CBE 199 introduced the discipline of chemical and biological engineering in “a holistic fashion”: rather than present concepts in a strictly linear fashion, the course emphasized how the fundamental concepts of the field are interconnected. Relatedly, and firmly within the tradition of the liberal arts, the course emphasized how engineering problems and solutions to them have social meaning and value.
250th Fund Criteria:
Addressing a gap in the curriculum, Link’s course offered students a new pathway into the concentration, providing a “low-stakes” and accessible entry point for BSE (and even AB) students. It introduced new pedagogical methods to a first-year course, including facilitated group problem-solving that allowed students to receive real-time guidance on their effort and that gave Link immediate feedback on what his students were learning.
Learning Opportunities:
Throughout the course, Link lectured on the design of chemical processes, on technical material like mass and energy conservation, and on modern applications of thermodynamics, such as protein folding. He invited fellow faculty members to share their research with his students, and also invited departmental alums who are industry professionals to give guest lectures. His students had the option to visit local pharmaceutical and energy plants, including the Merck plant, where Link and his students observed the process used to make the HPV vaccine. As Link described, this field trip allowed his students to see firsthand the plant equipment that he and his colleagues typically draw on a blackboard as boxes.
He also experimented with active learning pedagogy, engaging students in structured group problem-solving exercises; facilitated by faculty and AIs, these exercises gave students new opportunities to solve complex problems in collaboration with one another, like professional engineers. Ultimately, then, Link gave his students the opportunity to answer the fundamental question that motivated the course.
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