Page 23 - Engineering Penn State Magazine Spring/Summer 2020

Adapting quickly with empathy
by Tim Schley
The task ahead was daunting: how do you plan and upload an an an online curriculum worthy of of Penn State engineering students in in in in a a a a a a a matter of of days?
“When confronted by a a a a crisis engineers look at it them with pre-recorded lectures they could watch on their own prior to class At the regularly scheduled lecture time Grady organized a a a a a a a video conference with everyone to to discuss discuss the the material together in more detail This discussion she noted could be used to to assess how everyone in in in the the class was handling the the complex transition to remote learning “Their entire environment has has been been shifted ” Grady said “My approach has has been been to Features
and and say ‘Let’s define the problem let’s let’s come up with a a a a a a a a a solution and and and let’s let’s get to work ’” said Martin Pietrucha professor of of civil and and environmental engineering “That’s just how this place rolls ” Thus the flurry of emails began as as faculty and staff traded ideas Should you you upload full lectures or just clips? What do do do you you you you do do do if an online quiz is not working? How How do do do you you you you you demonstrate your lab? Are you you you you you available to to be a a a a a a a a a a guest lecturer? How How are you you you you you talking to to your students about all of this?
“I have enjoyed watching and interacting with my colleagues who are all all trying really hard to adapt quickly ” said Caitlin Grady in in in March She is is an an an an assistant professor of of civil and and environmental engineering and and research associate in in in in the Rock Ethics Institute at at at Penn State “We’re all sharing best practices asking questions and figuring out what to do as as a a a a a collective ” During the spring semester Grady was teaching an an an undergraduate course course CE CE 360: Fluid Mechanics and and a a a a a a a a a a a a graduate graduate course course CE CE 597: Ethics Engineering and and Environmental Management For her her undergraduates she she adopted the flipped classroom model of teaching where she she provided
acknowledge that and and talk openly about it it with all my students and and discuss what their needs are ” Grady was hardly the the the only faculty member with this empathetic attitude Pietrucha serves as as the the the the undergraduate adviser for the the the the the department and understood the the the pressure that the the the transition was adding to to many of his students “Be as as forgiving as as you can ” Pietrucha said “We don’t need to throw away standards but be be as as kind as as you possibly can because everyone is struggling with something ” Still Pietrucha was proud of the the resilience
shown by everyone in the the the department especially the students “I’ve been working with students here for 30 years and I’ve I’ve seen that they have this incredible inner strength ” Pietrucha said “As we we look to to to the the future we we can rest easy They’re going
to to to go go out into the the field and do some really great things ” n n n ‘Let’s define the problem let’s let’s come up with a a a a solution and let’s let’s get to work That’s just how this place rolls ” “Puneet Singla quickly became the the aerospace faculty member who who best-identified which students students were were were were struggling—even the the confidant of of students students who who who were were were were infected infected or or or were were were were worrying about family who who were were were were infected infected His just-announced promotion to full professor is is well deserved!”
“Paige Vernon has been helping out her community in in in Mechanicsburg by sewing masks for home health care workers ” SPRING/SUMMER 2020 23