Browsing by Subject "engineering"
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Item A Year in the Works: A Record of Engineering and Management Experience at Freese and Nichols, Inc.(2012-02-14) Hann, Tyson OrionThis manuscript presents the author's experience as a fulltime graduate engineer at Freese and Nichols, Inc. (FNI), a professional engineering an servicebased consulting firm, as a Record of Study (ROS) for the Doctor of Engineering (DE) degree at Texas A&M University. Through the course of the internship, the author was to familiarize himself with FNI organizational procedures and fulfill established internship objectives concerning technical, managerial, strategic, and societal achievement. In meeting the above requirements, the author describes the history and key aspects of the FNI business, discusses established managerial procedures at FNI, presents direct work experience on projects during the DE internship period, and presents outcomes towards the internship objectives. FNI has a storied history, and the FNI business model centers around its ability to sell its employees time on projects; it requires technical expertise and client relationships that facilitate selection for the work. FNI's organizational structure and managerial procedures are designed to emphasize the company's differentiated strategy towards high quality customer service. The author worked on several projects throughout the internship; however, the primary role was via the Highlands Bond Program, which involved the design of multiple water resources structures. Through the awareness of the FNI business concept and these projects, the key outcomes of the DE internship were noted, as numbered below. 1) The author fulfilled all internship objectives. 2) As a function of the projects, technical/engineering skills were applied and learned, and a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of technical disciplines was developed. 3) The author concluded that the Assistant Project Manager (APM) role, of which the author served while on the internship, offers significant managerial and strategic benefits to FNI, and that the role can facilitate faster individual growth and greater project ownership. 4) Strategically, all projects are important in a business, even if they are less technically advanced. 5) Recommendations that could potentially improve the engineering programs at Texas A&M include a) providing greater emphasis on developing the soft skills of engineering, and b) potentially adding dam management/design and pipeline/pump station design to the water resources portions of the Texas A&M Curriculum. 6) The author noted that FNI is a well-managed company, and that his observations during the DE internship reinforced this statement.Item Alignment of Faculty Expectations and Course Preparation between First-Year Mathematics and Physics Courses and a Statics and Dynamics Course.(2012-07-16) Shryock, KristiAlignment of the expectations of engineering faculty and the preparation engineering students receive in first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses provided the motivation for the work contained in this study. While a number of different aspects of student preparation including intangibles, such as motivation, time management skills, and study skills, affect their performance in the classroom, the goal of this study was to assess the alignment of the mathematics and physics mechanics knowledge and skills addressed in first-year courses with those needed for a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course. Objectives of this study included: (1) development of a set of metrics for measuring alignment appropriate for an engineering program by adapting and refining common notions of alignment used in K-12 studies; (2) study of the degree of alignment between the first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses and the follow-on sophomore-level statics and dynamics course; (3) identification of first-year mathematics and physics mechanics skills needed for a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course through the development of mathematics and physics instruments based on the inputs from faculty teaching the statics and dynamics courses; (4) analysis of tasks given to the students (in the form of homework and exam problems) and the identification of the mathematics and physics skills required; (5) comparison of the required skills to the skills reported by faculty members to be necessary for a statics and dynamics course; and (6) the comparison of student preparation in the form of grades and credits received in prerequisite courses to performance in statics and dynamics. Differences were identified between the content/skills developed in first-year mathematics and physics mechanics courses and content/skills expected by engineering faculty members in the sophomore year. Furthermore, skills stated by engineering faculty members as being required were not necessarily utilized in homework and exam problems in a sophomore engineering mechanics course. Finally, success in first-year physics mechanics courses provided a better indicator of success in a sophomore-level statics and dynamics course than that of first-year mathematics. Processes used in the study could be applied to any course where proper alignment of material is desired.Item An Examination of Cultural Values and Employees' Perceptions of Support on Affective Reaction and the Desire to Participate in a Formal Mentoring Program in an Oilfield Services Corporation(2012-07-16) Hayes, Hanna BeaMany researchers have examined the effect of formal mentoring on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. However, there has been little or no focus on an employee's intent to participate in a formal mentoring program based upon an employee's perceived organizational support, and/or affective reaction (job satisfaction and organizational commitment). In the current study, the researcher examined the relationship among cultural values, perceived organizational support (career and psychosocial support), affective reaction (job satisfaction and organizational commitment), and the intent to participate in a formal mentoring program in an oilfield services organization. A 44-item electronic survey was utilized to collect data. The questionnaire was sent to 831 Field Engineers 1 (FE1's) in forty-two countries within an oilfield services organization. The sample included 341 respondents. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha estimates for reliability, factor analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, path analysis, and structural equation modeling were the analyses used in the study. The researcher posited that cultural values amongst the FE1's do not differ significantly; moreover, the cultural values do not influence the FE1's perceived organization support. Further, it was found that FE1's perceived support (career and psychosocial) and affective reactions predicted the FE1's intent to participate in a formal mentoring program.Item Analysis of programmable molecular electronic systems(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Ma, YuefeiThe continuing scaling down in size of microelectronics devices has motivated the development of molecular electronic devices, often called moletronics, which use molecules to function as electronic devices. One of the moletronics is the programmable molecular array. In this device, disordered arrays of metallic islands are interlinked by molecules. It is addressed by a small number of input/output leads located on the periphery of the device. In this dissertation, a thorough investigation of the programmable molecular array is performed. First, theoretical calculations for single molecules are carried out. The effect of bias voltage on the electron transmission through the molecule is reported. Next, electrical measurements are conducted on programmable molecular arrays. Negative differential resistance and memory phenomena are found. The electrical characteristics of the programmable molecular array populated with different molecules indicate that the metallic islands contribute to the above phenomena. The electrical conductance through the metallic islands is investigated, and conformational change of the metallic islands under bias is reported. Furthermore, a scenario is proposed to use molecular vibronics and electrostatic potential to transport and process signals inside the programmable molecular array. Simulated results are presented.Item Impacts of graduate student content specialists serving in middle school classrooms on teachers and graduate students(2009-05-15) Mowen, Diana L.Improving student achievement is a major concern across the United States. One strategy being implemented to help students achieve in math and science is the partnering of teachers with professionals in math and science careers. One such program is the Fellows Integrate Math/Science in Rural Middle Schools program, from which this research stems. The intent of the program was to match middle school teachers with graduate students preparing for careers in science, technology, mathematics, or engineering fields. The graduate students spent ten hours a week in classrooms, interacting with teachers and students. Improved student performance in math and science, improved teacher content knowledge, and improved graduate student communication skills were expected program outcomes. This research assessed the impact of program participation on the teachers and graduate students involved. Data were collected from 33 middle school teachers and 33 graduate students over the course of two years of program participation. Questionnaires included a pre post measurement of knowledge, experience, and comfort level with education related groups and issues and summative program evaluations. Major findings of the research included: 1. Teacher knowledge, experience, and comfort levels with education related groups and issues did not change significantly because of participation in the program. 2. Graduate students experienced a decrease in knowledge, experience, and comfort level with several education related groups and issues from the beginning of the school year to the end. Knowledge decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. High school students b. Teaching college students c. Theories of learning d. Planning a project e. Following through on project tasks Experience level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Science education reform b. Current issues in K-12 education c. Teaching college students d. Theories of learning e. Assessing student learning Comfort level decreases were noted with the following groups and issues: a. Elementary school students b. University faculty engaged in K-12 education c. Science education reform d. Teaching college students e. Theories of learning f. Evaluating educational activities 3. Graduate student gender, race, and age were not found to be predictors of success in this partnership program.Item Improvements and assessments of water auditing techniques(2009-05-15) Meyer, Sarah RuthWater auditing is an emerging method of increasing accountability for water utility systems. A water loss audit according to the methodology of the International Water Association (IWA) is applied to a major North American water utility, San Antonio Water System (SAWS), which is already a leader in conservation policies. However, some modifications to the auditing process are needed for this model?s application to a North American utility. These improvements to the IWA methodology include: calculating system input volume from multiple methods of measurements as well as numerous input points, incorporating deferred storage consumption (in this case aquifer storage and recovery) principles into the auditing process, calculating a volume of unavoidable annual real losses (allowable leakage) for a system with varied pressure zones, and defining procedures for assessing customer meter accuracy for a system. Application of the improved IWA audit method to SAWS discovered that its system input volume is being significantly undermeasured by current practices, current water loss control programs are very effective, customer accounting procedures result in large volumes of apparent loss, and current customer meter accuracy is adequate but could be marginally improved. Application of the audit process to the utility is beneficial because it facilitates increased communication between utility departments, assesses shortcomings in current policies, pin-points areas needing increased resources, and validates programs that are performing well.