and removing a suspected bomb. Specialized robotic machines have explored the deepest parts of the ocean and crawled across the landscape of Mars.”

Introductory engineering labs upgraded

During the summer of 2018, the Foundations of Engineering Labs in SENG 201 and 207 were completely redesigned to enhance learning in introductory engineering classes. SENG 201 is hosting introductory engineering and physics courses in a studio-style learning environment.

According to Interim Associate Dean Ray Laoulache, “The virtual-computing workspace in SENG 201 is a comprehensive and flexible environment that provides the instructor with an integrated view with enabled control and interaction. With just one screen, the instructor is now in the center of information that can be shared easily, including the ability to broadcast the work of any team’s station to the rest of the teams.”

 SENG 207 is a 60-person, virtual computing-based instructional classroom for all foundational and advanced math and engineering courses.

New research laboratories created

In addition to the instructional spaces, two research laboratories have been completed. A secure research lab will allow students and researchers to work on restricted defense-related data in SENG.

A new laboratory, located in the lower level of the Textile building, will house the new Field Emission Electron Microscope (FESEM) that was purchased with funds from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program. The FESEM Lab will allow students and researchers to examine the surface topography and composition of materials under study. 

Ongoing renovations are expected following the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees’ approval of a $54.4 million renovation of the university’s science and engineering building. These projects are part of the first phase of Chancellor Robert E. Johnson’s plan to focus capital investment on the 710-acre main campus of UMass Dartmouth.