Environmental
and Energy Sustainability
in
June/July
2008
Steven P. Frysinger
ISAT/CS
Hosted by the Hochschule für Technik und
Wirtschaft (HTW) des Saarlandes
In Saarbrücken,
Facilitated
by the Environmental Informatics Institute (EII)
Participants in this study-abroad experience will complete two 3-credit
courses, chosen from ISAT 416, ISAT 426, ISAT 428 and ISAT 480, as described
below. This will take place in Saarbrücken,
Germany. This city is 2 hours west of Heidelberg, 3 hours east of Paris, and is
within walking distance of the French border. Students will have plenty of free
time to explore Saarbrücken and its environs, as well as three weekends to try
The objective of this course is to give the students practical experience in advanced alternative energy laboratories conducting research in such topics as solar panel performance, fuel cells, biodiesel, and biomass energy. Students will bring their diverse training and experience into this hands-on course and, in internationally blended teams, combine their knowledge and skills to address a problem of immediate import to the research conducted in the laboratory.
- ISAT 426: Environmental Information Systems
This is in an intensive course in Enviromatics - the gathering and use of information and information systems for the environment. Student project teams will engineer an EIS which addresses an environmental issue of their choice for a particular region (such as the Saar River valley). The project will be completed through the following Fall semester.
- ISAT 428: Industrial Ecology
This course will study the rapidly evolving field of Industrial Ecology, wherein biological ecosystems are used as a metaphor for industrial society. We will use the well-known textbook, Industrial Ecology, by Graedel and Allenby. Examples in the European Union will be used extensively, through a combination of discussions, guest lectures, and field trips. A project will be completed through the following Fall semester.
- ISAT 480: International Energy Initiatives
The objective of this course is to introduce and examine initiatives in alternative energy which are being undertaken world-wide. While we will make extensive use of guest speakers and tours of facilities in Germany and France, we will also study innovations occurring elsewhere as well. A project addressing the applicability of a particular energy policy or technology to a developing nation will be completed through the following Fall semester.
All instruction will be in English, but there will be plenty of opportunities to try your hand at German as you visit the many beautiful historic and natural sites around the area! If you don't speak German, don’t worry – many Germans speak English. But you may want to invest in a CD-based course or other means to help you learn some of the basics. If there's enough interest, we may try to set up a series of "survival German" sessions during the spring semester. If your language is French, you can try that too, since Saarbrücken is right on the French border (and is only about 3 hours from Paris).
- Cost: The fee will be $2200 plus tuition and airfare. The combination of tuition and course fees will cover lodging and breakfast for four weeks, tentatively from June 9 through July 4. The fee also covers equipment, facilities, guest lecturers, some local excursions, some lunches and dinners, and local transportation at the course site. Note that JMU policy requires students to make their own airplane reservations (and in any case, you might want to stay in Europe before and/or after the class meets). But in the past students have enjoyed arranging their travel together.
- NOTE: the scheduling of these courses is
designed to permit students who go to
- Apply for this course by
completing the application process found here and
submitting to the Office of International Education by
Keep
checking this site for updates!
For further information, contact:
Dr. Steven P. Frysinger
frysinsp@jmu.edu
568-2710
ISAT 309