Project Goals

The goal of this project is to expand SDG concept and skill integration across the undergraduate curriculum, the goal of this project is to redesign ME 1670 (Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design) course to incorporate sustainability concepts and competencies with SDGs. The opportunities to engage with the UN SDGs in the classroom are facilitated by socio-technical project-based learning with Computer Aided Design (CAD) activities. The proposed course redesign advances Georgia Tech's strategic plan is to provide all students with transformative learning experiences to grow as creative, ethical, globally aware, technologically sophisticated leaders who can define and solve problems to improve the human condition.

Project Activities
  • Modification of Individual Projects: Creative Ideation with CAD - 3D Print with a focus on form design include product design with external representations promoting sustainable and responsible resource consumption (SDG 12)  
  • Modification of Team Projects: Humanitarian designs with context of Large Engineering structures with a focus on functional design in CAD (SDGs 3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 and 15) 
  • View sample student projects here. 
Student Impact

The post-activity reflection study on SDG-focused design projects indicates a substantial impact on students' learning. In Fall 2023, Across a total of 207 survey responses regarding the contextual factors and associated specifications and constraints taken into consideration in the design of a sustainable products and structures, various umbrella categories, including environmental, social, economic, and health issues were addressed. By far, most student projects targeted environmental concerns, with over 80 student responses mentioning specific issues to tackle such as clean water and energy, food waste, plastic pollution, oil spills, ocean preservation and marine ecosystems, rainforest conservation, sustainability. Additionally, over 32 cases mentioned social issues including cities and communities, differently abled people, urban environments, low-income communities, humanitarian efforts and disaster relief, starvation and hunger, and infrastructure, while over 23 cases addressed economic concerns like affordable energy, cost-effective product solutions, and long-term economic resilience. Finally, at least 9 responses mentioned health issues such as microplastic pollution, access to clean water, fighting disease, mental health and well-being, and zero hunger. Note also that several student responses indicated that their projects addressed multiple contextual factors at once, such as tackling clean and affordable energy (both environmental and economic.

Project Dissemination
Where has this work been presented?

At ASEE annual conferences.

College
College of Engineering
Course Name
ME 1670: Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Design
Faculty Cohort
Teaching with the UNSDGs
Faculty Name
Raghu Pucha
Headshot Image
A headshot of Raghu Pucha.
Faculty Quote

"This grant surely helped in giving more visibility to my classroom efforts in bringing sustainability aspects to engineering design curriculum. Within the school of ME I am working on expanding the SDG-focused project-based learning to other courses."