Page 32 - ASME IMECE 2017 Program

TRACK PLENARY
Conferences and Computers & Information in Engineering
Conference (IDETC/CIE), Conference Chair of the 21st
Mechanical Vibration and Sound Conference, Co-chair of the
23 International Conference on Adaptive Structures
Technologies, etc.
Track 6: Education and Globalization
6-9-1: EDUCATION AND GLOBALIZATION PLENARY
Tuesday, November 7, 8:00am–9:45am
Room 4, Tampa Convention Center
Diversity in Global Engineering Education
(IMECE2017-73552)
Esther Akinlabi
University of Johannesburg
Abstract: Despite a common goal of preparing engineering
graduates for the industry and ensuring that they fit into the
society to perform their anticipated roles of proffering
solutions, the author through her wide travel experiences
observed that there is a wide range of diversity in the
engineering curriculum globally. These ranges from typical
examples of some institutions in Mexico and France having a
compulsory undergraduate component of international
exposure as part of the requirements for the award of their
degrees to the entrepreneurship skill acquisition knowledge
required in some institutions in Brazil. It was interesting to note
that a strong component in some Chilean universities was
encouraging engineering students to participate actively in
sporting exercises as extracurricular activities by providing very
attractive state of the art sporting facilities. The proximity
of the sporting facilities within the engineering building further
enhanced participation. While in South Africa, the engineering
curriculum has remained traditional with a little shift in
responding to global challenges like energy and advanced
manufacturing. With the advent of #feesmustfall and
#decolonizationofknowledge, a module has now been recently
introduced titled African Insight which is a compulsory module
for all students at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa
including the undergraduate engineering students. The module
is intended to devolutionalise colonisation of knowledge; this
stems from a country with past history of apartheid. In a
further response to the #decolonizationofknowledge,
engineering projects are now being tailored to respond to the
needs of local communities. Against this background, this
paper is aimed at comparing the diversity observed in the
engineering curricula across various countries and across
some continents.
Biography: Dr. Esther Akinlabi, Mechanical
Engineering Science, Auckland Park Kingsway
Campus, University of Johannesburg, South
Africa is Vice Dean for Teaching and Learning. Since that time, she has been involved in the stewardship of
She has led a team of undergraduates, master
and doctoral students and postdoctoral
researchers with a very active publishing record research
related to laser material processing, and laser additive
xxx manufacturing coupled with dynamic international
collaborations with researchers across the globe, especially
Europe, North America and Asia. She has won many awards
for her excellent record as a dedicated professor with high
throughput in human resource development besides research
accomplishments. She has traveled widely and observed the
current status of engineering programs across the globe and
will bring a unique perspective to the Education and
Globalization Track audience.
Track 7: Emerging Technologies
7-6-1: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES PLENARY
Tuesday, November 7, 8:00am–9:45am
Room 5, Tampa Convention Center
Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Technologies: U.S.
Department of Energy Perspectives on Mechanical
Engineering Research and Development Opportunities
(IMECE2017-73543)
Marie Mapes
U.S. Department of Energy, Solar Energy Technologies
Abstract: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy
Technologies Office launched the SunShot Program in 2011 in
order to decrease the cost of solar energy to $0.06/kWh by
2020 so that more Americans can take advantage of the clean,
affordable power that solar provides. Now with the original
SunShot target being within reach, the Department of Energy
has committed to a new goal to decrease the cost of solar
energy to $0.03/kWh by 2030 to further increase solar
utilization and achieve solar deployment across more markets
within the United States. In order to meet these targets,
SunShot funds cooperative research and development projects
on innovative solar technologies with many partners, including
companies, universities, and national laboratories. Some of
the challenges to lowering the cost of solar energy include
increasing the durability of solar energy system components
to withstand decades-long outdoor exposure, understanding
sources of power performance degradation of photovoltaic
modules and inverters over the devices’ operating lifetimes,
and decreasing the cost of manufacturing solar system
components while maintaining high quality products. This
talk will explore some of the opportunities in mechanical
engineering research and development that can help achieve
the new SunShot goals.
Biography: Dr. Marie Mapes is a Photovoltaic
Technology Manager in the U.S. Department
of Energy Solar Energy Technologies O ce
(SETO). Her responsibilities focus on creating
photovoltaic research and development
programs that will help achieve the goals of
the SunShot Initiative, and leading evaluation and assessment
activities to improve the e ectiveness of these programs. She
entered DOE in 2006 as a Presidential Management Fellow.
the majority of SETO’s photovoltaic-related research and
development programs. The programs she is currently
managing include: the second round of the Physics of
Reliability: Evaluating Design Insights For Component
Technologies In Solar, and the 2016 launch of the Photovoltaics
Research and Development (PVRD) 2: Modules and Systems
Funding Opportunity. Previously, she collaborated to bring