Overview of Educational, Internship, and Research
Programs
All participants will
be required to take a core coursework in their chosen discipline(s)
and associated coursework in other departments (see Table for
examples of available coursework).
IGERT trainees are
required to take three courses:
Sustainable Futures 1 describes
life cycle concepts and industrial ecology; the philosophy about
underlying issues in sustainability; and will examine tools which
includes life cycle inventory for industrial processes and products,
and the use and application of life cycle assessment software.
Sustainable Futures
2 emphasizes the application of the tools/methods introduced
in the first course; discusses policy and economics; and, sustainability
and technology for developing nations.
The Sustainable Futures Colloquium allows students and faculty to discuss policy implications
related to technological innovations for sustainability.
IGERT
trainees will also be required to enroll in ED5100, Introduction
to College-Level Teaching,
IGERT trainees are
required to spend at least one semester taking coursework and
conducting research at the partner institution. For example, trainees
based at Michigan Tech will spend one semester at Southern University,
and trainees based at Southern University will spend at least
one semester at Michigan Tech.
IGERT trainees are
required to complete an internship, of a 1-2 semester duration, that
is related to sustainability. The internship will occur at a company,
government/university laboratory, or nongovernmental organization
(NGO). The internship will provide the student an appreciation
for the practical, real world issues resulting from the complex
interplay of often competing concerns (e.g., company mission,
government regulations, and societal norms). Students will be
engaged in a project at the host organization under the supervision
of a mentor(s).
IGERT trainees will
have the opportunity to participate in an international experience
that may come from one of two mechanisms: an international internship
in an industrialized country or international fieldwork in the
developing world (i.e., Africa or Caribbean/Central America).
All engineering students
will be required to have participation of social science faculty
on their graduate research committees, and all social science
students will be required to have participation of engineering
faculty on their graduate research committees.
To formally acknowledge
the specialized education/training received by IGERT trainees
and associates in terms of environmental, industrial, and societal
sustainability, Michigan Tech has established a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability
(see www.sfi.mtu.edu for details). Trainees from both Michigan Tech and Southern University will complete this certificate.
