Research Project
Design for Sustainability: How Mental Models of Social-Ecological Systems Shape Engineering Design Decisions
Modeling social-ecological systems in engineering design decisions
National Science Foundation Engineering Education Centers$840,7372023-2027Active StudyOpen for Students
Research Question
How do mental models of social-ecological systems influence engineering design decisions for sustainability?
Approach
- Elicit how students and instructors represent social, ecological, and technical dimensions of design problems
- Compare mental models across institutions and learning contexts
- Develop decision-support representations that make sustainability tradeoffs more visible
Evidence and Outputs
GrantAvailable
NSF Engineering Education Centers award
Collaborative project with Virginia Tech partners focused on social-ecological-technical systems thinking in engineering design.
PublicationPublishedEuropean Journal of Engineering Education2025
Understanding instructor decision-making in engineering education for sustainable development
Related work comparing how instructors in Denmark and the United States reason about engineering education for sustainable development.
People
- PI: Dr. Andrew Katz
- Co-PI: Dr. Marie Paretti (Engineering Education)
- Co-PI: Dr. Tripp Shealy (Civil Engineering)
- Project Alumni: Dr. Avinash Aruon, Felicity Bilow (Former Graduate Research Assistant)