ATEEC News Online–Summer 2002

The first product from the ATEEC-MIT partnership has hit the market!

"Epidemic: Environment, Ecology, and Infectious Disease" is a multidisciplinary teaching and learning resource that focuses on the relationship between ecology, human behavior and infectious disease. It uses case studies in Ebola, E. Coli and malaria to illustrate environmental considerations and science principles related to infectious disease emergence and re-emergence.

The CD-ROM is more than just excellent background information on this timely subject. It also provides a wealth of teaching resources, including an epidemiology role-play activity, several Web-based activities, many links to additional information and resources on the Web, a table that illustrates how the subjects covered in the module relate to the National Science Education Standards, and suggestions for using the module in multidisciplinary, contextual teaching and learning.

Early reaction to the module from a test group of users was positive.

"Case studies and activities were great," said James Hutcherson, environmental science technology instructor at Blue Ridge Community College. "They would fit perfectly in my environmental health class."

Bob Treloar, director of training in the environmental health and safety technology program at Paradise Valley Community College, noted the module was versatile and provided a good introduction to the terminology of infectious disease. "It serves as an excellent backup to course materials," he said.

Dr. Ed Brown, director of environmental programs and professor of biology at the University of Northern Iowa, used "Epidemic" in his "Environment, Technology and Society" class this spring. One of his students commented on how the module "simplified some of the more complex science topics."

While the module was created as a resource for instructors, the content can also be used directly by students. And the price is right–at $25 per CD-ROM, it is an affordable student resource. "This truly is a multidisciplinary resource," said ATEEC director Dr. Ellen Kabat Lensch. "It would be appropriate for high school and college classes in the biological sciences, math, English, social sciences, allied health, environmental technology, even the fine arts."

As the first module developed through the National Science Foundation-funded partnership between ATEEC and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Epidemic" showcases the tremendous benefits of this collaboration: cutting-edge research from a major university being shared early on at the technician-training level. MIT’s Laboratory for Energy and the Environment provided content expertise, and ATEEC offered extensive instructional design experience. A Quality Assurance team of high school and community college instructors evaluated the module for relativity to their courses and ease of use. Modifications were made based on their suggestions.

"This has been a true team effort," Kabat Lensch said. "'Epidemic'" is the product of a lot of great minds working together to create a credible learning resource on a timely and interesting topic."

The United States holds less than five percent of the world's population, but consumes 30 percent of the world's fossil fuels each year. Practitioners in the energy services field are striving to reduce consumption of our natural resources by identifying and implementing cost-effective energy conservation measures.

Given the rising costs of energy and current energy shortages, now is a perfect time to introduce energy-related curriculum on your campus. The Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) has assembled a series of educational resources to help the nation's community, technical, and junior colleges establish energy services and technology programs. The goal of such programs is to teach students how to optimize the production, delivery, and use of our energy resources.

The educational resources include:

• Energy Services Careers: a 27-page booklet that defines occupational areas, job titles, and job functions in the energy services career field.
• Best Practices For Planning an Energy Services & Technology Curriculum Guide: a CD-ROM that covers the practicalities of introducing an energy program on your campus-from teaching to program review to administrative best practices.
• Energy Services & Technology Model Curriculum: The model curriculum provides a set of recommended courses for one-year certificate and two-year associate degree programs, including core courses, general education courses, support courses, and suggestions for degree options. Most colleges already offer the recommended general education courses and support courses; however, your college might not offer the core courses. Therefore, a course development model (i.e., syllabus) is provided for each core course. Each course development model includes a course description and general goals, prerequisite courses, suggested instructional resources, course competencies/student outcomes, and a topical outline. To tailor the degree to the needs of the college's local energy services and renewable energy industries, additional courses may be added to customize the degree options to the needs of the local market. We have, therefore, included suggestions of possible degree options. Also, portions of the model curriculum may be integrated into existing vocational/technical programs that are involved with energy usage such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning programs.

This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

For more information, contact Kirk Laflin at:

• National PETE
• Phone: 207-771-9020
• Email: natlpete@maine.rr.com

HMTRI in conjunction with Eastern Iowa Community College (EICCD) offers students around the world an opportunity to complete a certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree without stepping into a classroom. Environmental Compliance and Technology (ECAT) program offers four of their ten courses on-line for Spring 2002.

The on-line courses available this semester are:
• EV 100 (OSHA Regulations)
• EV 200 (EPA Regulations - Waste and Remediation)
• EV 205 (EPA Regulations - Air and Water Quality)
• EV 230 (DOT Regulations).

On-line distance learning is an innovative development in higher education that uses technology to facilitate learning without the limitations of time or place. One advantage of distance learning is that it gives students the flexibility to achieve an appropriate balance of work, family, community, and educational commitments while completing the certificate program or an Associate of Applied Science degree.

The timeline for additional ECAT courses is as follows:

• Characteristics of Hazardous Materials–Summer 2002
• Industrial Processes–Summer 2002
• Contingency Planning–Summer 2002
• Sampling and Monitoring–Summer 2002
• Legal Aspects of Occupational Safety and Health–Fall 2002
• Hazardous Materials Health Effects–Fall 2002

Northwest PETE, in collaboration with Western PETE, will be the host this year to the 2002 annual PETE Conference to be held August 7-10, 2002 along the banks of the Columbia River in Richland, Washington. This year's theme is "Environmental Education Partnership and Resources in the New Millennium."

June 2002

Annual Membership Drive

Northwest PETE is also in the process of conducting the annual membership drive. Why should your college join NWPETE? There are numerous reasons why your institution should consider membership in NWPETE. Some of the benefits include:

• Automatic enrollment into the National PETE network
• Access to curriculum and other instructional resources
• Opportunities to participate in professional development and train-the-trainer programs for faculty, often at discounted rates
• Access to a regional peer network of environmental, health and safety technology educators
• Access to programs and products developed by the Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC) and National PETE.
• Networking information exchange opportunities among faculty, colleges, industry and environmental professionals

June 2002

2002 Conference

Considering all of the "budget bashing" this past year, the 56 people who were able to attend the 2002 NC PETE Conference in St Louis, Missouri went home with new insight and tools to share with their students. In the opening session, Kirk Laflin, National Director of PETE, provided everyone with an overview of where the organization is now and the vision for the future. Dr. Ellen Kabat Lensch, Director of ATEEC, reported on the status of ATEEC's programs during the past year and projects in the hopper.

The keynote by MIT's Jeffrey Steinfeld "Role of Science in Environmental Decision Making" brought forth the use of curriculum development and how research is or isn't being used in setting national energy policy. The other curriculum modules on environmental science, polluted aquifers, and energy technology were all well received. But with the concerns over terrorism it was Ed Brown's report on the ATEEC/MIT curriculum on "Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases” that packed the room.

The second day of the conference featured three noted presenters: Peggy Green of Broward Community College, Harvest Collier from the University of Missouri at Rolla, and Lisa LaDue of the National Mass Fatalities Institute speaking on "The Green Campus as a Laboratory,” “Environmental Management Systems on Campus,” and “Training Needs for Mass Fatalities Response” respectively. With EPA Region 7 starting their initiative to inspect colleges and universities in the Midwest, the EMS session was well attended and taken to heart. HMTRI presented three different sessions on the Environmental Technology Online program. The program has grown dramatically over the last year, and many of the PETE partners are teaching via these Internet-assisted courses. Ron Snyder addressed another hot-button issue–indoor air quality–in his talk. There was a general consensus from those in attendance that there is a demand in the workplace for a comprehensive curriculum developed for proper mold and mildew removal.

The 2003 conference is slated for March 21 and 22 with a location to be determined.

June 2002

You might not recognize the name or the face yet but hopefully SCPETE members will get to work with me shortly as I assume the duties of Program Manager of SCPETE. SCPETE has a number of strengths that demonstrate strong programs, industry support, economic ties and excellence in teaching and training. Capitalizing on these strengths and drawing from our past successes, I will begin to convene a meeting of past steering committee members and other interested individuals to form a new steering committee.

While files and important records are in transit to the new site of SCPETE at Nunez Community College (see address below), it might be a good time for many of you to make a call to my office and to let me know of your continuing interest in SCPETE. One of our first activities will be to assist in the joint NC/SCPETE Conference to be held in Davenport, IA in 2003.

The Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI), under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will offer a Strategies for Job Development and Training in Brownfields Communities workshop in 2002. The tentative date and location is:

• September 18-20, 2002 in Washington DC

This two-day invitational workshop will involve stakeholders that are located in or near Brownfields Assessment Demonstration pilot sites. The workshop will examine strategies for job development and training in Brownfields communities and will include the following topics:

• Overview of the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative
• Assessing the Labor Market
• Developing Partnerships
• Creating Quality Job Training Programs
• Employer's Perspective/Working with Organized Labor
• Employability and Life Skills
• Innovative Technologies
• Funding Sources
• Resources

Participants will leave with an understanding of and information pertaining to all aspects of developing job training programs, creating and maintaining strong workforce partnerships, and the future directions of the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative.

For more information, contact:

ATEEC is forging ahead with plans to integrate the interactive CD-ROM "Brownfields in a Box" into the nation's classrooms as well as corporate boardrooms. What's the connection? Actually, it's quite simple. ATEEC plans to appeal to the philanthropic efforts of our nation's corporations, who set aside foundation dollars to support education and the environment.

ATEEC will soon release two new CD ROMs: "Virtual Waste Site" and "Infectious Disease Emergence." Virtual Waste Site is an interactive simulation, conceived by HMTRI's Doug Feil.

Infectious Disease Emergence is the first instructional module to be completed for the MIT-ATEEC grant. A case study approach is used to inform teachers about researchers' views of societal, ecological, and environmental trends associated with a dangerous increase of both old and new infectious diseases. The module includes student activities and Web resources for multidisciplinary teaching opportunities in environmental technology, the basic and social sciences, math, allied health fields, and communications.

Dr. Brown– “When I pilot tested Epidemic in the classroom, I was extremely pleased with how it made complex science topics understandable.”

Dr. Ed Brown, a native of Minnesota, is a professor in the Biology Department and Director of Environmental Programs at the University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, Iowa). Besides serving on the ATEEC Board since ATEEC’s inception, Dr. Brown conducts the Fellows Workshop each June at UNI. Dr. Brown has been instrumental in the development and expert review process of Epidemic.

At UNI, Dr. Brown recently developed curricula and implemented an Environmental Health MS degree at UNI, in cooperation with the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa and is investigator of a large undergraduate research project dealing with Iowa’s impaired lakes and wetlands (funded by the Carver Foundation).

Christina Nichols, a certified medical assistant for several years, returned to school to pursue a degree in environmental science. Currently enrolled in ECAT classes through Scott Community College, she recently was awarded a scholarship.

Christina refers to the ECAT program as the answer to her prayer. She is a full-time mother of three, the oldest of whom will graduate from high school this year. Knowing she would need to return to work to help with her son’s college tuition, she is grateful that the ECAT program allows her to work and continue her education simultaneously. Her goal is to complete the ECAT program and then take advantage of an articulation with California State University to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resource Management. She would like to work in industrial hygiene or occupational health and safety.

Christina, employed by the University of Iowa as a Research Assistant, is currently working on a pesticide exposure study and a study on the health effects of former atomic energy workers at an ammunition plant. CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) are high on her concern list. She wants to help owners of CAFOs comply with federal regulations.