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in our K-12 classrooms can provide students at
an earlier age with a more specific understanding
of what a technical career entails.
The College of Engineering at Rowan Uni-
versity is always seeking innovative teaching
methods to excite freshman engineering students
about engineering design (Jahan, K., Hesketh,
R. P., Schmalzel, J. L. & Marchese, A. J., 2001;
Harvey, R., Johnson, F., Marchese, A. J., Newell,
J. A., Ramachandran, R. P., & Sukumaran, B.,
1999; Hesketh, R.P., Farrell, S., & Slater, C.S.,
2003; Schmalzel, J. L., Marchese, A. J., Mariap-
pan, J., & Mandayam, S., 1998; Hesketh, R. P.,
Jahan, K., & Marchese, A. J., 1997; Marchese,
A. J., Newell, J., Ramachandran, R. P., Suku-
maran, B., Schmalzel, J. L & Maraiappan, J. L.,
1999; Jahan, K.., & Dusseau, R.A., 1998; Jahan,
K., Marchese, A. J., Hesketh, R.P., Slater, C.S.,
Schmalzel, J.L., Chandrupatla, T.R., & Dusseau,
R.A., 1998; Jahan, K., & Dusseau, R.A., 1998;
Ramachandran R. P., Schmazel, J., & Mandayam,
S., 1999; Marchese, A. J., Ramachandran, R. P.,
Hesketh, R., Schmalzel, J., & Newell, H. L., 2003;
Farrell, S., Hesketh, R. P., Newell, J. A., & Slater,
C. S., 2001). The aquarium project was selected
to expose K-12 students/educators, freshman
students in engineering at Rowan and CCC to
basic science and engineering concepts. Students
can easily be introduced to chemical, mechanical,
electrical, civil and environmental principles such
as mass and energy balances; fluid flow; work,
energy, and efficiency; forces and levers; material
strength and stresses; water quality and treatment;
and electrical signal processing via this project.
The aquarium theme also adds to the need for an
understanding of biological systems, ecosystems,
pollution and sustainable development. These are
concepts that have been absent in typical traditional
engineering courses.
An aquarium is an exquisite combination of
interacting systems which can be analyzed using
multidisciplinary engineering principles. Children
typically have personal aquariums for their pet
fishes and visit some large aquarium as part of a
school field trip or as part of their family outing.
Movies such as Disney-Pixar's “
Finding Nemo
”,
Epcot's Living Seas
also make tremendous impact
on a young audience. While these activities appar-
ently raise the knowledge base in terms of nature
and the environment, children seldom make a
connection to the engineering principles playing
out in the maintenance of a natural, commercial
or personal aquarium. Thus the idea of using an
aquarium to promote engineering concepts for a
wide audience is innovative and exciting. A cre-
ative initiative between the College of Engineering
at Rowan University, Cumberland County College
(CCC) and the New Jersey Academy of Aquatic
Sciences (NJAAS) to enhance STEM (
S
cience,
T
Technology,
E
ngineering,
M
athematics) educa-
tion at all levels has been undertaken by receiving
support from the National Science Foundation.
There is a growing realization among engineering
faculty that a new vision for the education of en-
gineers needs to evolve to keep this country at the
forefront of technology. Science and engineering
are essential for paving the way for America's fu-
ture through
discovery, learning and innovation
1
.
A recent report
2
indicates that the United States
lags behind the world in technological innovation
because of its poor performance in teaching math
and science. This eliminates many of the best and
brightest schoolchildren from the ranks of future
scientists and engineers. Many students who do
undertake science and engineering studies in col-
lege are unprepared and drop out in frustration,
while other potentially capable students never
consider these subjects in the first place. In both
cases, precious human and institutional resources
are squandered. Enhanced engineering education
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