Self Study Report for Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

submitted by Auburn University

to the Engineering Accreditation Commission

of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

June 18, 2010

 

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ABET Self-Study Report

for the

Bachelor of Polymer and Fiber Engineering Program

at

Auburn University

Auburn, AL

June 18, 2010

CONFIDENTIAL

The information supplied in this Self-Study Report is for the confidential use of ABET and its authorized agents, and will not be disclosed without authorization of the institution concerned, except for summary data not identifiable to a specific institution.

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Table of Contents

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ........................................................................................................... 1

CRITERION 1. STUDENTS ..................................................................................................................... 6

CRITERION 2. PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES .......................................................... 11

CRITERION 3. PROGRAM OUTCOMES ........................................................................................... 21

CRITERION 4. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ............................................................................. 37

CRITERION 5. CURRICULUM ............................................................................................................ 47

CRITERION 6. FACULTY ..................................................................................................................... 58

CRITERION 7. FACILITIES ................................................................................................................. 65

CRITERION 8. SUPPORT ..................................................................................................................... 71

CRITERION 9. PROGRAM CRITERIA ............................................................................................ 713

APPENDIX A – COURSE SYLLABI ..................................................................................................... 76

APPENDIX B – FACULTY RESUMES ............................................................................................... 103

APPENDIX C – LABORATORY EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 121

APPENDIX D – INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY ................................................................................ 126

APPENDIX E - ABET IDEAL SCHOLAR LETTER …………………………………. ................ 134

APPENDIX F - MINUTES OF THE FIBER ENGINEERING ALUMNI COUNCIL.... ................. 135

APPENDIX G - ON-LINE ALUMNI AND INDUSTRY SURVEYS………………….... ................. 137

APPENDIX H - PERFORMANCE CRITERIA RUBRIC …………………………….... ................. 167

APPENDIX I - SUMMARY STUDENT OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT FORM……..… ................. 175

APPENDIX J - EBI RESULTS………………………………………………………..…… ................ 177

APPENDIX K - PEER EVALUATION GUIDE ……………………………………….… ................ 186

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ABET Tables Table 1-1 History of Admissions Standards for Freshmen Admissions for Past Five Years……..6 Table 1-2 Transfer Students for Past Five Academic Years………………………………............8 Table 1-3 Enrollment Trends for Past Five Academic Years……………………………………..9 Table 1-4 Program Graduates……………………………………………………………………10 Table 5-1 Curriculum Fiber Option……………………………………………………………. 48 Table 5-1 Curriculum – Polymer Option……………………………………………………….. 50 Table 5-2 Course and Section Size Summary………………………….………………………..57 Table 6-1 Faculty Workload Summary – fall 2009………………………………………...........62 Table 6-1 Faculty Workload Summary – spring 2010……………………………………..........63 Table 6-2 Faculty Analysis……………………………………………………………………....64 Table D-1 Programs Offered by the Educational Unit………………………………………... 128 Table D-2 Degrees Awarded and Transcript Designations by Educational Unit……………... 129 Table D-3 Support Expenditures……………………………………………………………… 130 Table D-4 Personnel and Students……………………………………………………………...131 Table D-5 Program Enrollment and Degree Data…………………………………………....... 132 Table D-6 Faculty Salary Data .………………………………….……………………………..133

PFEN Tables Table I Importance of program educational objectives for career goals and development ………………………………………………………………........17 Table II Relevance of the educational experience in the Department to meet the program educational objectives…………………………………………......18 Table III 2009 Industry survey results…………………………………………………….20 Table IV Correlation between program educational objectives and program Outcomes………………………………………………………………………..22 Table V Course-program outcome correlation ……………………………………..……23 Table VI Fall 2006 Semester program (student) outcomes…………………………..…...29 Table VII Spring 2007 Semester program (student) outcomes……………………….…... 29 Table VIII Fall 2007 Semester program (student) outcomes…………………………..…...30 Table IX Spring 2008 Semester program (student) outcomes………………………........ 30 Table X Fall 2008 Semester program (student) outcomes………………………….……31 Table XI Spring 2009 Semester program (student) outcomes…………………………….31 Table XII Fall 2009 Semester program (student) outcomes……………………………….32 Table XIII Spring 2010 Semester program (student) outcomes………………………........ 32 Table XIV PFEN Freshmen Qualifications…………………………………………………33 Table XV University Support of PFEN for the last five years……………………………. 71 Table XVI Polymer and Fiber Engineering courses vs. program criteria………………….. 74 Table XVII Faculty areas of instruction………………………………………………..75

PFEN Figures

Figure 1 Organizational structure of the PFEN Department within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering…………………………………………………….3 Figure 2 Program (student) outcomes for each semester since fall 2004 …………..…... 35 Figure 3 Overall student outcomes averages for each semester since fall 2004 ……...... 36 Figure 4 Assessment and evaluation cycle………………………………………….…... 40 Figure 5 Prerequisite flow chart for the fiber option……………………………………. 55 Figure 6 Prerequisite flow chart for the polymer option……………………………...... 56

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Self-Study Report Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Bachelor of Polymer and Fiber Engineering Auburn University

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A. Contact information Department Head

Dr. Peter Schwartz Auburn University 101 Textile Building Auburn, AL 36849-5327 schwap1@auburn.edu

ABET Coordinator

Dr. Sabit Adanur Auburn University 222 Textile Building Auburn, AL 36849-5327 adanusa@auburn.edu

ABET Associate Coordinator

Dr. Yasser Gowayed Auburn University 222-A Textile Building Auburn, AL 36849-5327 gowayya@auburn.edu

These faculty have been meeting regularly and as needed between themselves and with the rest of the faculty to prepare for the ABET visit. Dr. Adanur is an ABET IDEAL scholar. He attended the ABET IDEAL program on Jan. 5-9, 2009 in Savannah, GA (Appendix E). After returning from the workshop, Dr. Adanur gave a seminar to the PFEN faculty to update them about the requirements of the 2010-11 ABET cycle. The polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN) faculty has held 41 ABET meetings since the last ABET visit in 2004 to prepare the department for the ABET re-accreditation. The minutes of the meetings will be available during the visit. The list of the ABET meetings are given in Criterion 4 — Continuous Improvement. Drafts of this document were made available to faculty, students and our industrial board, and their comments were incorporated into the final Self-Study report. Services of ABET consultant, Dr. John Prados, were used. A copy of the report by Dr. John Prados, will be available during the visit.  

B. Program History The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering has an interesting history, beginning with the Department of Textile Engineering which was established in 1929 during the administration of Dr. Bradford Knapp. Engineering curricula created at Auburn University during this period also included aeronautical, industrial and civil and highway engineering. Collectively, these programs have had enormous impact on Alabama, the nation and the world. Polymer and Fiber engineering is located in the Textile Building at 311 Magnola Avenue. Dedicated in 1930, it is one of the historical buildings on campus scheduled to be restored. Currently it houses classrooms, laboratories, and offices for the department.

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As the nature of the textile industry changed during the last century, so did the focus of the Department of Textile Engineering. The textile management degree was developed into the textile engineering degree. Textile chemistry provided a background in the science, dyeing and finishing. Textile management and technology emphasized technical knowledge combined with a business background. As manufacturing of many products, textile among them, grew into a global arena, the department's research and educational emphasis moved from the production of fibers and fabrics to the utilization of fibers, especially polymers, in engineered materials. Since the early 1990's, the faculty has been conducting research in fibrous structural composites, geotextiles, nonwoven materials, safety materials (ballistics, filtration and biohazard), enzyme treatments, biomedical materials and waste material reclamation and utilization. The textile engineering program was fully accredited by ABET for the first time in 1998. In 2000, the Department switched from quarter system to semester system along with the University. The Department stayed as textile engineering until 2003. At the beginning of the 21st century, the faculty wrote a new strategic plan to provide a program that is constantly being evaluated in light of our constituencies — students, alumni, current employers of our graduates, potential employers of our graduates and graduate programs that attract our graduates. The first futures committee, composed of alumni, industry leaders, students and faculty, recommended changing the textile engineering major to fiber engineering. This change reflected the focus on fibers, especially polymer fibers, as structures to be analyzed, characterized, evaluated and assembled into advanced engineered materials with novel compositions and tailored microstructures — polymer composites. Beginning in fall 2003 the Department of Textile Engineering changed the name of its degree from Bachelor of Textile Engineering to Bachelor of Fiber Engineering, without changing the degree requirements, and it is this latter degree name that was used in the Self-Study Report of July 1, 2004, and was the subject of the ABET accreditation visit in November 2004. On December 18, 2005, the department name was officially changed from the Department of Textile Engineering to the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering. At this same time the curriculum was completely revised, and the degree was renamed Bachelor of Polymer and Fiber Engineering having two separate options — a fiber option and a polymer option. Beginning in fall 2006, we admitted the first students into the new degree program. The fiber option remained similar to the accredited degree. The first students graduated from the polymer option in May 2009. The documents supplied in the various appendices carry the department name that was in effect during the assessment period. Thus, “Textile Engineering” is used in the Outcomes Assessments for fall 2004, spring 2005, and fall 2005. To reflect the change in name, the Outcomes Assessments for spring 2006 bears the name “Polymer and Fiber Engineering.”

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C. Options To accommodate the broad range of polymer and fiber opportunities, the undergraduate program offers two options leading to the Bachelor of Polymer and Fiber Engineering degree. The polymer option emphasizes polymer fundamentals, characterization, processing, composites and chemistry. The fiber option emphasizes the mechanics of composite materials and other fibrous structures, as well as structure-property-performance relationships, testing, coloration, composites and formation and properties of fibrous structures.

D. Organizational Structure The department head of polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN) reports to the dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Figure 1 shows the administrative structure within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. The organizational structure of Auburn University can be found at http://www.auburn.edu/administration/orgchart.pdf.

Figure 1: Organizational structure of the PFEN Department within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

E. Program Delivery Modes The PFEN program offers day classes, which are usually between 8:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. The program contains both regular lecture and laboratory sessions. Some classes have both while others have only lectures; there is no laboratory class by itself. The classes are usually held in the classrooms of the department; the laboratory sessions are usually held in the laboratories. If there is a request, we offer distance education classes through the College of Engineering Distance Learning Program. We are also capable of giving off-campus and web-based classes if needed, both for undergraduate and graduate courses. F. Deficiencies, Weaknesses or Concerns from Previous Evaluation(s) and the Actions taken to Address them

AU President

Provost and VP for Academic Affairs

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering – Dean

Department of Polymer andFiber Engineering - Dept. Head

11 Other Colleges / Schools

8 Other Departments

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In the November 2004 review of the fiber engineering program at Auburn University, the reviewer identified a program weakness as regards ABET Criterion 3: Program Outcomes and Assessment. The report reads as follows:

The Fiber Engineering Program is small, and the faculty appears to have an unusual knowledge of and contact with their students and graduates. The faculty assesses student work to measure current student abilities. In addition, they question employers via surveys to determine how graduates are meeting program objectives. The process is informal and lacks structure. Surveys provide only indirect evidence of outcomes achievements. The program needs to develop a process to more directly and systematically measure achievement of outcomes and to demonstrate the use of these measures to further improve the program.

The reviewer also provided an observation on the wording of one of our Program Educational Objectives, as follows:

The program has four educational objectives. The 1st educational objective is to produce graduates “who will be able to analyze structure-property relationships in all [sic] forms of fibers and fiber assemblies.” Using the word “all” appears to make achieving this educational objective almost impossible.

The Department immediately addressed this issue by removing the word “all” from its Objectives Statement. In its due process response to the draft statement in spring 2005, the department described a newly created formal process (Appendix F) to address the above described weakness. In its final statement, the EAC reported the following:

• Due Process Response: The program described a newly created formal process to assess the achievement of outcomes. Part of this process was implemented during the Fall 2004 semester and more of the process was implemented during the Spring 2005 semester. Some of the early findings have already been used to improve the program.

• The weakness remains unresolved and will be the focus of the next review. In preparation for the review the EAC anticipates continued implementation of the new process to systematically measure achievement of outcomes. The EAC will expect documentation of the continued use of the assessment process put in place and the use of the results to further improve the program.

Corrective Actions Immediately following the identification of a weakness involving Criterion 3, the department, as noted above, developed a formal mechanism to assess outcomes. The primary direct assessment mechanism is the individual faculty member’s report at the end of each semester based upon students’ performance. As secondary indirect measurement tools, we developed and used surveys of outcomes by textile/fiber engineering alumni via an online survey and a questionnaire assessment sent to companies who, in the last five years, have employed graduates of the textile/fiber engineering

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program. We conduct these surveys on a regular basis and they are primarily used to assess stakeholder satisfaction. It should be noted that, because of the size of the department, with the exception of ENGR 1110, Introduction to Fiber Engineering, required courses are taught only once per academic year, and no formal courses, with the exception of special projects, are offered during the summer.

Summary

In response to the ABET evaluation, the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering has:

1. Corrected its Program Educational Objective in November 2004, as suggested by the reviewer, by removal of the word “all.”

2. Instituted a formal, continuing primary direct mechanism to internally assess ABET outcomes, and partially implemented it beginning in December 2004. It was fully implemented beginning in spring 2005 and the department has made course and programmatic changes based on the results.

3. Developed survey instruments as a secondary indirect method to assess whether our stakeholders felt that graduates of the program met the desired outcomes.

A report was submitted to the ABET on July 1, 2006, explaining the corrective actions taken. ABET conducted an interim evaluation of the Fiber Engineering Program relative to the shortcoming remaining after the 2004 review. The final statement from ABET included the following:

Criteron 3. Program Outcomes and Assessment. The previous review noted that the fiber engineering program had created a formal process to assess the achievement of outcomes. Part of this process had been implemented and some of the early findings had been used to improve the program. The review cited the need for continued implementation of the new process to systematically measure achievement of outcomes and use of the results to further improve the program.

The program provided evidence that a systematic process has been implemented and is being applied to measure student achievement of outcomes. A primary tool in the process is individual faculty member reports, completed at the end of each semester, that internally assess outcomes “a” through “k” based on student performance. The results of the assessment process are being applied to the further development of the program as evidenced by course and programmatic changes that have been made based on the results. Additionally, the program has developed and deployed employer survey instruments as a secondary indirect method to assess whether stakeholders feel graduates of the program meet the desired outcome.

The weakness is resolved.

The fall 2010 ABET visit is for the initial accreditation of the polymer option and continuous accreditation of the fiber option.

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CRITERION 1. STUDENTS

A. Student Admissions Freshmen are admitted to the university and to pre-engineering by the admissions committee in accordance with university admission policy as outlined on pages 7, 8 and 65 of the Auburn University Bulletin: “Favorable consideration for admission will be given to accredited secondary school graduates whose college ability test scores and high school grades give promise of the greatest level of success in college courses.” The history of admission standards for freshmen in the past five years is represented in Table 1-1. Table 1-1. History of Admissions Standards for Freshmen Admissions for Past Five Years

Academic Year

Composite ACT Composite SAT Percentile Rank in

High School Number of

New Students Enrolled MIN. AVG. MIN. AVG. MIN. AVG.

2008-2009 22 27 1070 1212.5 52 82 34 20 FR 2007-2008 18 25 930 1165 28 75.7 23 19 FR 2006-2007 17 25 1040 1171 55 81.5 25 20 FR 2005-2006 18 24.8 870 1062.5 59 83 15 15 FR 2004-2005 22 24.8 920 1047.5 59 87 15 15 FR

Freshmen eligibility is determined by the Office of Enrollment Services. However, since the requirements for engineering education necessitate high school preparatory work of high intellectual quality and of considerable breadth, the following program is recommended as minimum preparation: English, four units; mathematics (including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and analytical geometry), four units; chemistry, one unit; history, literature, social science, two or three units. Physics and foreign languages are recommended but not required. Applicants are required to present scores from either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Entrance Examination Board. Students will also be required to submit test scores on the writing test section of the ACT or the essay section of the SAT. Pre-engineering students are transferred to the curriculum of their choice in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering upon meeting the following requirements as outlined on pages 65–66 of the Auburn University Bulletin:

Complete all appropriate freshman courses; Earn an overall grade-point average of 2.2 on all required and approved elective course

work.

B. Evaluating Student Performance Student performance is evaluated using several methods in the classes: quizzes, tests, homework assignments and lab assignments. The “Performance Criteria Rubric” is used to evaluate the performance of the students with these methods (Appendix H). The rubric is based on the

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teachings of the ABET IDEAL workshop and was developed by the PFEN faculty in a series of meetings. The rubric is a way of explicitly stating the expectations for student performance. The rubric provides more specific, detailed and disaggregated evaluation compared to a grade. For each class, student performance is judged by the PFEN faculty based on the exact characteristics for each level of performance provided by the rubric. The rubric provides information about not only the current student performance but also what needs to be accomplished in the future for continuous improvement. At the end of each semester, the PFEN faculty uses the “Performance Criteria Rubric” to prepare the “Summary Student Outcomes Assessment Form.” The results are discussed in a faculty meeting at the end of each semester and corrective actions are taken, if needed. In addition to numerical evaluations, student performance and behavior is observed by the faculty and Student Services Coordinator. Each student is assigned an adviser. Any concern in student performance or behavior is discussed between the faculty and the student services coordinator and communicated to the student.

C. Advising Students The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering maintains a full-time student services coordinator who provides academic advising to students in the department. Upon admission to the university, all entering freshmen attend a three-day orientation session called Camp War Eagle. At the academic advising orientation, the department’s academic coordinator meets with pre-polymer-and-fiber engineering freshman to plan their schedule for the first semester to ensure they are enrolled in the proper courses required by the department, college and university. At the beginning of the first term in residence, each freshman is assigned an academic adviser from among the professorial faculty with engineering background and experience. During their academic careers, students are expected to meet regularly with the faculty to plan their programs of study and discuss educational goals; the signature of the faculty advisor is required for course registration. The academic coordinator is available to all students during the semester for advising and referrals to campus resources. Auburn University provides a full range of educational support services, academic support services, student counseling services and career development services free to all students as outlined on page 31 of the Auburn University Bulletin. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering provides free individual tutoring and group study sessions for many science, math and engineering courses through Engineering Student Services. At the end of each semester, the coordinator reviews students’ performances and, if a student had unsatisfactory performance, arranges a meeting with the student to determine the cause and to propose remedies.

D. Transfer Students and Transfer Courses The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering receives transfer students through the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Transfer students must meet university admissions standards for acceptance as outlined on pages 8 and 65 of the Auburn University Bulletin. A satisfactory citizenship record, a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale on all college work attempted and eligibility to re-enter the institution last attended are required for transfer admission.

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The exact placement of transfer students can be determined only upon review of their transcripts by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. After acceptance by the University and College of Engineering, the student is referred to the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering for registration advising and encouraged to participate in Successfully Orienting Students (SOS), the university orientation for transfer students. For evidence that the process works, we have the Online Auburn Student Information System (AUAccess), student folders, and senior credit checks conducted by College of Engineering advisors to clear seniors for graduation. Transfers from other on-campus programs must be approved by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and the admissions committee of the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering and meet the same academic requirements as off-campus transfer students. The criteria include a minimum overall Auburn GPA of 2.2 and the completion of the first mathematics course listed in the chosen curriculum (Calculus I) with a grade of C or better. Credit for courses taken elsewhere must be granted by the registrar’s office. After course credit is posted to the student's transcript, the College of Engineering advisers accept courses for credit based on course descriptions, time and content as noted on page 57 of the 2009-2010 University Bulletin. If advisers have any questions about the equivalency of a course, they may require the student to furnish a course description or syllabus. For questions about the polymer and fiber engineering major or elective credit, College of Engineering advisers contact the department for clarification. Auburn Engineering students who take summer courses elsewhere must obtain approval from the College of Engineering and the registrar's office before taking the course. All engineering students are cleared for graduation by an adviser in the College of Engineering, not at the department level. Any courses that are substituted for a major course or are taken to satisfy technical elective credit are approved in writing by the department head. Table 1-2 shows a record of transfer students enrolled in the past five years.

Table 1-2. Transfer Students for Past Five Academic Years

Academic Year Number of Transfer Students

Enrolled 2008-2009 8 2007-2008 4 2006-2007 3 2005-2006 0 2004-2005 0

E. Graduation Requirements Prior to a student’s last term, the academic coordinator performs a preliminary check of credits to be sure that the student will meet all of the requirements for graduation, although final determination of completion of the course of study is the responsibility of the college and the registrar’s office as outlined on page 12 of the 2009-2010 University Bulletin:

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To earn a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University students must complete the requirements of the university’s Core Curriculum and the courses required by the major, college or school with at least a 2.0 average in all Auburn courses attempted, at least a 2.0 average on transfer credits accepted for their degree program, and a 2.0 average in all course work in the major. In the last semester, each student needs to register for UNIV 4AA0 to clear for graduation. These requirements are university requirements. Credits required for graduation are at least 120 hours. The student’s dean clears subject and non-course requirements in the curriculum; the registrar, together with the dean’s office, clears total hours, GPA, and freshman English.

F. Enrollment and Graduation Trends Enrollment has varied in the past five years (see Table 1-3). There was a curriculum change in 2003 from textile engineering to fiber engineering, but the program was still heavily identified with the textile industry which was rapidly shrinking in the U.S. By fall 2006, total enrollment had dropped from 53 in fall 2004 to 38 in fall 2006.

Table 1-3. Enrollment Trends for Past Five Academic Years

Year (2005-2006)

Year (2006-2007)

Year (2007-2008)

Year (2008-2009)

Year (2009-2010)

Full-time Students 35 30 45 59 66 Part-time Students 1 3 2 2 1 Student FTE1 36 31 46 60 66

Graduates 8 FBEN 2 FBEN 2 FBEN 7 PFEN, 1 FBEN

1 FTE = Full-Time Equivalent

Fall 2006 marked the matriculation of the first freshman class in polymer and fiber engineering. Within two years, enrollment almost doubled to 72 in 2008–2009. Students identify polymer and fiber engineering as a program broad in scope and relevant to many industries, not just one. They realize that polymers and fibers are utilized in industrial/construction materials, aerospace, automotive, marine, medical, protective and recreational materials. The number of graduates has paralleled the enrollment trend, dropping from 10 in 2004–2005 to two in 2006–2007 and 2007–2008. The first class of polymer and fiber engineers graduated in 2008–2009 with seven graduates, as well as the last fiber engineering graduate in fall 2008. Table 1-4 shows information about graduates from our program.

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Table 1-4. Program Graduates

Numerical Identifier

Year Matriculated

Year Graduated

Prior Degree(s) if Master Student

Certification/ Licensure

(If Applicable)

Initial or Current Employment/ Job Title/

Other Placement

1 AU 2007 2009 Auburn University, PFEN Graduate Assistant

2 AU 2008 2009 Unknown

3 AU 2008 2009 Va. Tech. MECH, Graduate Assistant

4 2005 2009 Auburn University, Public Administration Graduate Assistant

5 2005 2009 Auburn University, Materials Eng.

6 2005 2009 Auburn University, PFEN Graduate Assistant

7 2002 2008 Vectorply Corporation, Engineer

8 2004 2009 Department of Defense/Army

9 2002 2008 Trane, Sales engineer

10 AU 2006 2008 Shaw Industries

11 2003 2007 Qualis Corp., Materials Engineer

12 2002 2007 Gulfstream Air, Structural Design Engineer

13 AU 2003 2006 Auburn Univ., PFEN Graduate Student

14 2001 2006 GKN Aerospace, Composite Engineer

15 2001 2005 UAB, Materials Eng. Graduate Assist.

16 2001 2006 GKN Aerospace, Composite Engineer

17 2002 2006 V2 Composites, Inc.

18 2001 2005 Schlumberger

19 2001 2006 Shaw Industries, Process Engineer/Six Sigma Manager

20 2002 2005 GKN Aerospace, Composite Engineer

21 2001 2005 NASA Composite Section, Aerospace Engineer

22 2002 2005 Army Aeromedical Research Lab

23 2000 2005 Precision Approach, LLC, Project Mgr.

24 2001 2005 GKN Aerospace, Composite Engineer

25 2000 2005 ATK Aerospace &Defense Company, ASFM-R Engineer

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CRITERION 2. PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

A. Mission Statement Auburn University Vision and Mission Statements [Auburn University Bulletin, Volume 104, June 2009, page 5]. The following statement of vision and mission was developed by the Task Force on Mission established in 1995 and was approved by the Board of Trustees on March 20, 1997 and amended May 7, 2004.

Vision. Auburn University will emerge as one of the nation’s preeminent comprehensive land-grant universities in the 21st century. Central to all its functions will be the university’s historic commitment of service to all Alabamians as the state becomes a part of a global society with all of its challenges and opportunities. The university will be widely recognized for the quality of its undergraduate, graduate and professional educational programs, the effectiveness of its research and outreach programs and the broad access to the university provided through the innovative use of information technology. The university will ensure the quality of its programs through the careful focusing of its resources in areas of institutional strengths. One constant will remain unchanged at the university is that intangible quality Auburn men and women call the “Auburn spirit.” Mission. Auburn University’s mission is defined by its land-grant traditions of service and access. The university will serve the citizens of the State through its instructional, research and outreach programs and prepare Alabamians to respond successfully to the challenges of a global economy. The university will provide traditional and non-traditional students broad access to the institution’s educational resources. In the delivery of educational programs on campus and beyond, the university will draw heavily upon the new instructional and outreach technologies available in the emerging information age. As a comprehensive university, Auburn University is committed to offering high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to its students. The university will give highest priority for resource allocation for the future development of those areas that represent the traditional strengths, quality, reputation, and uniqueness of the institution and that continue to effectively respond to the needs of students and other constituents. Consistent with this commitment, the university will emphasize a broad and superior undergraduate education that imparts the knowledge, skills, and values so essential to educated and responsible citizens. At the same time, the university will provide high-quality graduate and professional programs in areas of need and importance to the state and beyond. To accomplish these educational goals, Auburn University will continue to compete nationally to attract a faculty distinguished by its commitment to teaching and by its achievements in research, both pure and applied. The university will strive to attract a faculty that will bring distinction and stature to the undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs offered by the university. Because research is essential to the mission of a land-grant university, Auburn University will continue development of its research programs. The primary focus of this research will be directed to the solution of problems and the development of knowledge and technology important to the state and nation and to the quality of life of Alabama citizens.

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The university’s research programs will make important contributions to instructional programs through the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students and the renewal of the faculty. Research will also provide the knowledge base for outreach programs. In carrying out its research mission, the university will emphasize established areas of strength and will focus available resources in those areas of research and doctoral study that are, or have the potential to develop into nationally and internationally recognized centers of excellence. Extension and outreach programs are fundamental to the land-grant mission because these programs directly affect the lives of all citizens in the state. The university will maintain the strengths of its traditional outreach programs and will increasingly involve the broader university in outreach programs that respond to the changing needs of the society in which we live. The university will continue to seek new and innovative ways to reach out to the people it serves.

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Vision and Mission Statements http://eng.auburn.edu/about/index.html, accessed 7/27/2009. Vision Long-term

• Move the college into the the top tier of engineering programs.

Short-term • Position the College of Engineering to become one of America's top 20 public engineering

programs by competing decisively for the best faculty and students.

Mission • Prepare our students, through high quality internationally recognized instructional

programs, to practice engineering professionally and ethically in a competitive global environment.

• Expand scientific and engineering knowledge through innovative research and creative partnerships involving academia, industry and government.

• Provide extension programs to assist individuals and organizations to find solutions to engineering problems through education, consulting, and practical research.

Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering Vision and Mission Statements [http://eng.auburn.edu/programs/pfen/about/index.html, accessed 7/27/2009] Mission The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering is committed to high-quality teaching, research and outreach in polymers and engineered fibrous materials, serving academia, government and industry. We provide a visionary state-of-the-art environment to prepare highly qualified, independent thinkers who will be leaders of the future.

Vision The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering will be:

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• An education, research, and outreach hub for polymer and fiber activities • Attractive to high quality faculty and students • Nationally and internationally recognized in the field

B. Program Educational Objectives In order to assure that the highest quality education in polymer and fiber engineering is available to undergraduates, and in keeping with its mission, the following program objectives have been identified by the department (http://eng.auburn.edu//files/file1556.pdf, accessed 7/27/2009). Graduates will be actively engaged in one or more of the following:

1) The practice of engineering: Evidence of increasing responsibilities in the form of promotions, management or leadership duties, or other professional activities while employed in industrial, governmental, educational or consulting positions. Evidence of recognitions and awards. Evidence of contributing to their chosen field of practice through the development and dissemination of technical knowledge, presentations, publications, patents or other means. Evidence of meeting professional responsibilities in the form of mentoring, professional society activities, peer review, editorial work or similar activities.

2) The acquisition of new knowledge and skills: Evidence of pursuit of an advanced degree. Evidence of participation in ongoing professional development activities.

3) Activities which meet their ethical responsibilities for public service: Evidence of involvement in community service. Evidence of involvement in K-12 education. Evidence of providing input to policy makers.

C. Consistency of the Program Educational Objectives with the Mission of the Institution The PFEN program educational objectives are designed to be in line with the mission of Auburn University and its land-grant traditions in preparing students for a dynamic technological society. We pay the utmost importance to teaching, research and service/extension to produce well-rounded students who can work in the industry, continue for their graduate studies or serve the society at large. Our educational objectives are in congruence with university mission to “emphasize a broad and superior undergraduate education that imparts the knowledge, skills, and values so essential to educated and responsible citizens.” We emphasize a strong academic

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education that includes development of engineering knowledge, technical skills, an aptitude for long life learning and a feeling of ethical responsibility towards the direct society and the world at large. Our students are educated to excel in industry, government, educational or consulting positions while contributing to their chosen fields by providing technical knowledge and expertise to the citizens of the state, which is a mission of the university. The accomplishments of our graduates are an indication of this contribution. Our students are equipped with an understanding of the need for acquisition of new knowledge and skills to renew themselves as they continue serving the society’s developing needs as responsible citizens, which is another mission of the university. In doing so, our students are taught to conduct themselves with dignity, integrity and ethical and professional responsibility to provide outreach to the citizens of the State of Alabama, which is in line with the university mission.

D. Program Constituencies The constituencies of the polymer and fiber engineering program (PFEN) are students, alumni, current employers of our graduates, potential employers of our graduates and graduate programs that attract our graduates.

E. Process for Establishing Program Educational Objectives The program educational objectives are constantly being evaluated in light of the input received from the constituencies for the polymer and fiber engineering program. We have regular annual meetings with the Industrial Advisory Board to examine the program educational objectives. Input from alumni surveys, industry surveys and to some extent, exit interviews also plays a significant role in examining and revising the objectives. The PFEN faculty members meet and discuss the input and make the necessary changes to the program educational objectives. The current program educational objectives were established in several meetings during the spring/summer of 2009 (e.g., meetings on 1/13/2009, 2/13/2009 and 2/20/2009) and approved by the faculty. Courses in the major are designed to meet these objectives by exposing the students to polymer and fiber manufacturing processes, the chemistry of polymers and fibrous materials, dyes and finishes, the mechanics of fibrous assemblies, composites and industrial fibrous materials. To the best of its ability the department tries to maintain state-of-the-art equipment and computers for use by the students. The faculty members, all experts in their respective fields, constantly evaluate their courses to bring in the most up-to-date theories and processes. The department also constantly monitors its curriculum, taking into account the opinions of its various constituencies. As American industry continues its sometimes painful transition, the faculty has been modifying courses to reflect these changes. The change of the major and curriculum from textile engineering to fiber engineering and then to polymer and fiber engineering is reflective of the department’s efforts to meet its objectives. While the foundation in engineering and mathematics required in the curriculum is immediately relevant at the undergraduate level, it also has long-term relevance for students pursuing graduate degrees and for life-long learning. A number of graduates of the department have entered graduate programs in areas such as mechanical engineering, materials engineering, environmental science and biomedical engineering, fiber and polymer science and business.

15

Problem solving and critical thinking are emphasized in all courses in the department. Many have laboratory sections that require the students to work in groups, conduct experiments, analyze data and prepare written and oral reports. These are skills that are necessary for the success of our graduates throughout the remainder of their professional careers. The department maintains two advisory panels. The Alabama Textile Education Foundation (ATEF) consists of 25 representatives from various sectors of the textile and related industries. The ATEF serves as the department’s advisory board and meets twice a year to review the status of the department. The department head submits a report to the ATEF every six months. Draft copies of this self-study have been distributed to the ATEF for comment. In 2002, the department instituted a Futures Committee consisting of three faculty members, three students, and three industrial representatives. The charge of the Futures Committee was “…to discuss and recommend to the department head and faculty a vision of how the department should proceed with its mission over the next decade in order to maintain its relevance.” Two recent changes arising from these committees are the renaming of the textile engineering degree to fiber engineering and the addition of an undergraduate mechanics of materials course to the fiber engineering curriculum. Ongoing is the addition of several polymer courses to the program leading to the development of a polymer engineering option. The department conducts surveys of companies who have hired polymer and fiber engineering students to determine whether their needs are being met by our graduates. The most recent survey was conducted during the summer of 2009. Exit interviews are conducted with graduating seniors in order to evaluate their experiences, both positive and negative, throughout their time in the department. The development of new elective courses in biomedical applications of fibrous materials and one in ballistic protection materials was a need that resulted from these interviews.

F. Achievement of Program Educational Objectives According to the alumni survey results conducted by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering in 2008, engineering graduates are generally very satisfied with the education they received from Auburn University: 87% of survey respondents said they were satisfied and only 8% said they were dissatisfied. The results of the industry survey conducted by the college in 2008 are also favorable. However, there was no specific information about the polymer and fiber engineering graduates in these alumni and industry surveys conducted by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering conducted its own alumni and industry surveys in 2008 and 2009. The latest surveys are included in Appendix G. Alumni Survey Our alumni are surveyed online to get their feedback. The latest survey results are included in Appendix G. The results are distributed to the faculty who are asked to improve their course contents based on the alumni survey.

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Out of 132 alumni that responded to the survey, 90.9% of them believed that the goals expressed in the mission statement of the PFEN department accurately reflected their experiences as students in the department. The overwhelming majority of the respondents indicated that achieving the program educational objectives were important to their career goals and professional development, as shown in Table I. They also indicated that their educational experience in the department prepared them to meet the program educational objectives (Table II). Of the alumni that took the survey, 53.4% were admitted to a graduate program or completed an advanced degree, 48.5% of the graduates pursued continuing education — an area needing improvement — and 57.3% of our graduates are not members of a professional organization, another area requiring more emphasis. Approximately 75% of the alumni attended workshops, short courses and professional meetings; 23% made presentations, and 13% organized events. When asked about technical or professional journals, 51.5% of our graduates indicated that they subscribe to or regularly read these types of publications. We would also like to see improvements in this area. After graduation, 59.2% of our alumni have received an award or recognition from an employer or professional organization for their contributions.

17

Table I. Importance of program educational objectives for career goals and development

18

Table II. Relevance of the educational experience in the department to meet the program

educational objectives

19

Industry survey Table III shows the industry survey results for our graduates in 2009. The full survey results are given in Appendix G. In general, the graduates of PFEN performed above average and average but not below average. The performance of the PFEN alumni relative to other engineers in the field was rated above average (66.7%) and equivalent (33.3%) by the employers. The performance of our graduates relative to all employees was rated above average (100%). The majority (66.7%) of the employers indicated that it is very likely that they would hire another polymer and fiber engineering graduate if there was an engineering position available in the company (33.3% was not applicable). The following comments about the PFEN graduates from the 2009 industry survey were generally positive: Graduate X:

- (Graduate X) has worked for me for the past seven months as a Process Engineer and I have had the privilege of getting to know (Graduate X) as an employee. I have seen a change in (Graduate X) in the way that she responds to problems. She has grown in her ability to create processes and analyze problems. (Graduate X) has a very analytical mind and has proven to me that she can apply knowledge from her schooling to real world applications. She has been able to take a leadership role within the engineering department and develop it into a mentoring role for newer less experienced engineering. (Graduate X) has proven to more than capable of handling a professional career in the field of engineering.

Graduate Y: - Very practical approach to work environment problems and issues - Effective interpersonal skill set - Demonstrated desire to continuing education by completion of MBA - Excellent maturity in leadership role Graduate Z: - Very impressed with combination of technical, practical and real world approach to

problem solving. I have long history with these graduates and I hope we increase our numbers.

From these comments, the following conclusions may be drawn: Our students are doing well in industry. One area that may be improved is the “theoretical” approach to the problems and issues.

20

Table III. 2009 Industry survey results

21

CRITERION 3. PROGRAM OUTCOMES

A. Process for Establishing and Revising Program Outcomes The ABET coordinator attended the ABET IDEAL program in January 2009. Based on the teachings of that program, the polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN) faculty had several meetings to establish and revise the student program outcomes (Jan. 23, 2009 and July 22, 2009 meetings). These outcomes are in line with ABET suggestions and are similar to the outcomes for the previous ABET visit. At the end of each semester, the student outcomes results were compiled from the faculty and discussed in a specific faculty meeting (please refer to meeting list in Criterion 4). Based on the evaluations in these meetings, the faculty take appropriate actions to improve any potential weak area (meeting minutes will be available during the visit). In addition, Alumni Engineering Council (AEC) review meetings were held with the participation of the PFEN ABET coordinators and the associate dean responsible for the accreditations. In these meetings, the outcome results and their appropriateness were discussed.

B. Program Outcomes The student program outcomes for PFEN are:

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data c. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams e. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a

global and societal context i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. An ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice The students of the PFEN program are trained and educated to perform within the requirements of these outcomes at the time of graduation. They are expected to apply advanced science (math, chemistry and physics) and engineering principles to solve problems related to the structure, properties, processing and performance of fibers, polymers and composite material systems. They are able to integrate their knowledge to select the proper raw materials, design new and improved fiber, polymer and composite material systems, as well as to utilize experimental, statistical and computational methods to evaluate their performance. The student program outcomes are documented at http://www.eng.auburn.edu/programs/pfen/programs/accred/pfenaccreditation.html.

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C. Relationship of Program Outcomes to Program Educational Objectives The student program outcomes are designed to lead to the achievement of the program educational objectives. The student outcomes are related to the program educational objectives as shown in Table IV.

Table IV. Correlation between program educational objectives and program outcomes Program Educational Objectives Program (Student) Outcomes 1) The practice of engineering

- Evidence of increasing responsibilities in the form of promotions, management or leadership duties, or other professional activities while employed in industrial, governmental, educational or consulting positions.

- Evidence of recognitions and awards. - Evidence of contributing to their chosen

field of practice through the development and dissemination of technical knowledge, presentations, publications, patents, or other means.

Evidence of meeting professional responsibilities in the form of mentoring, professional society activities, peer review, editorial work, or similar activities.

a. An ability to apply knowledge of

mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct

experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data

c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs

d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

g. An ability to communicate effectively k. An ability to use the techniques, skills,

and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

2) The acquisition of new knowledge and skills

- Evidence of pursuit of an advanced degree.

- Evidence of participation in ongoing professional development activities.

h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context

i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning

j. A knowledge of contemporary issues

3) Activities which meet their ethical responsibilities for public service

- Evidence of involvement in community service.

- Evidence of involvement in K-12 education.

- Evidence of providing input to policy makers.

f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to

understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context

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D. Relationship of Courses in the Curriculum to the Program Outcomes The courses in the PFEN program are designed and coordinated such that each student program outcome is covered by one or more courses as shown in Table V. It should be noted that some of the outcomes (e.g., outcomes a, b, d, e, g, k, h, i, j, k) are also covered in the university core courses as well as the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering core courses.

Table V. Course-program outcome correlation

Courses Outcomes

a b c d e f g h i j k ENGR1110 PFEN2270 PFEN3100 PFEN3200 PFEN3400 PFEN3500 PFEN3570 PFEN4100 PFEN4200 PFEN4300 PFEN4400 PFEN4500 PFEN4810 PFEN4820

Graduates will be expected to provide technical support and leadership to the polymer, fiber, and allied industries; specifically, they will have…

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering PFEN is an applied field and courses in the major require mastery of engineering, science, and mathematical principles for the student to be successful. From the introductory engineering class, where a group-oriented design project is an integral part, through the final senior, independent design project, the fundamentals of science, mathematics and engineering are stressed.

b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data In various courses of the curriculum, including the senior engineering design project, lab experiments are designed and conducted on polymers, fibers and fibrous structures to analyze their structures and test their properties and performance. There is an emphasis on experiments and experimental design, and with these, the analysis of experimental data and interpretation of their meaning.

c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs The structure and performance of polymers, fibers and fibrous materials to meet specific applications is stressed at every level. Courses in biomedical applications, industrial fabrics and

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composite materials give a background in designing for needs. Processes used to determine structure and design are key elements in polymer synthesis and processing, fiber spinning, fibrous product design, manufacturing and testing.

d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams PFEN is inherently multi-disciplinary requiring knowledge of materials, chemistry, physics, thermodynamics, mechanics and machinery. In the introductory course, students from all engineering disciplines work in teams to achieve the final product. The importance of multi-disciplinary teams to produce polymeric and fibrous products is reinforced in all engineering design courses.

e. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems Many courses in the program require students to design and develop products using the appropriate technology. Students are expected to identify engineering problems and develop formulas to solve those problems with the appropriate methods and procedures. The senior design project requires students to identify a practical problem and come up with an engineering analysis and solution.

f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility All students are required to take at least one course in ethics. Students are strongly encouraged to become active in professional societies and fraternities — e.g., Phi Psi, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society of Materials (ASM), American Institue of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Chemical Society (ACS) — that have an active component dedicated to professional standards and ethics. In addition, many classes devote time to discuss issue related to ethics. Professional and academic behavior is strongly reinforced in classroom work and assigned projects.

g. An ability to communicate effectively Effective communications are stressed in all university courses. Laboratory exercises require cogently written laboratory reports while courses with group and individual design projects (ENGR 1110, PFEN 3400, PFEN 4300, PFEN 4400, PFEN 4500 and PFEN 4820), require final written and/or oral presentations. h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context Auburn University requires a university core curriculum of 41 credits, approximately one-third of the student's academic program that "... seeks to provide all graduates of Auburn University with an educated appreciation of the natural world, of human life, and of the interaction between them" [1]. Specifically for PFEN students, there are exchange programs in place with Reutlingen University, Stuttgart University and the technical Universities of Dresden and Denkendorf in Germany. PFEN students attend classes there during spring semesters, and German students attend classes at Auburn during fall semesters. We are also exploring an exchange program with Donghua University in Shanghai, China.

i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to, engage in life-long learning Throughout their courses in PFEN, students come in contact with the dynamic nature of the field and are made aware that what they are currently learning will most probably be different

25

than what they will encounter several years hence. The importance of keeping abreast with new developments is reinforced using field trips to local trade and machinery shows. Another way to satisfy the life-long learning outcome is to have alumni/industry people to provide lectures in our classes in addition to the regular graduate seminars in the PFEN, which are open to undergraduate students. For example, Dr. Gregory Ojard from Pratt and Whitney gave a lecture on CMC to the PFEN 4500 class in April 2010.

j. A knowledge of contemporary issues Students are made aware of contemporary issues in their classes, from their membership in professional societies, and by the availability of trade and profession publications such as MRS Bulletin, Materials Today, Prism, Textile World, Southern Textile News, Chemical and Engineering News, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Today and Textile Chemist and Colorist. These publications are available in the department's learning resource center. Visits to local industries and presentations by local industrial leaders help expand their knowledge of contemporary issues.

k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice The department maintains state-of-the-art equipment and computers for student use. Many classes utilize hands-on experiences in labs or on computers to help students grasp basic engineering principles. PFEN students learn how to use various analytical tools, numerical tools and laboratory instruments. [1] Auburn University Bulletin, Vol. 104, June 2009, p. 13.

E. Documentation At the end of every semester, the faculty fills out the “Summary Student Outcomes Assessment Form” which connects the course materials with the student outcomes. A copy of the form is attached in Appendix I. The ABET coordinator collects these forms, compiles them and issues a report to the faculty and the Associate Dean for Assessment. The course material (syllabi, homework, tests, lab reports and assignments) will be available to the evaluation team along with the student outcomes assessment forms. The ABET evaluator will be able to find student work associated with a particular outcome using the forms.

F. Achievement of Program Outcomes There are several assessment and evaluation processes in place to document and demonstrate the achievement of student outcomes as summarized below:

During Each Term

a. Determine student outcome assessed for each exam/test/quiz question and homework problem. (See suggested template “Student Outcomes Assessment Form.”)

b. Assign a value from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for student performance on each exam/test/quiz question and homework problem. 

End of Each Term

a. Compile student outcomes assessment (student outcomes a-k, as appropriate) for each course.

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b. Maintain a file of qualitative assessments (e.g., student evaluations, exit interviews) for inclusion in compiled course materials.

c. Submit course outcomes assessment report(s) to the ABET Coordinator.  

End of Academic Year

a. The ABET Coordinator will prepare a report of outcomes assessment and distribute to the faculty and Associate Dean for Assessment. This will include not only outcomes for specific courses but also a longitudinal assessment of outcomes across the curriculum.

b. Department faculty will review outcomes assessments and qualitative assessments for the previous year and make changes as required. 

Continuous

a. Department will conduct an on-line alumni objectives/outcomes survey. b. Department will conduct an on-line industry satisfaction survey. c. Department will conduct exit interviews of graduating students.

Assessment and recommendations Alumni, faculty, industry and students’ assessments are continuously applied to suggest improvements within a specific class, restructuring or adding a whole class, impacting educational effectiveness of faculty or enhancing the program as a whole. Program educational objectives are assessed using industrial surveys, input from alumni, input from the Alabama Textile Education Foundation Advisory Panel as well as the placement data of students during the first years of their career. The student outcomes are assessed via exit interviews, senior student surveys, design project evaluation forms as well as faculty evaluation of the impact of different classes on specific outcomes. The futures dommittee is viewed as the pinnacle of our assessment and evaluation strategy. Its membership represents most of our constituents who provide assessment and recommendation for improvement. Alumni visits Many of our graduates come for a visit of their former department, presenting their company or current job responsibilities in the form of a seminar, recruiting new graduates for their companies or visiting their former adviser or friends in the department. The department is keen on soliciting feedback from these graduates regarding their experience in the department and how its educational elements impacted their professional careers. For example, Mr. Chris Thompson, our former student from TENCAT, addressed the PFEN 4400 class in December 2009. Exit interviews Exit interviews are conducted with graduating seniors in order to determine their experiences, both positive and negative, throughout their time in the department. Each senior, prior to graduation, is asked to sit for a confidential exit interview with the department head. Their

27

feedback is taken into consideration at many levels. All exit interviews center around 3 questions:

• What did you consider positive/what did we do well? • Where do we need to improve? • Any additional comments?

Keeping confidentiality, the department head shares the perceived strengths and weaknesses with the faculty. The following suggestions from the exit interviews have been and are being implemented:

- Senior design projects are now more structured; student teams are encouraged. - Organic chemistry class has been added to the curriculum in both options. - The depth and breadth of composite manufacturing has been increased. - It is recommended that utilization of engineering drawing skills should be included in

more classes beyond ENGR 1110. - The labs have been modernized with new equipment, which is on-going. - Publicity of the department has been increased with announcements in the college and

university Web sites, seminars, faculty/student accomplishment news, etc. - PFEN 3300 Fibrous Product Testing and Instrumentation class was replaced with a

new class. - Special topics/independent study classes are offered more. - Department name change/transition has been completed to a large extent (this was also

requested by the Industry Advisory Board). - Formal and informal requests are being made to the upper administration of the

university for Textile Building improvements. Regular maintenance has been continuing in the building.

- More opportunities are offered for undergraduate research. Some students mentioned classes that they wish to see classes added to the list of current courses as electives or as required courses for exploring new areas and emerging technologies in polymer and fiber science and engineering. New classes were added in response to this request. During exit interviews seniors are asked how they learned about the department. Strategies that led to a student's application such as special workshops and projects were reinforced. Different recruiting initiatives were undertaken such as Civil Air Patrol Summer Camp and Polymer Detective to attract quality students with a known interest in science and engineering. Students also mentioned that they were attracted by hands-on projects, especially those that were exciting. Construction of composite skateboards and snowboards were added to the introduction to fiber engineering course (ENGR 1110) and the Hovercraft Team was formed. Every year, information on skateboards and the Hovercraft Team is displayed during E-Day, the College's Annual Spring Open House for high school students and parents and Merit Badge University for Boy Scouts.

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Students indicated that they like the department size which allows more interaction with faculty. Notes of the exit interviews taken by the Department Head will be available during the visit. Senior student survey Every year a senior student survey is conducted through the College of Engineering to assess various educational objectives under the Engineering Benchmarking Initiative (EBI). Questions are asked about general college education as well as specific education relative to each department and then compared to results from other universities. Due to the limited number of similar engineering programs in the U.S., the PFEN program is listed as “other” in the survey. The results are listed in Appendix J (full results can be accessed at https://wess.webebi.com/rptweb/RptRouter.aspx?vidx=YmM9KFHh4oA=&oid=16904). The results of the EBI survey are discussed in the faculty meetings and corrective actions are taken for the items that are ranked below 4, “Moderately well.” As a result, the faculty included more materials in their classes to cover the areas that need improvement. For example, safety issues are covered in PFEN 4810 in more detail. More time is spent on contemporary issues in the PFEN classes. Experimental design lectures were added to STAT 3010 course taught by a faculty from the department. Design project evaluation Special forms were designed and implemented to evaluate senior design projects. The forms are attached to this self-study report. Questions on this evaluation form correspond to ABET outcome as follows: Oral Presentation Speaking ability: 3g Quality of Visuals: 3g, k Written Presentation Introduction: 3h, g, j Background / Literature Review: 3a, b, e, g, j Theoretical Background: 3a, b, e, g, j Experimental Procedures: 3a, b, c, d, e, g, k Discussion and Conclusions: 3b, g, h, k Tables and Figures: 3a, b, g, k If it is a team project, evaluation of the team performance: 3d

Faculty evaluation Faculty members are asked to evaluate students’ performance for each outcome for every class using a rating from 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely). The faculty evaluates student performance relative to their achievement of the desired outcomes. Tables VI-XIII show the ratings for each semester since fall 2006 (Note: student outcome evaluations were done on a 1-10 scale prior to fall 2009. In the summer of 2009, the faculty decided to use a scale of 1-5 to be consistent with other ABET documents and evaluations. For Figures 2 and 3, the scale of 1-5 was used for each

29

semester). The full reports of the faculty for each semester will be available for the ABET evaluator. Figure 2 shows the student outcomes for each semester since fall 2004. In general, the spring outcomes are higher than the fall outcomes. However, the difference between the fall and spring is reducing, i.e. the overall average is converging and slightly but steadily increasing as shown in Figure 3.

Table VI. Fall 2006 Semester student program outcomes

Out

com

e

ENG

R 1

110

FBEN

227

0

FBEN

330

0

PFEN

430

0

FBEN

440

0

FBEN

491

0

Mea

n of

Out

com

es

a 7.1 7.6 8.4 8.5 7.3 8.1 7.8 b 7.4 8.9 9.0 8.6 8.5 c 7.6 8.9 9.5 7.7 8.0 8.3 d 8.3 8.2 8.0 8.6 8.3 e 7.4 7.6 8.6 9.5 7.5 8.4 8.2 f 8.3 8.2 8.0 9.2 8.4 g 7.9 8.9 8.5 7.6 8.4 8.3 h 8.3 8.0 10.0 8.0 7.7 8.4 i 6.9 7.3 9.5 7.9 j 8.1 9.3 8.4 9.0 8.6 8.7 k 8.3 8.9 9.0 8.0 8.4 8.5 Mean for Outcomes 7.8 8.2 8.4 9.0 7.7 8.4

Table VII. Spring 2007 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR 1110

PFEN 3200

PFEN 3400

FBEN 4500

FBEN 4920

mean of outcomes

a 9.08 9.95 8.75 7.92 9 8.94 b n/a 9.87 8 n/a n/a 8.94 c 9.11 9.92 9 9.1 9 9.23 d 9.7 n/a 9 n/a 10 9.57 e 8.88 9.87 8.5 9.17 9 9.08 f 9.7 10 n/a n/a n/a 9.85 g 8.65 9.95 9.25 7.92 9 8.95 h 9.27 n/a 9 8.6 n/a 8.96 i 9.72 n/a n/a n/a 9 9.36 j 9.72 n/a 9 n/a 9 9.24 k 7.93 9.95 8.5 8.6 9 8.80

mean for outcomes

9.18 9.93 8.78 8.55 9.13

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Table VIII. Fall 2007 Semester student program outcomes

O

utco

me

ENG

R 1

110

PFEN

227

0

PFEN

310

0*

PFEN

330

0

PFEN

410

0*

PFEN

430

0

FBEN

440

0

PFEN

491

0

Mea

n of

Out

com

es

a 8.0 7.0 8.6 8.4 6.7 6.0 7.5 b 8.6 8.9 7.8 9.0 8.6 c 8.2 8.9 8.0 8.4 d 8.5 8.2 6.0 7.6 e 8.0 8.1 8.6 7.8 9.0 8.3 f 8.8 8.2 10.0 9.0 g 8.1 8.4 8.9 8.5 8.5 h 8.1 8.0 8.0 8.0 i 8.4 7.3 10.0 8.6 j 8.2 8.1 10.0 8.4 9.5 8.8 k 7.9 8.9 8.0 8.0 8.2 Mean for Outcomes 8.3 7.7 9.0 8.4 8.1 8.2 * new courses Note: There was no students in 4300 and 4400

Table IX. Spring 2008 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR

1110 PFEN 3200

PFEN 3400

PFEN 3500

FBEN 4500

FBEN 4920

mean of outcomes

a 8.45 10 8.4 8.25 8 9 8.68 b 10 9.2 9.60 c 9.31 10 9.4 8.3 8 9.00 d 9.43 9.2 8 8.88 e 8.34 10 8.2 8.3 6.6 8.29 f 8.69 10 7.4 8.70 g 8.88 10 9.2 8.8 8 8.98 h 8.94 8 9.2 7.4 8.39 i 9.32 8 8.66 j 8.71 9 10 7.4 8.78 k 8.62 10 8 9.2 7.4 8.64

mean for outcomes

8.87 10.00 8.73 9.02 8.50 7.69

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Table X. Fall 2008 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR 1110

PFEN 2270

PFEN 3100

PFEN 3300

PFEN 4100

PFEN 4200*

PFEN 4300

PFEN 4400

PFEN 4810

mean of outcomes

a 8.00 8.50 8.00 8.18 9.60 8.00 8.00 5.80 7.50 7.95 b 8.60 10.00 8.90 9.60 9.00 8.00 9.02 c 8.20 8.00 7.50 8.33 6.00 9.00 7.84 d 8.50 10.00 7.80 10.00 7.00 8.00 8.55 e 8.00 9.40 8.00 9.50 7.80 8.00 6.70 9.50 8.36 f 8.80 8.36 10.00 8.33 10.00 9.10 g 8.10 8.00 8.18 8.00 8.67 6.30 9.00 8.04

h 8.10 8.18 8.00 8.33 6.00 8.00 7.77

i 8.40 8.72 10.00 8.00 8.33 8.69

j 8.20 8.00 10.00 8.00 8.40 7.67 10.00 8.61

k 7.90 9.00 8.54 9.70 7.80 9.00 6.00 8.00 8.24

mean of outcomes 8.25 8.63 9.17 8.26 9.68 8.35 8.24 6.13 8.70 8.38

Table XI. Spring 2009 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR 1110

PFEN 3200

PFEN 3400

PFEN 3500

PFEN 4500

PFEN 4820

mean of outcomes

a 8.68 7.58 8.00 8.20 7.60 9.00 8.18 b 9.28 9.33 9.40 8.70 7.00 8.74 c 9.23 9.37 8.40 8.20 9.00 8.84 d 9.42 8.64 8.60 9.30 10.00 9.19 e 8.46 9.36 8.20 8.10 9.00 8.62 f 8.36 8.67 8.52 g 8.99 9.47 8.40 8.60 7.10 9.00 8.59 h 9.04 9.00 8.20 8.75 i 9.66 9.00 9.33 j 9.13 8.40 9.30 7.70 9.00 8.71 k 8.85 9.53 8.80 9.00 8.20 9.00 8.90

mean of outcomes 9.01 8.99 8.58 8.85 7.76 9.13 8.76

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Table XII. Fall 2009 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR 1110

PFEN 2270

PFEN 3100

PFEN 3570

PFEN 4100

PFEN 4200

PFEN 4300

PFEN 4400

PFEN 4810

mean of outcomes

a 3.65 4.80 4.20 3.80 3.75 4.50 4.51 3.64 3.86 4.08 b 4.70 4.90 4.60 5.00 4.84 4.60 4.77 c 4.60 4.81 4.00 4.00 4.75 4.30 4.50 4.42 d 4.30 4.70 4.80 4.20 5.00 5.00 4.43 4.00 4.55 e 3.80 4.72 4.50 4.46 4.50 4.00 4.33 f 3.70 4.30 4.50 5.00 4.37 5.00 4.48 g 3.90 4.69 4.05 4.00 4.00 4.40 3.60 4.50 4.14 h 4.00 4.51 4.00 4.45 4.00 4.00 4.16 i 3.70 5.00 4.50 4.29 4.37 j 4.30 4.51 4.00 4.50 4.40 5.00 4.45 k 4.30 4.77 5.00 4.50 4.30 4.57

mean of outcomes 4.09 4.70 4.33 4.10 4.65 4.44 4.49 4.13 4.36 4.39

Table XIII. Spring 2010 Semester student program outcomes

outcome ENGR 1110

PFEN 3200

PFEN 3400

PFEN 3500

PFEN 4500

PFEN 4820

mean of outcomes

a 4.96 4.85 3.5 4.1 4.6 4.5 4.42 b 4.94 4.88 4.5 na 4.3 4.6 4.64 c 5.00 5.00 na na 4.5 4.5 4.75 d 4.98 4.82 4.5 5.0 na 4.4 4.74 e 4.94 4.82 na 4.0 4.6 4.4 4.55 f 4.98 4.73 5.0 na na 4.8 4.88 g 4.97 4.73 4.1 na 4.5 4.3 4.52 h 4.94 4.73 na na 4.2 4.3 4.54 i 4.96 4.64 na na na 4.6 4.73 j 4.94 4.73 4.5 5.0 4.2 4.4 4.63 k 4.94 4.73 na na 4.5 4.7 4.72

mean of outcomes 4.96 4.79 4.35 4.53 4.43 4.5 4.63

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Tables VI-XIII were prepared using the Performance Criteria Rubric (Appendix H). The mean of an outcome is the overall average of the rubric for that outcome. These data indicate that the program outcomes are generally being achieved; the areas that need improvement are being singled out each semester and corrective actions are taken by the individual faculty to improve them in the following semester. For example, in the faculty meeting of April 3, 2007 to discuss the fall 2006 semester outcomes, it was noticed that outcomes a and i were the lowest and they needed to be improved. Using the internet was recommended to increase the outcome i. Further improvements of the outcomes for each class are listed in the Student Outcomes Assessment Forms, which will be available during the ABET visit. The following is an example of the improvement for PFEN 3400, Spring 2009 semester: CHANGES MADE BASED ON LAST YEAR’S EVALUATION - Lab experiments to 50% directed towards polymeric materials and only 50% towards

coloration; the goal was to better develop an understanding of the importance of polymers in coloration processes and as auxiliaries and to improve ABET outcomes c, e, j, k

- Increased amount of team-work in form of case studies (class activities) and computerized jigsaw puzzles, increased number of short presentations to the class; topics to strengthen a, b, j, k

- Additional practice and exercise sessions on analysis equipment to improve ABET outcome a, b, e, k

From the cumulative chart of the outcomes for Fall 2004-Spring 2010 (Figure 2), it seems that the mean outcomes is generally higher in the Spring semesters compared to the Fall semesters. It should be noted that the classes taught are different in the Fall and Spring semesters with the exception of ENGR 1110, which is taught by different professors. Another observation is that the variation of the outcomes in a semester has been generally getting smaller. Training and education of new faculty has helped with this situation. Figure 3 shows that the overall semester outcome average is increasing almost linearly, which is an indication of an assessment and evaluation closed loop system being in place successfully. The feedback from the results of each semester is being used to improve the overall program. In addition, the quality of the entering engineering freshmen has been increasing, with higher ACT/SAT scores and GPA, as shown in Table XIV.

Table XIV PFEN freshmen qualifications

2006 2007 2008 2009 Average high school ranking (%) 74.3 72.60 75.90 90.90 Average high school GPA 3.47 3.61 3.69 4.00 Average ACT 26.10 26.62 24.92 26.46 Average SAT 960 1080 1220 1260

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Course Portfolios During the ABET visit, a portfolio for each course will be available to the ABET evaluator with the following information:

• A course handout defining conditions and requirements for the course given to students at the beginning of the class

• A copy of every test, report assignment and quiz given • A copy of the course syllabi including student program outcomes covered by the course • Samples of outstanding, average, and poor work for each test, report and quiz • A copy of the Course Assessment Form containing an explanation of how each outcome

was assessed and rating the success in achieving that outcome Summary With the proper assessment and evaluation system in place, we have achievement of all outcomes. The average of the outcomes for the last 12 semesters are as follows:

a: 4.11, b: 4.47, c: 4.38, d: 4.44, e: 4.23, f: 4.47, g: 4.32, h: 4.28, i: 4.35, j: 4.29, k: 4.35 Although all the outcomes are above 80%, there is still room for improvement especially for outcomes a, e, h and j. The strongest outcomes are b, d and f.

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Figure 2 Student program outcomes for each semester since fall 2004

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Figure 3 Overall student outcomes averages for each semester since fall 2004

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CRITERION 4. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

A. Information Used for Program Improvement The PFEN faculty continuously met to discuss ABET preparation of the department. Since the 2004 ABET visit, 42 meetings were held for this purpose. The documentation about these meetings will be available during the ABET visit. ABET meetings held since Fall 2004:

1. Nov. 16, 2004 – Nels Madsen, PFEN Faculty 2. Aug. 17, 2005 – EC2000 Committee (in Ramsey Hall) 3. Aug. 29, 2005 – PFEN Faculty

Preparation for the Fall 2010 visit: 4. Feb. 1, 2006: PFEN faculty (Outcomes assessment for Fall 2005 semester) 5. June 12, 2006: PFEN faculty (Outcomes assessment for Spring 2006 semester) 6. Sept., 20, 2006: Alumni Engineering Council (AEC) Review Visit, Tommy Johnson,

Peter Schwartz, Nels Madsen 7. Apr. 3, 2007 – PFEN Faculty (Outcomes assessment for Fall 2006 semester) 8. Aug. 14, 2007 – PFEN Faculty (Outcomes assessment for Spring 2007 semester) 9. Sept. 25, 2007 - Alumni Engineering Council (AEC) Review Visit, Tommy Johnson,

Peter Schwartz, Nels Madsen, Sabit Adanur 10. Feb. 27, 2008 – PFEN Faculty (Outcomes assessment for Fall 2007 semester) 11. Mar. 27, 2008 –Dean, Dept. Heads, ABET Coordinators (assessment, Shelby Center) 12. May 5, 2008 – Madsen, ABET Coordinators (Shelby Center) 13. Sept. 9, 2008 – Schwartz, Adanur, Gowayed (ABET preparation) 14. Sept. 12, 2008 – PFEN Faculty (Outcomes assessment for Spring 2008 semester) 15. Oct.15, 2008 - Alumni Engineering Council (AEC) Review Visit, Tommy Johnson,

Peter Schwartz, Nels Madsen, Sabit Adanur 16. Nov. 14, 2008 – PFEN Faculty- Revision of the curriculum (some existing courses

eliminated, some new courses added) 17. Nov. 18, 2008 – PFEN faculty (strategic planning) 18. Dec. 15, 2008 – PFEN faculty (strategic planning) 19. Jan. 16, 2009 – PFEN faculty (strategic planning) 20. Jan. 20, 2009 – PFEN faculty 21. Jan. 23, 2009 – PFEN faculty (revisit educational objectives, outcomes, industry

survey) 22. Jan. 27, 2009 – PFEN faculty (curriculum review and changes) 23. Feb. 13, 2009 – PFEN faculty (program educational objectives, industry and alumni

surveys) 24. Feb. 20, 2009 – PFEN faculty (educational objectives, performance criteria and rubrics)

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25. Mar. 6, 2009 – PFEN faculty 26. Apr. 10, 2009 – PFEN faculty (performance criteria) 27. May 20, 2009 – PFEN faculty (performance criteria) 28. June 3, 2009 – PFEN faculty (new alumni survey) 29. June 17, 2009 – PFEN faculty (new industry survey) 30. July 15, 2009 – PFEN Faculty (new performance criteria, department ratings summary) 31. July 22, 2009 – PFEN Faculty (assessment of student outcomes) 32. Aug. 31, 2009 – PFEN Faculty (curriculum review and preparation for Dr. John Prados,

ABET consultant) 33. Sept. 1-2, 2009 – Dr. John Prados visit 34. Sept. 8, 2009 – PFEN faculty (Dr. Prados’s suggestions) 35. Oct. 9, 2009 – Engineering Faculty Meeting by the Dean (ABET preparation timeline

by Dr. Nels Madsen) 36. Oct. 21, 2009 – PFEN faculty (course evaluations, peer review evaluations) 37. Jan. 20, 2010 – PFEN faculty (Self Study preparation follow up, peer review) 38. Feb. 22, 2010 – PFEN faculty (Fall 2009 Student Outcome results) 39. March 29, 2010 – PFEN faculty (Self Study preparation) 40. April 12, 2010 – PFEN faculty (Self Study preparation) 41. May 27, 2010 – PFEN faculty (Self Study preparation) 42. June 15, 2010 – PFEN faculty (spring 2010 preparation) 

 

A draft self study report was provided to Dr. John Prados, our ABET consultant, prior to his mock ABET visit on Sept. 1-2, 2009. A copy of the report prepared by Dr. Prados after his mock ABET visit will be available for the ABET evaluator. Some of the evaluation and assessment processes that are used for continuous improvement were discussed in Criterion 2 (alumni survey, industry survey) and Criterion 3 (alumni visits, exit interviews, senior student survey, design project evaluation, faculty evaluation and course portfolios).  

Futures Committee In a strategic planning retreat attended by the entire faculty, a decision was made to form a committee to help map a strategic vision to guide our footsteps into the future in the wake of economic and political uncertainties. The Futures Committee was formed consisting of three faculty members, three students, one each from fiber engineering, textile management and technology, and textile chemistry, and three industrial representatives (one of which is the current director of Alabama Textile Education Foundation). The charge set for this committee from the faculty was “…to discuss and recommend to the department head and faculty a vision of how the department should proceed with its mission over the next decade in order to maintain its relevance.”

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During committee meetings the following issues were discussed: i) current program objectives and how they prepare students for their professional careers, ii) economic situation and the impact of free-trade agreement on the long-term prospects of the industry, iii) possible programmatic changes to expand the role of the department by redefining the industry. After long discussions, the committee presented its conclusions to the department head for short-term enhancement of the program along with a long-term vision for the department. The committee stressed the need to expand the departmental effort to all industries that use fibrous materials. A specific recommendation was presented to change the “Textile Engineering” program name to “Fiber Engineering.” A similar suggestion to change the department name was put on hold in fear of losing legislative support within the State of Alabama. The title change was presented as a precursor to a more drastic and ambitious evolution of the department’s mission into fiber and polymer engineering within the next few years. A department name change will be necessary at that time with the support of the legislature. Another recommendation from the committee included adding an undergraduate Mechanics of Materials course to the fiber engineering curriculum to support a better understanding of the behavior of fibrous materials. ATEF Industry Advisory Panel The Alabama Textile Education Foundation (ATEF) was initially founded in 1953 by a group of alumni from the Department of Textile Engineering to provide scholarships for textile engineering students and operating funds for the department. Its mission is to assist educational institutions in providing educational facilities and advantages to students in various branches of learning. Initial funding was provided by several textile companies and dues from “friends” of the department. ATEF’s role was later expanded to include an advisory role to the department and the department head, who is an ex officio member. The board meets twice each year. In its capacity as an advisory committee, members of ATEF were provided with early drafts of the ABET self-study for comment. Conclusions drawn by the Futures Committee were presented to the ATEF board. They concurred with the Futures Committee’s recommendation to change the name of the degree and suggested removing the word "textile" from the department name as well. Continuous improvement is an essential feature of the polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN) program, which is dictated by the changes in our constituents including the industry. The information and results in the Criteria 2 and Criteria 3 are used to make decisions regarding program improvements. Figure 4 shows a summary of efforts taken to assess the degree of success of the program objectives and outcomes, recommendations made by different constituents and actions taken to implement these recommendations. Peer Evaluation The teaching effectiveness of the PFEN faculty is evaluated with a peer review process. The evaluator faculty, who is knowledgeable of the subject matter, attends the class of the faculty being evaluated. Using the “Peer Evaluation Guide,” which is included in Appendix K, a

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written peer evaluation is prepared and submitted to the department head. The department Head shares the results with the faculty being evaluated. Written peer evaluations will be available during the ABET visit.

Figure 4 Assessment and evaluation cycle

B. Actions to Improve the Program In response to the aforementioned assessment and recommendations, the following actions were taken as an integral step of the continuous improvement effort. Changing the program name and focus towards fibers and polymers was one of the main reasons for most of these changes. The laboratories and their contents have been changed drastically as a result of these changes. Most of the textile manufacturing equipment and machinery have been replaced by fiber-forming and composite-manufacturing equipment and machinery. Yarn-spinning machinery including opening, carding, blending, open-end spinning, ring spinning and air-jet spinning machinery have been replaced with single and twin screw extruders, injection molding machine, autoclave and new braiding machinery. In the fabric formation lab, projectile weaving

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machines, rapier weaving machine, warp and weft knitting machines have been replaced with composite manufacturing machines and equipment. Warp sizing machines and other textile chemistry equipment were replaced by polymer characterization equipment. All these changes took place since the last ABET visit. The new laboratories and equipment are explained in the relevant sections of this report.

Classes Added and Eliminated As part of continuous improvement, several classes have been added or modified for the polymer and fiber curriculums:

- ENGR 2070 Mechanics of Materials — This class was needed to provide students with enough information about mechanics, beyond the statics class, and allow them to be prepared for later PFEN classes including PFEN 4400 and PFEN 4500.

- CHEM 2030 Organic Chemistry Survey — This class is needed as a background for the fiber engineering option.

- PFEN 3100 Fundamentals of Polymers — PFEN 3100 is one of the core classes for both options. The objectives of this class are: a) to provide the student with the ability to converse in the language of polymer science, b) to provide students with an understanding of how polymers are produced, c) to provide students with knowledge concerning the uses of polymeric materials and d) to provide an introduction to how polymer products are made.

- PFEN 3400 Fundamentals of Coloration and Finishing. - PFEN 3500 Structure and Properties of Polymers and Fibers — PFEN 3500 is part of

the core for both programs. The course is designed to give the students a thorough grounding in the main techniques and concepts used to describe the structure, behavior and properties of polymeric materials and fibrous structures. The class takes both a practical, as well as a theoretical-conceptual approach to the study of these materials.

- CHEM 2070/2080 Organic Chemistry I & II — These classes are needed as a background for polymer engineering option.

- CHEM 2071 Organic Chemistry I — This lab is needed as a background for polymer engineering option.

- PFEN 3200 Polymer Processing — This is a new course added as a core requirement of the polymer engineering track.

- PFEN 4100 Polymer Characterization — This course covers the most important aspects of the advanced methods in polymer characterization, and presents the major techniques for the physical characterization of polymers. It is critical for future polymer and fiber engineers.

- PFEN 4200 Polymers from Renewable Resources. - PFEN 3570 Protective and Ballistic Resistant Materials — This class partially

replaces the introductory class to PFEN and offers the students an introduction to the selection of materials and engineering of life-critical structures in a subject discipline that is unique to Auburn University.

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The following classes have been eliminated: • FBEN 2250 Fabric Design and Engineering — This course is partially covered in

PFEN 2270 • FBEN 3300 Textiles Testing and Instrumentation — This course is covered partially

in PFEN 2270, PFEN 3500 and PFEN 4400 Mechanics of Flexible Structures

• FBEN 5100 Fabrics for Papermaking — This course is now an elective course available for the advanced undergraduate students.

Statistics and design of experiments added A series of lectures on experimental design were added to the STAT 3010 course taught by a faculty from the department. This addition was due to feedback received from alumni about what they felt was missing in their introductory statistics course. This course is among the highest rated in the department. This change was in line with the program criteria.

Design using Matlab® Exercises involving the use of Matlab® to analyze engineered fabric structures were added to FBEN 5250. FBEN 4500 was modified to include a section on the design of textile composite materials using Matlab® instead of the home-built software used previously. Students are expected to implement their understanding of basic equations used in the modeling and create a program capable of calculating the stiffness matrix and elastic properties of a composite with various fiber volume fractions. This work was done in response to comments made by alumni on the need to enhance design aspects and computer skills.

Professional development class Besides a technical background which is provided by the various courses offered by the program, communication skills, ability to work in teams, creativity and critical thinking are most crucial to a successful career for our students. Although the students have the opportunity to practice presentations in some classes and work in small teams in laboratory sessions or on homework assignments, the need for the implementation of a new professional development class was recognized (PFEN 4810). Each class period provides students with a different aspect of the above mentioned skills as well as evaluation and instant feedback on their work. Shortcomings in student performance are identified and corrected.

Changed program name On December 18, 2005, the department name was officially changed from the Department of Textile Engineering to the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering. The program name was also changed from fiber engineering to polymer and fiber engineering (Please refer to B. Program History).

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Structured new polymer program In response to Futures Committee recommendations, a new polymer engineering program was structured. It is expected that this program will expand the role of the department, help it redirect its mission within the new economic reality, and drive it into a brighter future. The new curriculum is included in this report. Three new faculty members have been hired in the department to support the polymer option.

Redefined industry and student exchange program The industry hiring graduates from our program has shifted away from traditional areas in regard to manufacturing focus and market place. Presently companies are looking for graduates with extended backgrounds in specialty products of fiber, polymer or composite origin and state-of-the-art technologies. Due to the globalization of the market, students with a broader worldview are preferred for top positions. As a consequence, the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering is now offering an undergraduate exchange program with three German universities (Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, University of Stuttgart and the Technical Universities of Dresden and Denkendorf) to broaden the experience of the students. Each spring semester two Auburn students spend one semester in the program of the host university in Germany, while two German students visit Auburn in fall for one semester. The PFEN efforts in this area are timely and in line with Auburn University’s efforts to increase international activities. Exchange Programs, Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Undergraduate exchange students from Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, Germany, at Auburn

Name Term Julia Kuhn F 2004 Elvis Kaljik F 2004 Marion Haug S 2005 Christoph Binzer F 2005 Damir Moric F 2005 Catherine Haenle F 2006 Afra Nonnenmacher F 2006 Catherine Haenle Summer 2007 Lisa Fenchel F 2007 Christin Seifert F 2007 Heike Wawra F 2007 Valerie Maier F 2008 Alina Braun F 2009

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Undergraduate exchange students from Auburn University at Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences

Rebecca Armstrong S 2004 Nicole Sizemore S 2004 James Waldrup S 2006 Katie Lushington F 2006 Weston Wilson S 2008

Graduate exchange students from Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, Germany, at Auburn

Inga Reichert S 2010

Graduate Student Exchange with University of Stuttgart, Germany

Christoph Brenner F 2008-F 2009

DAAD-RISE Exchange Program

Martin Pfeiffer summer 2009

Note: Contract with Technical University of Dresden, Germany, exists, but no student exchange yet due to lack of funding

Continuous update of class contents Many of our classes change over the years to accommodate feedback from student exit interviews, input from alumni, teaching evaluation sheets and self evaluation at the department level and the faculty personnel level. Changes may include:

a. Introduction of recent technological advances and new industrial developments. b. Added emphasize on critical thinking. c. Practical skills through lab experiments and utilization of computer tools. d. Encouragement of creativity through class projects, presentations and posters.

Some specific examples of the improvements are as follows (all the improvements for individual classes are listed in the Summary Outcomes Assessment Forms in every semester, which will be available during the visit):

- Inclusion of twin screw extrusion lab (PFEN 3200, Spring 2010) - Addition of plant tour (PFEN 3500, Spring 2010)

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- Emphasizing the design project (PFEN 4500, Spring 2010) - A industrial sponsor was included for the senior design project (PFEN 4820, Spring

2010) - Students required to work in teams, which led to an increase in the quality of the design

projects (PFEN 4820, Spring 2009) - Increase discussions of contemporary issues (ENGR 1110, Fall 2008) - Outcomes b, d and k were added to the syllabus and evaluated (PFEN 3100, Fall 2008)

Faculty teaching effectiveness With the implementation of the Biggio Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at Auburn University, the PFEN faculty has taken advantage of the available assistance concerning teaching and learning styles and effective assessment through seminars and workshops offered by the center. The center sent one faculty member from the department to an NSF workshop with the topic of including “Case Studies in Science” in the classroom to tie class material closer to industrial reality. Further, one faculty member is chairing the Senate Teaching Effectiveness Committee which is actively working on revising Auburn University’s teaching evaluation forms to provide better feedback and more meaningful interpretation (Dr. Gisela Buschle-Diller is the chair of the committee). Other activities of the PFEN faculty are listed in under Criterion 6.F Faculty Development.

Recruiting initiatives In response to students’ suggestions regarding recruiting efforts, the following initiatives were taken: Civil Air Patrol E-Tech Camp: The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering hosts the Engineering Technologies Academy (E-Tech) each summer. Other departments participating in the effort include aerospace engineering and aviation management in the College of Business. Every year, around 20 students come to Auburn to design and manufacture textile composite airfoils and test them in an air tunnel. Polymer Detective: As part of the Science Olympiad, PFEN has joined the College of Sciences and Mathematics by offering the “Polymer Detective,” a laboratory session on polymer and fiber identification within a forensic setting. The best high school students in the country participate in this annual event. Between 15 and 25 students are involved in the polymer segment of the Science Olympiad. Study Abroad: As mentioned above, the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering and three German universities established an academic interchange program that allows students from each university to spend one semester abroad. The goal of this program is to raise international awareness and prepare students of an increasingly global marketplace. It also acts as a very attractive recruitment tool. PFEN students have also studied in Spain, England and Australia. Hovercraft Team: The Hovercraft Team, based in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, has been participating in the Annual National Hoverally competitions in the past

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few years. The Auburn team is part of the College of Engineering’s War Eagle Motorsports and is comprised of students from engineering disciplines including fiber, mechanical, and industrial, as well as students majoring in industrial design. Merit Badge University: PFEN has been a participant of Merit Badge University for Boy Scouts during the last four years. A full day of composite manufacturing lab is given to approximately 20 middle and high school students every year.

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CRITERION 5. CURRICULUM

A. Program Curriculum The polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN) curriculum is composed of three approximately equal components to prepare students both as engineering professionals and citizens of the world. Approximately one-third of the curriculum is devoted to core courses. The core courses provide the liberal education component that ensures that engineering graduates are equipped with a fundamental knowledge of the impact of their profession from a national and global humanistic perspective. The core curriculum consists of courses devoted to English composition, technology and civilization, business ethics, World literature (Great Books), fine arts and the social sciences. These core courses are required by the University. Another third of the curriculum is comprised of the fundamental courses in mathematics, the physical sciences and engineering that are the foundation of an engineering education. In the sciences and mathematics, these courses include two semesters of chemistry, two semesters of physics, three semesters of calculus, one linear algebra, one linear differential equations and a course in statistics. The core engineering courses required of polymer and fiber engineering students are introduction to engineering, statics, mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, heat and fluids, fundamentals of electrical engineering, introduction to computers and engineering economics. These courses are part of the curriculum to ensure that PFEN graduates have a sound foundation in basic engineering and mathematics which they can use in the remainder of their coursework as well as to continue learning throughout their careers. The final component of the polymer and fiber engineering program contains those courses that provide the student with the expertise in the field. The emphasis of courses in the fiber engineering option is the science of fibers and fibrous materials. These are fiber-to-fabric engineering, fundamentals of polymers, structure and properties of polymers and fibers, fundamentals of coloration and finishing, engineered fibrous structures, mechanics of flexible structures, fiber reinforced materials and a six-credit, independent design problem. The emphasis of courses in the polymer engineering option is the science of polymer synthesis, structure, properties and processing. These are fundamentals of polymers, polymer processing, structure and properties of polymers and fibers, polymer characterization and polymers from renewable resources (course syllabi are included in Appendix A). In addition, students are encouraged to take elective courses in fields such as mechanical engineering, materials science and chemical engineering. The two options have some common PFEN courses; each option has its own PFEN course as well. The majority of university and college courses are the same for both options. PFEN courses common to both options: PFEN 2270, 3100, 3500, 4500, 4810, 4820 PFEN courses for Fiber option: PFEN 3300, 3400, 4300, 4400 PFEN courses for Polymer option: PFEN 3200, 4100, 4200

The PFEN curriculum satisfies the minimum credit hours and distribution requirements. Table 5.1 shows the curriculum for both fiber and polymer options.

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Table 5-1 Curriculum Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Fiber Option

Year; Semester or

Quarter

Category (Credit Hours)

Math & Basic

Sciences

Engineering Topics

Check if Contains

Significant Design ( )

General Education

Other

Course (Department, Number, Title)

MATH 1610 Calculus I 4 CHEM 1030 Fund of Chemistry I 3 CHEM 1031 Fund of Chemistry I lab 1 FR1 ENGL 1100 English Composition I 3 HIST Core History I 3 COMP 1200 Intro. Comp for Eng&Sci. 2 ENGR 1100 Engineering Orientation. 0 MATH 1620 Calculus II 4 CHEM 1040 Fund of Chemistry II 3 CHEM 1041 Fund of Chemistry II lab 1 FR2 ENGL 1120 English Composition II 3 HIST Core History II 3 ENGR 1110 Introduction to PFEN 2( ) PFEN 2270 Intro to Eng. Fibr. Mater. 4( ) SO1 MATH 2630 Calculus III. 4 PHYS 1600 Engineering Physics I 4 STAT 3010 Stats for Eng. & Scientists. 3

Core Social Science Group l 3 CHEM 2030 Surv. of Organic Chemist. 3 SO2 MATH 2650 Linear Diff Equations 3 PHYS 1610 Engineering Physics II 4 ENGR 2050 Statics. 3 ENGL 2200 World Literature I 3 MATH 2660 Topics in Linear Algebra.. 3 JR1 ENGR 2070 Mechanics of Materials 3 Elective or ROTC 3 PFEN 3100 Fund. of Polymers 3 PFEN 3570 Eng. Protective Materials 3( )

ENGL 2210 World Literature II 3 ENGR 2200 Intro.Thermo Heat & Fluid 3 JR2 INSY 3600 Engr. Ec. Analysis. 3 PFEN 3400 Fund of Color and Finish 4 PFEN 3500 Str &Prop of Poly&Fiber 3

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Table 5-1 Curriculum (continued) Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Fiber Option

Year; Semester or Quarter

Category (Credit Hours)

Course (Department, Number, Title)

Math & Basic Sciences

Engineering Topics

Check if Contains Significant Design ( )

General Education Other

Core Fine Arts ELEC 3810 Fund of Electrical Engin. 3 3 PFEN 4300 Engr Fibrous Structure. 4( ) SR1 PFEN 4400 Mech Flexible Structure 3( ) PFEN 4810 Poly & Fiber Eng Desg I 3( ) Core Philosophy 3 Core Social Science Group II 3 PFEN 4500 Fiber Reinf. Material. 3( ) SR2 PFEN 4820 Poly & Fiber Eng Desg II 3( ) Technical Elective or ROTC. 3 UNIV 4AA0 EN1 Undergrad Grad. 0 TOTALS-ABET BASIC-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

40 52 30 6

OVERALL TOTAL FOR DEGREE

PERCENT OF TOTAL 31.25% 40.62% 23.43% 4.68%Totals must Minimum semester credit hours 32 hrs 48 hrs satisfy one set

Minimum percentage 25% 37.5 %

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Table 5-1 Curriculum Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Polymer Option

Year; Semester or

Quarter

Category (Credit Hours)

Math & Basic

Sciences

Engineering Topics

Check if Contains

Significant Design ( )

General Education

Other

Course (Department, Number, Title)

MATH 1610 Calculus I 4 CHEM 1030 Fund of Chemistry I 3 CHEM 1031 Fund of Chemistry I lab 1 FR1 ENGL 1100 English Composition I 3 HIST Core History I 3 COMP 1200 Intro. Comp for Eng&Sci. 2 ENGR 1100 Engineering Orientation. 0

MATH 1620 Calculus II 4

CHEM 1040 Fund of Chemistry II 3 CHEM 1041 Fund of Chemistry II lab 1 FR2 ENGL 1120 English Composition II 3 HIST Core History II 3 ENGR 1110 Introduction to PFEN 2( ) CHEM 2070 Organic Chemistry I 3 CHEM 2071 Organic Chemistry I lab 1 SO1 MATH 2630 Calculus III. 4 PHYS 1600 Engineering Physics I 4

Core Social Science Group l 3 CHEM 2080 Organic Chemistry II 3 PFEN 2270 Intro to Eng. Fibr. Mater. 4( ) SO2 MATH 2650 Linear Diff Equations 3 PHYS 1610 Engineering Physics II 4 ENGR 2050 Statics. 3 ENGL 2200 World Literature I 3 MATH 2660 Topics in Linear Algebra.. 3 JR1 ENGR 2070 Mechanics of Materials 3 Elective or ROTC 3 PFEN 3100 Fund. of Polymers 3 STAT 3010 Stats for Eng. & Scientists. 3

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Table 5-1 Curriculum (continued) Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Polymer Option

Year; Semester or

Quarter

Category (Credit Hours)

Math & Basic

Sciences

Engineering Topics

Check if Contains

Significant Design ( )

General Education

Other

Course (Department, Number, Title)

ENGL 2210 World Literature II 3 ENGR 2200 Intro.Thermo Heat & Fluid 3 JR2 INSY 3600 Engr. Ec. Analysis. 3 PFEN 3200 Polymer Processing 4 PFEN 3500 Str &Prop of Poly&Fiber 3 Core Fine Arts 3 ELEC 3810 Fund of Electrical Engin. 3 PFEN 4100 Polymer Characterizat. 4 SR1 PFEN 4200 Polymers frm Renew Re 2 PFEN 4910 Poly & Fiber Eng Desg I 3( ) Core Philosophy 3 Core Social Science Group II 3 PFEN 4500 Fiber Reinf. Material. 3( ) SR2 PFEN 4920 Poly & Fiber Eng Desg II 3( ) Technical Elective or ROTC. 3 UNIV 4AA0 EN1 Undergrad Grad. 0 TOTALS-ABET BASIC-LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

48 44 30 6

OVERALL TOTAL FOR DEGREE

PERCENT OF TOTAL 37.5% 34.37% 23.43% 4.68%Totals must Minimum semester credit hours 32 hrs 48 hrs satisfy one set

Minimum percentage 25% 37.5 %

Technical Elective - see adviser for approved course listing.

Capstone Design Experience A two-semester, independent design project allows the students to bring together and focus their knowledge on a specific design problem. The first semester involves problem definition, background research and theoretical underpinnings, while the second semester is devoted to experimental procedures, data collection and analysis and preparation of the final report. Students are expected to give a formal oral presentation of their work as well as submit a comprehensive written report. This provides the capstone to their undergraduate engineering experience. Realistic constraints (cost, availability) and engineering standards are applied if

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applicable. Examples of design projects include medical stent design and development, composite part design and development (golf club shafts, tennis rackets…). The design project can be a team or individual project, although team projects are preferred. The project topics can be suggested by the faculty, students or industry. Both written reports and taped oral presentations will be available to the ABET evaluator. In the last year, senior students at the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering conducted their senior design project in close cooperation with one of the leading multinational companies in aerospace manufacturing, GKN Aerospace located in Tallassee, Alabama, with branches in 30 different countries. Engineers from GKN worked with student teams to improve manufacturing and production of polymer composite parts produced by the company. In the fall semester, students learned how to identify, characterize, approach and solve engineering problems. Part of the semester was invested in visiting GKN, getting to know its work environment and identifying areas of possible improvement in the company. At the end of the semester, students made a presentation to GKN engineers and PFEN faculty on results of their activities and their plan of work for the spring semester. During the spring semester, the students implemented the work plan developed during the fall semester and worked to find solutions to the problems faced by the GKN engineers. Student teams duplicated the exact situation found at the GKN facility in our labs by making molds and developing a manufacturing environment similar to that at GKN. Some of the teams tested their hypotheses for reasons of the problems (such as delamination) and identified the manufacturing constraints responsible for the problem. Other teams developed robust new techniques to manufacture the part at lower cost; for example, removing a composite part out of the autoclave and into a regular oven. All teams developed a clear time-table and cost analysis for their projects. At the end of the semester, the students made a presentation before the faculty, engineers from GKN and other senior and junior students. In another senior design project, students developed reformable and biodegradable composite materials for external automotive structures. The objective of this project was to investigate one synthetic, reformable and one biodegradable fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite with material properties comparable to aluminum for implementation in external automotive panels. The design process entailed the selection of a suitable fiber and matrix, as well as mechanical testing and cost analysis for each application in comparison to aluminum.

In another project, students developed improved kneepads with the use of composites. The purpose of the project was to develop a composite that will replace the hard plastic shell to achieve higher impact and abrasion resistance, more flexibility, and provide better comfort to the user. The fabric provided by ANCI was made from a polyethylene polymer with a high strength and a reasonable modulus, good durability, and flexibility, which are all characteristics proven effective in the application of kneepads. A mold and composite were made that conform to the area of the body being protected. The composite needed to be thick enough to provide adequate protection as well as thin and flexible for mobility. The students did research on marketed materials and polyethylene, found an appropriate matrix material for a composite, and mold formation. The two tests focused on were tensile and impact testing of both the fabric and composites. The results showed that using a number of CLAF® (polyethylene)

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fabrics layered in a Por-A-Mold composite provides extra flexibility with less bulk, but has a slightly lower strength when compared to commercial products. Consistency of the Curriculum with the Outcomes and Objectives of the Program and the Institution Most of the university and college core courses are the same for the polymer and fiber options. There are six common PFEN courses for both options: PFEN 3400, 4300 and 4400. The other PFEN courses distinguish the two options. Courses specific to the fiber option (PFEN 3300, 3400, 4300 and 4400) deal with the structure, processing, properties and performance of fibers and fibrous structures such as yarns and fabrics. Courses specific to the polymer option (PFEN 3200, 4100 and 4200) are related to polymer processing and characterization. The PFEN curriculums are designed to produce well rounded, world-class engineers as well as responsible citizens who are familiar with the global and contemporary issues. A variety of courses are included in the curriculums to cover math and basic sciences, engineering field and general education. Enough free electives are included to address the special interests of the students including ROTC. PFEN Courses Common to both Options PFEN 1110: Introduction to Polymer and Fiber Engineering introduces freshmen to engineering design, computer applications, engineering teams, graphical presentation, technical writing and oral presentation. PFEN 2270 Introduction to Engineered Fibrous Materials provides the necessary background in the manufacture of fibrous assemblies from fibers, including the mechanisms for fiber and yarn formation and the engineering properties of fibers and yarns as a function of the method of manufacture. The manipulation of fibers and yarns by weaving, knitting, braiding and nonwoven manufacturing to form two- and three-dimensional fabric structures are included. Terminology, synthesis, structure, molecular weight, transitions of state, properties and uses of polymers are covered in PFEN 3100 Fundamentals of Polymers. PFEN 3500 Structure and Properties of Polymers and Fibers concentrates on the manufacture and chemical structure of man-made fibers. It covers how structure and morphology affect the engineering properties of the principal manufactured fibers. PFEN 4500 Fiber Reinforced Materials course includes analysis, design methodology, and applications of fibrous assemblies such as composite materials. A two-semester, independent design project (PFEN 4810 and 4820, Polymer and Fiber Engineering Design I & II) integrates all these courses in a capstone design as explained earlier. PFEN Courses Specific to Fiber Option

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One of the principal methods of modification of fibrous structures is through dyeing and finishing. Different techniques used to modify physical, chemical and optical properties are of importance to designing fibrous materials. PFEN 3400 Fundamentals of Coloration and Finishing covers these areas. PFEN 3570 Engineered Protective Materials course introduces the students to principles of design and manufacture of protective materials structures, discusses and analyzes the performance characteristics in protective materials.  In order to provide the student with examples of highly engineered, complex fibrous assemblies, the course, PFEN 4300 Engineered Fibrous Structures, is included which covers applications in civil engineering and architecture, filtration, safety and protection, military and defense, medical structures, paper machine clothing and transportation. PFEN 4400 Mechanics of Flexible Structures provides the necessary background into the engineering mechanics of fibrous assemblies and products composed of fibrous assemblies. PFEN Courses Specific to Polymer Option   In PFEN 3200 Polymer Processing, characteristics and flow properties of polymers, film and fiber extrusion, molding technology, polymer material selection and processing are taught. PFEN 4100 Polymer Characterization course covers the major techniques for the physical characterization of polymers including molecular weight determination, spectroscopy techniques (UV, infra red IR, nuclear magnetic resonance NMR , electron spin resonance ESR), morphology and structural characterization by microscopy and diffraction (XRD, TEM, SEM, AFM, and optical), and thermal analysis. PFEN 4200 Polymers from Renewable Resources focuses on biopolymers, either from natural renewable materials or manufactured polymers that have the capability to bio-deteriorate within a reasonable timeframe. The concept of biodegradation as well as microbial synthesis is introduced. Important biopolymers with industrial applications, or with potential to be commercialized in the near future, are given special attention. The list of these courses regarding the program (student) outcomes can be found in Table V in Criterion 3 Program Outcomes. Table XVII in Criterion 9 Program Criteria gives the relation of the PFEN courses and program criteria.

Provisions for Cooperative Education The Auburn University Cooperative Education Program (co-op) is designed to give students the opportunity to obtain real engineering work experience before graduation. The co-op program is optional for engineering students although highly recommended. The program offers students the opportunity to alternate semesters of full-time study and work related to the student's major.

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The cooperative education and internship programs simultaneously provide for the development of fundamental principles in the classroom and for their application in practice. For the 2009-2010 academic year, 7% of our students participated in the co-op program. http://eng.auburn.edu/admin/ess/sao/coop.html; http://auburn.edu/co-op/.

Additional Materials The following materials will be available for review during the visit for each course:

- Course syllabus - Course materials including lecture notes and electronic, books and handouts - Copies of homeworks, assignments, quizzes, tests, exams and lab reports - Reports from capstone course

B. Prerequisite Flow Chart Figures 5 and 6 show the prerequisite flow charts for the fiber and polymer options, respectively.

Figure 5 Prerequisite flow chart for the fiber option

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Figure 6 Prerequisite flow chart for the polymer option

C. Course Syllabi

The course syllabi are included in Appendix A.

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Table 5-2. Course and Section Size Summary Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Course No. Title

Responsible

Faculty Member

No. of Sections

Offered in Current

Year Avg. Section Enrollment Lecture1 Lab1 Other1

ENGR 1110 Introduction to Engineering Adanur 2 23 25% 75% PFEN 2270 Intr. to Eng. Fibrous Materials Adanur 1 15 50% 50% PFEN 3100 Fundamentals of Polymers Auad 1 12 100% PFEN 3200 Polymer Processing Adanur 1 8 50% 50% PFEN 3400 Fundamentals of Color. and

Finishing Buschle-Diller 1 7 50% 50%

PFEN 3500 Str. and Prop. of Polymers and Fibers

Auad 1 12 100%

PFEN 3570 Engineered Protective Materials Thomas 1 10 100% PFEN 4100 Polymer Characterization Auad/Zhang 1 4 50% 50% PFEN 4200 Polymers from Renewable

Resources Buschle-Diller 1 5 50%

PFEN 4300 Engineered Fibrous Structures Adanur 1 9 50% 50% PFEN 4400 Mech. of Flexible Structures Gowayed 1 7 100% PFEN 4500 Fiber Reinforced Materials Gowayed 1 9 100% PFEN 4810 Polymer and Fiber Eng. Design I Buschle-Diller 1 5 100% PFEN 4820 Polymer and Fiber Eng. Design II Schwartz 1 5 100%

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CRITERION 6. FACULTY

A. Leadership Responsibilities The department head, Dr. Peter Schwartz, has the leadership responsibilities for the program. His responsibilities include:

• assigning courses and balancing teaching loads, • overseeing new course development and revisions to existing courses, • identifying the direction of departmental efforts to ensure the maintaining of program

relevance, • providing funding for the development of new and existing courses, • assigning senior faculty mentors for tenure-track faculty, • setting recruiting and retention goals, • supervising office staff, • budgeting, • hiring new faculty and staff, • acting liaison to the Industrial Advisory Board, • representing the faculty to higher-level administration.

B. Authority and Responsibility of Faculty The faculty members meet at the end of each academic year to review the curriculum and to make modifications based upon feedback from students and industry from surveys, exit interviews and the Industrial Advisory Board. These modifications include the development of new courses, the modification of existing courses, the elimination of courses that may be no longer relevant and changes to the curriculum. After approval by the departmental faculty and the department head, changes are sent to the dean’s office for review by the Engineering Curriculum Committee. This committee will either approve the courses or return them to the department faculty for modification or clarification. Upon approval, the changes go to the University Curriculum Committee. If approved by this committee, they are sent to the provost for final approval. To ensure consistency and quality, the department, beginning in spring 2010, employs a peer review process as explained in Criterion 4. Peer evaluations will be available during the visit.

C. Faculty The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering (PFEN) attracts exceptional faculty to teach and advance the discipline. That is evidenced by our ever-increasing list of faculty patents and inventions, professional memberships and peer recognition (please refer to faculty CVs). The PFEN faculty members are both nationally and internationally recognized by their peers for their expertise in the mechanics of fibers and flexible assemblies, the chemistry of dyeing and finishing, quality control and assurance, the manufacture and mechanics of composite materials, nanomaterials, biomedical materials and papermaking fabrics.

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The faculty is diverse both in sex and ethnicity. Five faculty (55%) are native to countries other than the United States and three are female (33%). They have wide and diverse backgrounds; in addition to terminal degrees in fiber and polymer science, materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering, they have undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in chemical engineering, civil engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, textile engineering, textiles, engineering mechanics, chemistry, wood and paper science, pulp and paper technology and mathematics. This multi-disciplinary richness is demonstrated in the classes that they teach.

D. Faculty Competencies Individual faculty areas of expertise:

• Prof. Adanur: polymer composites and processing, engineered fibrous structures, nanofibers, computer aided design and modeling, testing and analysis, fabric formation and machinery

• Prof. Auad: polymers, nanotubes, microstructure and nanostructure • Prof. Broughton: nonwovens engineering, fiber extrusion, microscopy • Prof. Buschle-Diller: dyeing and finishing, polymer chemistry • Prof. Davis: polymer nanocomposities, bio-degradable polymers, polymer processing,

sol-gel derived nanoparticles, clay-based nanocomposites • Prof. ElMogahzy: quality engineering, yarn engineering • Prof. Gowayed: mechanics of flexible structures, composites • Prof. Schwartz: mechanics of flexible structures, composites, flow through porous

media • Prof. Thomas: protective materials, fabric engineering, manufacturing engineering • Prof. Zhang: conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, sensors, nanocarbons, energy

storage and harvesting

Our faculty members are supported by a dedicated and hardworking staff committed to making the student’s educational experience or professional interaction smooth and productive. E. Faculty Size The faculty of the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering consists of eight professorial (tenure-track) faculty members and one research faculty member; all hold the Ph.D. The breakdown by rank is as follows:

• Full professor - 5 • Associate professor - 1 • Assistant professor - 2 • Research assistant professor - 1 • Adjunct professor - 3 • Emeritus – 4

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One faculty, Dr. ElMogahzy, was on sabbatical leave during the 2009-2010 academic year. He is on sick leave during the current year. He is expected to retire on May 15, 2011. His position will be filled but may not be immediately, given the current budget status.

F. Faculty Faculty CVs are included in Appendix B.

F. Faculty Development PFEN faculty actively participates in professional development activities to enhance teaching, research and service and extension. Some examples of the faculty development activities are summarized below. Dr. Adanur • Advances in Extrusion Conference, Dec. 2008, New Orleans • Several Biggio Center seminars and workshops • Auburn University Libraries short course on patent search and access to electronic

databases • Blackboard training for course development • AU Life Sciences, use of SEM Dr. Auad • AU New faculty Scholars Program (NFS), Biggio Center for the Enhancement of the

Teaching and Learning (2006-2007) • Comprehensive Course Design, Faculty Scholar Retreat, Biggio Center (Aug. 25 2007) • "Publish and Flourish" 4-hour workshop, Dr. Tara Gray, Director of the Teaching Academy

at New Mexico State (Sept. 13 2008)

Dr. Buschle-Diller Professional Development Activities during the past six years: Internal Activities: • Biggio Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Auburn University • Numerous PDS (Professional Development Seminar) during the semester on topics of

active teaching methods, grading, writing effective exams, critical thinking, development of rubrics, etc.

• Forum on Teaching 2007 • Regular monthly book group discussions • Workshops on academic portfolios; use of clickers in teaching; writing in science

Auburn University, Microscopy Center in Biological Sciences • Preparation of transmission electron microscopic samples and use of TEM • Use of confocal microscope

Auburn University, Office of Student Success • Numerous seminars and training sessions on various aspects of learning and living

communities

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• Seminars on stress and time management issues for students; dealing with difficult students • Incorporating service learning into teaching

Auburn University Libraries • Patent search in Engineering • Access to electronic databases

Auburn University, Brown Bag Lunches, Sustainability Office • Numerous seminars at lunch time on environmental topics or sustainability

Auburn University, Franklin-Littleton Lectures series • Various seminars presented over the year External Activities: • University of Buffalo, NY, National Center for Case Studies in Teaching: “Including Case

Studies into Science Teaching” August 2004 • American Chemical Society Workshops and Tutorials (Research and Teaching) • Click chemistry (organic chemistry) • Radical polymerization reactions • Bio-integration of fibrous materials in human tissue and tissue engineering • Teaching sustainability issues in chemistry classes • Incorporating green chemistry methods in undergraduate teaching

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists • Workshop on flammability of textile materials and legal issues related to flammability 

 Dr. Gowayed • Attended many workshops organized by the Biggio Center • Attended classes for course development using Blackboard • Attended symposium on “Cross-cultural perspectives on university teaching and learning”

in February 2010  

Dr. Zhang • NSF workshop, Oct. 9th, in Huntsville, AL. • Year-long New Faculty Scholars program, hosted by Biggio Center, starting from August

29th, 2009.

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Table 6-1. Faculty Workload Summary – Fall 2009 Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Faculty Member (name)

FT or

PT4 Classes Taught (Course No./Credit Hrs.)

Term and Year1

Total Activity Distribution2

Teaching Research/Scholarly

Activity Other3 Adanur, S. FT PFEN 2270 (4); PFEN 4300/6250 (4), PFEN 8200 (3) 60% 35% 5% Auad, M. FT PFEN 3100 (3); PFEN 7950 (1); ITAS 8950 (1) 45 50 5 Buschle-Diller, G. FT UNIV1100(1-2); PFEN 4200(2); PFEN 4810(3); PFEN 7610(2) 65 30 5 Davis, E. FT 100 El-Mogahzy, Y. FT Sabbatical leave 100 Gowayed, Y. FT ENGR 1110(2); PFEN 4400 (3) 45 50 5 Schwartz, P. FT ENGR 2100 (3) 10 10 80 Thomas, G. FT PFEN 4970 (3); ITAS 7200 (3); PFEN 7950 (1); ITAS 8950 (1) 65 30 5 Zhang, X. FT PFEN 4100/7700(4 ); PFEN 5510/6510 (3 ) 50 45 5

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Table 6-1. Faculty Workload Summary – Spring 2010 Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Faculty Member (name)

FT or

PT4 Classes Taught (Course No./Credit Hrs.)

Term and Year1

Total Activity Distribution2

Teaching Research/Scholarly

Activity Other3 Adanur, S. FT ENGR 1110(3); PFEN 3200/6200 (4), PFEN 5100/6100 (3) 60% 35% 5% Auad, M. FT PFEN 3500 (3); PFEN 7310(4); PFEN 7910(3); PFEN 7950 (1); ITAS

8950 (1) 45 50 5

Buschle-Diller, G. FT UNIV1100(1-2); PFEN 3400(4); PFEN 5510/6510(3); GRAD 8560(1) 65 30 5 Davis, E. FT 100 El-Mogahzy, Y. FT Sabbatical leave 100 Gowayed, Y. FT PFEN 4500(3) 45 50 5 Schwartz, P. FT ENGR 2100 (3), PFEN 4820 (3) 10 10 80 Thomas, G. FT PFEN 4970 (3); PFEN 7970 (3); PFEN 7960 (1-3); ITAS 8960 (2) 65 30 5 Zhang, X. FT PFEN 5510/6510 (3) 50 45 5

1 Indicate Term and Year for which data apply (the academic year preceding the visit). 2 Activity distribution should be in percent of effort. Members' activities should total 100%. 3 Indicate sabbatical leave, etc., under "Other." 4 FT = Full Time Faculty PT = Part Time Faculty

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Table 6-2. Faculty Analysis Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Name Ran

k

Type of Academic

Appointment TT, T, NTT

FT or PT H

ighe

st D

egre

e an

d Fi

eld

Institution from which Highest

Degree Earned & Year

Years of Experience

Prof

essi

onal

R

egis

tratio

n/

Cer

tific

atio

n

Level of Activity (high, med, low, none) in:

Gov

t./In

dust

ry

Prac

tice

Tota

l Fac

ulty

This

Inst

itutio

n

Prof

essi

onal

So

ciet

y

Res

earc

h

Con

sulti

ng

/Sum

mer

W

ork

in

Indu

stry

Adanur, S. Prof. T FT Ph.D. North Carolina State

University, 1989 3 18 18 AL(EIT)

ASME

IFAI High Medium

Auad, M. Asst.

Prof. TT FT Ph.D. Univ. Mar del Plata

(Argentina), 2000 5 3 3 ACS, MRS,

NATAS, SOR High High

Buschle-Diller, G. Prof. T FT Ph.D. Univ. of Stuttgart

(Germany), 1989 5 14 14 ACS

Fiber Soc. High Low

Davis, E. RAsst.

Prof. TT FT Ph.D. University of Akron, 1996 11 2 2 LA (EIT) ACS, SAMPE High Medium

ElMogahzy, Y. Prof. T FT Ph.D. North Carolina State

University, 1986. 5

Gowayed, Y. Prof. T FT Ph.D. North Carolina State

University, 1992. 9 18 18 MRS

SAMPE High High

Schwartz, P. Prof. T FT Ph.D. North Carolina State

University, 1981 5 33 9 ASME, ASEE,

SAMPE, MRS Low Low

Thomas, G. Assoc.

Prof. T FT Ph.D. Clemson University, 1991 13 19 14 Medium Medium

Zhang, X. Asst.

Prof. TT FT Ph.D. Univ. of Texas at Dallas,

2005 1 1 1 ACS High None

Instructions: Complete table for each member of the program faculty. Use additional sheets if necessary. Updated information is to be provided at the time of the visit. The level of activity should reflect an average over the year prior to visit plus the two previous years. Column 3 Code: TT = Tenure Track T = Tenured NTT = Non Tenure Track

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CRITERION 7. FACILITIES

A. Space

1. Offices (Administrative, Faculty, Clerical, Teaching Assistants) An office is provided for each employee of the PFEN department from the department head to the teaching and research assistants. Every faculty, technician and clerical staff has his/her own private room as the office. Teaching and research assistants are placed in offices dedicated for their use. Every effort is made to maintain the privacy and comfort of these offices. A meeting room is dedicated to the meeting of faculty and staff. Students may also use this room to meet if scheduling permits. There is another room called the Learning Resource Center (LRC) for the use of students to study or to socialize in a comfortable and quiet environment.

2. Classrooms There are three classrooms that are used for teaching. Two of the classrooms (TXTL 209 and TXTL 119) have a capacity of 25 people. One of these classrooms is an auditorium with a capacity of 109 seats (TXTL 104). This room is also used for seminars and large gatherings of PFEN and other departments. A projection screen is provided in each room. 3. Laboratories The following laboratories are used for undergraduate education in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering. Fiber Extrusion (1033.75 sq. ft) Research and manufacturing scale equipment is available for melt extrusion and solution spinning of fibers. A complete fiber manufacturing line consists of melt extrusion equipment for thermoplastic polymers with draw winding. Two lab scale solution spinning lines are available, one capable of producing fibers from very small (less than one gram) amounts of polymer. Research is currently funded for formation of fibers from renewable resources. In addition to the desk top fiber extruder, a new commercial size extruder machine was purchased in 2008. A new twin screw extruder was purchased in 2009. Polymer Processing (4702.75 sq. ft) The polymer processing lab includes several machines that have been built or purchased within the last few years. Electrospinning and solution spinning systems are used to produce fine fibers. Leistritz 18mm modular 40 L/D twin screw extruder (counter-rotating, equipped with material feeders, vacuum vents, and auxiliary equipment) is used for mixing and compounding. Wayne heavy duty, 25 mm diameter, 30 L/D single screw (combo fiber/cast film line, vented, complete with auxiliary equipment) is used to produce monofilaments, multifilaments and films. Battenfeld 30 ton injection molding machine (30 mm screw diameter, complete with auxiliary equipment) is used to produce polymeric parts. A compression molding machine is available for polymer processing and composite manufacturing.

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Yarn Formation A friction spinning machine is available to produce friction-spun staple yarns as well as to produce sheath-core structure yarns with different materials (in the Polymer Processing lab). Fabric Formation (3660.63 sq. ft) Modern machinery for knitting, braiding and weaving covers a broad spectrum of equipment categories. Research scale tubular knitting machines are available for knitting. One commercial size air jet weaving machine was donated to the department to produce woven fabrics (Sulzer L5200 S 210 N2 IK TE Air-Jet Weaving Machine, filament execution, 210 cm max. reed width, low built, two-color pick at will, crank shedding motion and electronic filling feeders). Several braiding machines also contribute to the design and formation of fabrics. A computerized braiding machine is used to produce structures to reinforce composites. Recently, NASA donated two large size braiding machines to the department. A needle loom is used to produce narrow fabrics. A filament winding machine is available to produce filament wound reinforcement structures for composites. Nonwovens (2443.99 sq. ft) A complete laboratory for creating batts and webs for nonwoven fabric formation includes a Rando Model "C" for air laid webs, a roller top card and cross-lapper, a through-air oven for thermal bonding, needle punching equipment, a heated calendar and thermal conductivity measurement capability. The lab is well suited for handling special fibers such as carbon and ceramic fibers. A needle punching machine and carding machine are available. Advanced Fibrous Materials (1038.50 sq. ft) A 20,000 lb. Instron material testing machine is used to test fabrics and composites. An air-jet filling insertion simulator has been developed to measure the air and yarn performance characteristics in air-jet weaving. A private researcher donated two hybrid weaving/knitting patented machines to manufacture integrated 3D fabric structures, along with patent rights. An Instron Dynatup impact testing machine is used to measure the impact resistance of fibrous materials and composites. A robot has been purchased for coating of various surfaces. An industrial sewing machine is available to manufacture stitched composite reinforcement layers. An electrospinning line is included in the lab to produce nano fibers and mats. \ Composites (353.58 sq. ft) The department’s efforts in composites address design, manufacture and evaluation of textile composites with various architectures. NSF funded the purchase of resin transfer molding equipment and a compression molding machine for composite manufacture. A small displacement controlled fatigue machine is available. Polishing and imaging equipment is available for analysis of composite morphology. A spray gun machine was donated to the department for chopping and resin spraying of fibers for composite manufacturing. Vacuum bagging equipment is available to produce composite structures. A walk-in freezer is used for storing pre-preg materials. Dyeing and Finishing (2579.31 sq. ft) For coloration of fibrous materials various batch dyeing machines have been installed, such as a Werner Mathis beaker dyer for small-sized samples with IR heating and cooling systems, a

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programmable Werner Mathis jet dyer for fabric, and an Ahiba dyeing machine with product baskets. A padder is available with adjustable pressure for pad-batch processes and coating as well as several drying ovens and a Werner Mathis thermosol curing unit with variable heat transfer settings for fixation of colored products. For wet finishing of textile materials additionally an Atlas Launder-o-meter, with 500 mL and 1 L stainless steel containers, is on hand. For determination of color coordinates according to standardized methods a color spectrophotometer is available, with a set-up for solid samples, and cuvettes for liquids, such as dye baths. A UV-vis can be used for calibration of dye solutions as well as for measuring absorption spectra in the UV and visible range of light. Further, two light boxes (Macbeth and Tru-Vue) provide standardized light sources for quality control of dyed materials. For polymer synthesis and fiber extrusion, an experimental electrospinning unit complete with syringe pump and heating elements has been installed for production of nanoscale fibers. Small-scale film formation can be achieved by a MTI dip coating machine with a chamber or a TC100 spin-coater at controlled rpm. A HB43 Halogen Moisture Analyzer can be used to measure humidity loss of a material over time. A total of five ovens, set at different temperatures, are available for use (Dispatch, Precision, Gallenkamp, Blue M and Fisher Scientific). A used and remodeled freeze-dryer has been acquired in recent years. Also, an older K-matic Thermal Conductivity Instrument is available for use. For incubation of biological samples a Lab-line Orbit Environmental Shaker with variable speed is available. An IEC Centrifuge can be used to separate solid compounds from supernatant liquids. A Fusion Systems, Inc., UV-curing unit with a speed-controllable belt to transport samples can be used for light-induced polymerization or grafting reactions or curing of coatings. Analytical Testing (655.50 sq. ft) Key equipment includes a TA Instruments Q2000 Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), TA Instruments Q500 Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA), TA Instruments RSAIII Dynamical Mechanical Analyzer (DMA), TA Instruments AR G2 and HAAKE Rheo Stress Rheometer , Nicolet 6700 Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) System with NXR FT-Raman Module, Veeco Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Dynamic Contact Angle Analyzer, Reverse Chromatography Spectrophotometer, and a CS-5 Chroma Sensor by Datacolor for color analysis and color matching. Physical Testing (1299.53 sq. ft) A full array of physical testing instruments for fibers, polymers and textiles complements the polymer and fiber engineering facilities. For fiber testing, the Advanced Fiber Information System (AFIS) measures individual fiber lengths and fineness, neps and trash content from a small sample of staple fiber. The Uster HVI high volume instrument measures average cotton fiber properties such as micronaire, length, uniformity, strength, elongation, color and trash content. A Uster Tensorapid III measures strength and strength uniformity of yarns, testing from a package at five breaks per minute. Tensorapid also tests the strength of fabrics and sheets of different flexible materials. A Lawson Hemphill constant tension transport electronic inspection board measures optical characteristics of yarns in addition to friction and abrasion. Other testing equipment include vibroscope to measure mass per unit length of fibers and filaments, evenness tester, abrasion testers, thickness testers, stiffness testers. On the top of that, the laboratory has

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two 1,000 lb capacity universal testing machines (one of them is brand new) from INSTRON equipped with different types and sizes of sample grips. The new machine is equipped with advanced video extensometer capable of measuring the deformations in two directions at the same time. Shimadzu RF-5301 spectrofluorometer can measure photoluminescence of thin films and solutions, including emission and excitation spectra. It scans from 220 nm to 900 nm, which covers the UV-Vis-Near IR range. Arbin MSTAT system is used for energy storage test, oxidative potential monitoring and electrochemical properties measurement of different materials. Protective Materials Lab (800 sq. ft) Pore-size distribution (Automated Capillary Flow Porometer — Porous Materials, Inc.), mean flow pore diameter, pressure hold, gas permeability and bubble point (maximum through pore diameter). GC/MS instrument, G 300 - Griffin Analytical Technologies, LLC to measure elemental composition of a sample or molecule and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules. Nikon Stereo Microscope SMZ-U with Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass objective lenses, a zoom range of 0.75x to 7.5x and zoom lenses of 0.5x, 1.0x to 2x.

B. Resources and Support

1. Computing resources, hardware and software used for instruction. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) provides centralized computing services and resources to the Auburn University community. The executive director of OIT is Bliss Bailey. OIT provides a variety of services for faculty, staff and students of the university. These services include user support through the OIT HelpDesk, software licensing and a leasing program for departments, Student PC Shop, various system accounts, training and consulting, server space and much more. OIT also provides public computing labs in various campus locations and strives to meet the technology needs of the Auburn University community in a courteous, timely and efficient manner. It is the goal of OIT to provide a strong, secure information technology infrastructure and to provide Auburn University students, faculty and staff with support that will both allow and encourage the effective use of information technology. OIT maintains the institution-wide computing facilities, including the campus network backbone, computer labs, as well as instructional, productivity and administrative software. The Auburn University campus is connected building to building and to the Internet through a high-speed, redundant fiber optic network. The majority of the campus currently has wireless access, with a complete wireless build out scheduled for completion in 2010. All on-campus residence hall rooms have access to the campus wireless network at 802.11N speeds. In addition to computing facilities provided by individual schools and colleges, 10 computing labs located across campus for use by all students offer a wide array of software, high-speed connectivity and networked printers. Hardware repair services are available for students for a fee. Web hosting is provided for all students, employees and campus organizations. Auburn University is in the process of completing the build out of the campus-wide wireless network. By the fall of 2010, all buildings and outdoor gathering places in the core of campus will have wireless coverage.

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Auburn University is a member of the Internet2 consortium and has been actively involved in the Southern Crossroads (SoX) regional research network. High performance computing facilities are provided for Auburn University by the Alabama Supercomputer Center and the Alabama Research and Education Network located in Huntsville, Ala. Those facilities include an SGI Altix Cluster with 228 CPU cores, 1510 GB of shared memory and 12 terabytes in a CXFS file system, as well as a DMC (Dense Memory Cluster) system with 1256 CPU cores and 6176 gigabytes of distributed memory. Each compute node in the DMC has a local disk (885 gigabytes of which are accessible as /tmp). Also attached to the DMC is a high performance Panasas file server, which has 15 terabytes of high performance storage accessible as /scratch from each node. Home directories as well as third party applications use a NFS Filesystem and share 4 terabytes of Fiber Channel RAID storage. OIT provides free software to all students and employees via web download: e-mail, virus protection (Sophos), file backup (TSM), PDF authoring (CutePDF), VPN client, secure shell (SecureCRT) and secure file transfer (WinSCP and WS_FTP). Updated virus definition files are automatically pushed to on-campus computers as they are released to minimize the spread of frequent attacks. IronMail SPAM protection software runs at the campus firewall. Auburn is a full participant in the Microsoft Campus agreement which provides operating system and Office software, as well as continuing updates. Other OIT resources include hardware and software discounts, a computer lease program, on-campus computer training classes for employees, an extensive IT support Web site at www.auburn.edu/oit/support, wireless laptops for checkout in the library, video conferencing, a satellite uplink facility, technology-enhanced classroom design and management and streaming media services. A technical support HelpDesk providing both immediate answers and referrals to specialists is accessible via phone, web, e-mail and walk-in. Printed publications include software tip sheets and a newsprint periodical Survival Guide: A Student’s Guide to Computing at AU. The College of Engineering provides computing services and access to applications for engineering faculty and students via the Engineering Network. Engineering Network Services, staffed by professional information technologists, maintains and supports the network and the client systems on the network. The Engineering Network is comprised of local area networks (LAN) located in the Engineering buildings on the main campus of Auburn University. The LANs (actually virtual LANS) are connected to the Auburn University network (AU-net) via fiber-optic cable which is connected to the internet and Internet 2 and other University resources. Please refer to the College Self Study for a detailed description of the computing capabilities and services provided to the departments by the college. The PFEN department has a computer lab (Room 116) maintained by the College of Engineering with 14 computers (786.08 sq. ft). The computers have all the software provided by the College of Engineering. In addition to casual use by the students, the lab is used for ENGR 1110 and PFEN 4500.

2. Laboratory equipment planning, acquisition, and maintenance processes and their adequacy.

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The lab equipment is purchased based on the current and future needs of the department decided by the department head in consultation with the faculty and staff. Recently, $2 million worth of equipment was purchased with grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Equipment is also purchased through research grants. The industry also donates machines and equipment to the department. The machines are maintained by four full-time lab technicians. The machines and equipment are adequate for the teaching and research needs of the department. We are constantly upgrading the machinery and equipment in the department.

3. Support personnel available to install, maintain, and manage departmental hardware, software, and networks The College of Engineering Network Services has six support personnel who install, maintain and manage PFEN hardware, software and networks. Please refer to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Self-Study for more details. 4. Describe the type and number of support personnel available to install, maintain, and manage laboratory equipment.

We have four full-time lab technicians who are responsible to install, maintain and manage the equipment in the laboratories. One lab technician has a Ph.D. and another lab technician is working towards his Master’s degree. The responsibility areas of the technicians are as follows:

• Mr. Geoffrey Thompson – Fabric formation lab, composites lab, advanced fibrous

materials lab • Mr. David Clark – Fiber extrusion lab, polymer processing lab, yarn formation

lab, nonwovens lab • Dr. Ramsis Farag – Physical testing lab, protective materials lab • Mr. Steve Howard – Analytical testing lab, dyeing and finishing lab

C. Major Instructional and Laboratory Equipment Appendix C includes the list of major instruction and lab equipment in the department.

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CRITERION 8. SUPPORT

A. Program Budget Process and Sources of Financial Support Table XV shows university support of the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering (PFEN) for the last five years.

Table XV. University support of PFEN for the last five years

Fiscal Year Educational Support Research Line Item

2005-2006 $833,820 $338, 134

2006-2007 $847,089 $345,255

2007-2008 $898,509 $367,792

2008-2009 $840,491 $333,461

2009-2010 $880,490 $325,303

B. Sources of Financial Support PFEN receives the majority of its support from the State of Alabama in two budget lines, education and research (hard money). The balance of support comes in the form of soft money through sponsored research. Sponsors for research include the U. S. Department of Commerce, both directly and through the National Textile Center, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, NASA, USDA, SBA (SBR), B. F. Goodrich and Phillip Morris. During the period from October 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, the department received $3,554,362 for sponsored research.

C. Adequacy of Budget Although the budget has been tight in the last couple of years, the department continues to teach all of its courses as scheduled. The faculty has been diligent to ensure that students are not inconvenienced by the reduction in state funding. A teaching load of 50% corresponds to three classes per year. For the number of students in our program, the number of faculty is adequate. However, as mentioned before, one faculty has been out due to sabbatical and sick leave, and he is expected to retire on May 15, 2011. This position will be filled but probably not immediately due to the current budget situation. The adjunct faculty is not teaching any courses.

D. Support of Faculty Professional Development After six years of service, faculty may request a sabbatical leave for professional development. Currently, one faculty is on sabbatical leave. The department, college and university are in full

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support of sabbatical leaves. The department, using indirect cost recovery funds, supports faculty attending conferences, workshops, etc. if they do not have sufficient funds in their research budgets. New faculty, as part of their start-up packages are guaranteed departmental support to attend two conferences, workshops, etc., during their first year and the department also fully supports for their first summer.

E. Support of Facilities and Equipment Over the last three years the department has spent over $2 million for analytical instrumentation (DSC, TGA, FTIR, AFM, etc.), polymer processing equipment (injection molding, film casting, monofilament extrusion), fabrication machinery (braiding, composites) and physical testing (Instron®). Each of these four areas has a dedicated technician for support and is used by undergraduates for their coursework and design projects and graduate students. The department has reconfigured several spaces in order to appropriately house these acquisitions.

F. Adequacy of Support Personnel and Institutional Services In addition to the four technicians described above, the administrative staff includes a full-time office manager who handles the department’s accounts, an office associate who is responsible for handling purchase orders, an office assistant whose job entails managing the inventory, ordering keys, and keeping time sheets, as well as a student services coordinator who is responsible for student recruiting and retention, course scheduling, scholarships and publicity.

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CRITERION 9. PROGRAM CRITERIA In this self-study, “Program Criteria for Materials, Metallurgical, and Similarly Named Engineering Programs” is used since it includes “polymer…and similar modifiers in their titles.” The program criteria specifies that graduates must have the ability to apply advanced science (such as chemistry and physics) and engineering principles to polymers and fibers; an integrated understanding of the scientific and engineering principles underlying the four major elements in the field: structure, properties, processing and performance related to polymers and fibers; the ability to apply and integrate knowledge from each of the above four elements of the polymers and fibers to solve materials selection and design problems; the ability to utilize experimental, statistical and computational methods consistent with the program educational objectives. 1. Curriculum

The curriculum is designed for the students to have the ability to apply advanced science and engineering principles to polymer and fiber structures, properties, processing and performance. Polymers and fibers are high performance materials utilized in such diverse fields as plastics, elastomers (rubber, spandex), adhesives, surface coatings (paints), films, paper, packaging, insulation, filtration, aerospace, automotive, biomedical, composite, construction, environmental, industrial, marine, nonwoven, recreational and safety materials. Polymer and fiber engineering prepares graduates to work in research and development, product development, process engineering, composite engineering, quality engineering, industrial engineering or technical sales; or to proceed to advanced studies in engineering, science, medicine, law, computer, business or related fields. Consistent with the program educational objectives, instruction and research in polymer and fiber engineering includes:

• Polymer synthesis and processing. • Characterization and evaluation of structure and properties of polymeric and fibrous

materials using advanced techniques and state-of-the-art instrumentation. • Modeling of structure-property-performance relationships emphasizing correlation of

properties with the structure across nano-, micro- and macro-length scales for fibers and polymers.

• Design, analysis, engineering and assembly of polymeric fibrous materials into advanced engineered materials with novel compositions and tailored microstructures.

• Product, mold and die design. A solid foundation in mathematics, chemistry and physics is obtained by students during the freshman and sophomore years: MATH 1610 Calculus I, 1620 Calculus II, 2630 Calculus III, 2650 Linear Differential Equations, 2660 Topics in Linear Algebra; CHEM 1030 Fundamentals of Chemistry I, 1031 Fundamentals of Chemistry I Lab, 1040 Fundamentals of Chemistry II, 1041 Fundamentals of Chemistry II Lab, 2030 Survey of Organic Chemistry (fiber option only), 2070 Organic Chemistry I (polymer option only), 2071 Organic Chemistry I lab (polymer option only), 2080 Organic Chemistry II (polymer option only); PHYS 1600 Engineering Physics I, 1610 Engineering Physics II. University core curriculum provides breadth and depth in mostly

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non-technical areas: ENGL 1100 English Composition I, 1120 English Composition II, core HIST I and II, core Social Sciences I and II, Fine Arts and Philosophy. Six hours of technical elective or ROTC are allowed in the curriculum. Samuel Ginn College of Engineering core courses (ENGR 1100 Engineering Orientation, 1110 Introduction to Polymer and Fiber Engineering, 2050 Statics, 2070 Mechanics of Materials, 2200 Introduction to Thermodynamics, Heat and Fluid) prepare the students for advanced engineering courses in polymer and fiber engineering (PFEN), mostly during junior and senior years. The students take a few other engineering courses as well to expand their knowledge in those fields: COMP 1200 Introduction to Computers for Engineers and Scientists, INSY 3600 Engineering Economic Analysis, ELEC 3810 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering. STAT 3010 Statistics for Engineers and Scientists is also required for statistical methods. Engineering design is integrated throughout the curriculum in major courses, laboratories and a capstone design project which is completed during the senior year. Table XVI shows the distribution of the coverage of polymer and fiber design, synthesis, structures, properties, processing, testing and performance in the PFEN courses.

Table XVI. Polymer and Fiber Engineering courses vs. program criteria

Element Fiber Option Polymer Option Structure PFEN 2270, PFEN 3100,

PFEN 3400, PFEN 3500, PFEN 4300, PFEN 4400, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4810

PFEN 2270, PFEN 3100, PFEN 3500, PFEN 4100, PFEN 4200, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4810

Properties ENGR 1110, PFEN 2270, PFEN 3100, PFEN 3400, PFEN 3500, PFEN 3570, PFEN 4300, PFEN 4400, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4810

ENGR 1110, PFEN 2270, PFEN 3100, PFEN 3200, PFEN 3500, PFEN 4100, PFEN 4200, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4810

Processing PFEN 2270, PFEN 3400, PFEN 4300, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4820

PFEN 2270, PFEN 3200, PFEN 4200, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4820

Performance PFEN 2270, PFEN 3400, PFEN 3570, PFEN 4300, PFEN 4400, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4820

PFEN 2270, PFEN 3200, PFEN 4100, PFEN 4200, PFEN 4500, PFEN 4820

The assessment of the elements in these courses are done using several methods including:

- In class exams to test individual students - Homework and lab assignments with the possibility of student collaboration - Senior design projects and oral presentations - Exit interviews

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2. Faculty The faculty in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering are well qualified to teach the curriculum with a diverse and rich background. Table XVII shows the faculty areas of instruction.

Table XVII. Faculty areas of instruction

Element Fiber Option Polymer Option

Structure Adanur, Gowayed, Schwartz Auad, Buschle-Diller, Schwartz, Zhang

Properties Adanur, Buschle-Diller, Gowayed, Schwartz, Thomas

Adanur, Auad, Buschle-Diller, Schwartz, Zhang

Processing Adanur, Gowayed, Buschle-Diller, Schwartz

Adanur, Gowayed

Performance Adanur, Gowayed, Thomas, Schwartz

Adanur, Gowayed, Schwartz, Zhang

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APPENDIX A – COURSE SYLLABI

ENGR 1110-019 INTRODUCTION TO POLYMER AND FIBER ENGINEERING

Required Instructors: Dr. Sabit Adanur (Spring) and Dr. Yasser Gowayed (Fall) Office: 222 TXTLE Phone: 844-5497 E-mail: adanusa@auburn.edu Web: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~adanusa Office hours: MWF 9.00-10.00, TR 11.00-11.45 and whenever I am in my office. Class: T 13:00–13:50, 119 TXTLE Lab: W: 14:00–16:45, 104 TXTLE Catalog Description: Credit hours: 2. Lec. 1, Lab 3. Introduction to engineering design, engineering teams, graphical presentation, technical writing and oral presentation. Prerequisites: None. Course Objectives:

1. Understanding and appreciation of engineering in general and polymer and fiber engineering in particular

2. Learning how to use MS Office products, Solid Edge, and Matlab. 3. Overview of polymer and fiber engineering.

Outcomes:

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments c. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs d. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a

global and societal context i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice Assessment Tools:

1. In-class closed-book exams to test outcomes for individual students 2. Homework and lab assignments to test outcomes with the possibility of student

collaboration 3. Design project and oral presentation

Book Required: None. Class notes will be made available. References:

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• Holtzapple, M. T., and Reece, W. D., Foundations of Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 2000. • Adanur, S., Wellington Sears Handbook of Industrial Textiles, Technomic Pub. Co.,

1995.

Tests, Assignments, Labs: Points: First test 100 Second test 100 Third (final) test 50 Labs/homework 150 Design Project 100 Total: 500 Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is strongly encouraged and students with perfect attendance will be awarded a 20 point bonus at the end of the semester. Students are responsible for everything that is announced in the class or posted in the BlackBoard. Grading: At the end of the course; points are added and final letter grades are assigned as follows: Letter Grade: Percent of Total Points: A 90 - 100 + B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79 D 60 - 69 F Less than 60 The student must use word processing and spreadsheets for labs and homework. General Policies:

• E-mail is the official communication tool for Auburn University. Please check it regularly.

• It is the responsibility of the students to find out about the assignments, homework, lab reports when they were absent.

• Academic dishonesty and plagiarism is an offense that will be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee. Please refer to the Tiger Cub.

• Any student needing special accommodations should contact the Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1232 Haley Center.

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, introduces the students to engineering in general and to polymer and fiber engineering in particular. The course includes structure, properties, processing and performance. Ethical and contemporary issues are discussed. Prepared by S. Adanur, Feb. 4, 2009

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PFEN 2270 INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERED FIBROUS MATERIALS

Required Instructor: Dr. Sabit Adanur - Professor Office: 222 Textile Building : 844-5497 E-mail: adanusa@auburn.edu Web: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~adanusa Office hours: T, R 8.00-9.00, 13.00-14.00 and whenever I am in my office. Class: MWF 9:00–9:50, 119 TXTLE Lab: M 14:00–16:45, 119 TXTLE Catalog Description: Credit hours: 4. Lec. 3, Lab 3. Fiber structure and manufacturing, yarn technology and manufacturing, fabric design and engineering including woven, knitted, braided, tufted and other fabric structures. Principles of modern fiber, yarn and fabric formation techniques. Prerequisites: ENGR 1110 or departmental approval. Course Objectives:

1. To provide the student with the knowledge of fiber, yarn and fabric design, structure and manufacturing

2. Understanding of how fabric properties are affected by fiber and yarn selection as well as the manufacturing methods

3. Woven fabrics: preparation processes, woven fabric design and weaving process 4. Braided fabric design and manufacturing 5. Knitted fabrics design and manufacturing: weft knitting and warp knitting 6. Tufted fabrics 7. Nonwoven manufacturing

Outcomes: a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments c. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams e. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a

global and societal context i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice

Assessment Tools: 1. In-class closed-book exams to test outcomes for individual students 2. Homework, design project and lab assignments to test outcomes with the possibility of

student collaboration.

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Book: None required. References:

• Adanur, S., Handbook of Weaving, Technomic Publishing, 2001. • Adanur, S., Willington Sears Handbook of Industrial Textiles, Technomic Publishing,

1995. • Spencer, D.J., Knitting Technology, Woodhead Publishing, 1989.

Tests, Labs and Homework: Points: First test (W, Sept. 23) 100 Second test (W, Oct. 28) 100 Final exam (F, Dec. 11) 100 Hours: 8:00–10:30 AM Labs 100 Homeworks/Design Project 100 Total 500

Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is strongly encouraged and students with perfect attendance will be awarded a 15 point bonus at the end of the semester. Students are responsible for everything that is announced in the class. Grading: At the end of the course; points are added and final letter grades are assigned as follows: Letter Grade: Percent of Total Points: A 90 - 100 + B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79 D 60 - 69 F Less than 60 General Policies:

• E-mail is the official communication tool for Auburn University. • Any excused absence should be submitted to the instructor in writing and with proper

documents. Excused absences include medical, attending a professional conference, and job/co-op/intern interviews.

• It is the responsibility of the students to find out about the assignments, homeworks, lab reports when they were absent.

• Academic dishonesty and plagiarism is an offense that will be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee. Please refer to the Tiger Cub.

• Any student needing special accommodations should let me know as well as contact Dr. Sarah Colby Weaver, Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1228 Haley Center, ph. 844-2096.

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, covers the areas of fiber, yarn and fabric structures, properties, processes and performance. Prepared by Dr. S. Adanur, Aug. 19, 2009

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PFEN 3100 INTRODUCTION TO POLYMERS

Required Credit Hours: 3 LEC Prerequisites: CHEM 2030 or CHEM 2070 or permission of the instructor Texts:

1. Instructor’s Class Notes 2. Polymer Science and Technology, Joel R. Fried, Prentice Hall PTR, Second Edition,

2007. Supplementary Texts: None Course Description: Fundamentals of polymers: terminology, synthesis, structure, molecular weight, transitions of state, properties and uses. Course Objectives:

1. To provide the student with the ability to converse in the language of polymer science 2. To provide students with an understanding of how polymers are produced 3. To provide students with knowledge concerning the uses of polymeric materials 4. To provide an introduction to how polymer products are made

ABET Outcomes:

1. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments 3. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams 4. An ability to communicate effectively 5. A knowledge of contemporary issues 6. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice Course Content:

• Topic 1: Introduction to polymeric science, classification • Topic 2: Polymer synthesis

Topic 3: Conformation, solutions and molecular weight Examination 1

• Topic 4: Solid-State Properties • Topic 5: Viscoelasticity and Rubber Elasticity • Topic 6: Polymer degradation and the Environment • Topic 7: Additives, blends, and composites

Examination #2 • Topic 8: Polymer processing and Rheology • Topic 9: Engineering and Special Polymers • Review, summarize, class evaluation

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Final Examination Period: Final (Comprehensive) Tests will be closed book and will consist of a combination of short answer, multiple choice and essay questions. A missed test counts as zero unless the student provides a written medical or other acceptable excuse certifying inability to attend Course Requirements/Evaluation: The grade for this course will be determined by the results of 3 written examinations, homework assignments, and class participation. The weighting will be as follows: Examinations @ 25% each 75% Homework, in-class assignments 10% Final project 15% Total 100% Grades will be assigned as follows: 90–100% A 80–89% B 70–79% C 60–69% D 0–59% F Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is strongly encouraged and students with perfect attendance will be awarded a 5% bonus at the end of the semester. Students are responsible for everything that is covered or announced in the class. Students with Special Needs: Students requiring special accommodations should contact the Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1232 Haley. Academic Integrity: The highest standards of academic integrity are expected. You are free to consult with one another to solve the homework problems, but the solutions are expected to be your individual efforts. Consult the Tiger Cub, or speak to me if there are any questions. Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, covers the areas of polymer structures and properties. Prepared by Maria L. Auad July 2008.

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PFEN 3200 POLYMER PROCESSING Required Instructor: Dr. Sabit Adanur, Professor, 222 Textile Building

Phone: 844-5497 E-mail: adanusa@auburn.edu Web : http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~adanusa

Class Hours: Lec.: MWF: 11–11:50 am, TX 209 Lab: M 14–16:45, TX 209. Office Hours: MWF 9–10:00, TR 11–11:45 and whenever I am in my office. Catalog Description: Characteristics and flow properties of polymers; film and fiber extrusion, molding technology, polymer material selection and processing. Prerequisites: ENGR 2200, PFEN 3100. Textbooks and other Required Material:

1. McCrum, N. G., Buckley, C. P., and Bucknall, C. B., Principles of Polymer Engineering, 2nd Edition, 1997, Oxford University Press.

2. Class notes

Course Objectives: • To provide the student with the knowledge of design and processing characteristics of

polymers • Engineering principles of fabrication techniques used to convert polymer materials into

useful articles • Understanding of how fabrication affects the properties of products made from polymers

Course Contents:

• Introduction to fiber forming polymer processing (1 week) • Flow characteristics of polymers ( 4 weeks) • Film and fiber extrusion: melt, dry wet spinning (3 weeks) • Molding technology (2 weeks) • Polymer material selection for fibers (2 weeks) • Designing for end use (2 weeks) • Characterization (1 week)

Outcomes: a. Ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. Ability to design and conduct experiments, analyze and interpret data c. Ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs d. Ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams e. Ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems f. Understanding of professional and ethical responsibility g. Ability to communicate effectively h. Ability to use techniques necessary for engineering practice i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning j. j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. k. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice

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Class/Laboratory Schedule: (4), Lec. 3, Lab. 3. Assessment Tools:

• In class closed book exams to test outcomes for individual students • Homeworks, and design project to test outcomes with the possibility of student

collaboration Grades: First test 100 points Second test 100 points Homeworks/design project 150 points Lab reports 100 points Third (final) test 50 points. Total 500 points

Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is strongly encouraged and students with perfect attendance will be awarded a 15 point bonus at the end of the semester. Students are responsible for everything that is announced in the class. Grading: At the end of the course; points are added and final letter grades are assigned as follows: Letter Grade Percent of Total Points A 90 - 100 + B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79 D 60 - 69 F Less than 60

General Policy: - Academic dishonesty is an offense that will be reported to the Academic Honesty Committee. Please refer to the Tiger Cub. - Any student needing special accommodations should contact the Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1232 Haley Center. - We are planning visit(s) to local companies.

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the polymer option, covers the areas of polymer properties, processes and performance. Prepared by S. Adanur, Jan. 14, 2009

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PFEN 3400 FUNDAMENTALS OF COLORATION

Required Dr. Gisela Buschle‐Diller Office: Textile Building 221; open door policy; phone 844‐5468; buschgi@auburn.edu Course Description The course covers the fundamental aspects of three categories: 1) aqueous chemistry, interfacial processes, interactions of chemicals and fibrous/polymeric materials 2) color perception and coloration of fibrous/polymeric materials, including dyes, pigments, and their application methods 3) properties and applications of common water‐soluble polymeric materials Prerequisites: PFEN 3100, Credit Hours: (4), Lec. 3, Lab. 3 Text: The course presents an overview of basic principles of interfacial science, coloration and related polymer chemistry. No specific text is required; however, it is recommended to consult with a general organic and polymer chemistry book and/or textbooks dealing with coloration for background reading; a list of suitable books as well as additional literature will be given to the student. Course Objectives • Develop a basic understanding of important chemical principles and interfacial processes • Acquire fundamental knowledge of coloration, structure‐property relationships of colorants and their application; color perception • Being familiar with current challenges in coloration science • Improve laboratory skills, record, analyze and interpret experimental data; write technical reports • Practice team‐work skills • Develop a critical view for economic and environmental aspects related to coloration ABET Criteria for Course Outcomes: 1. Ability to apply knowledge of science, engineering, and mathematics 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data 3. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems 4. Ability to communicate effectively 5. Ability to critically evaluate alternative options 6. Knowledge of contemporary issues Grading Grading is based on the average of assignments (5%), two mid‐semester exams and a final (20% each), participation in class and seminar activities (5%), a 15 min presentation on a course related topic (10%) and the average of lab reports and activities (20%). Attendance is required. A doctor’s excuse is required for missed classes. Only one (1) unexcused

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absence will be permitted. Each subsequent unexcused absence will cause one (1) point to be deducted from the final average used to determine the letter grade. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain missed material. Presentation: oral presentation on a topic related to the course content but not covered in class (PowerPoint, 15 min); guidelines to the expected format will be given during the semester. Design project:, a coloration process will be designed and presented in poster format (PowerPoint poster format) as part of the lab session. Guidelines to the format will be given ahead of time. Class and seminar activities: small scale problem‐based projects; discussion of literature; cases studies. Letter grade Points: A 90‐100, B 80‐89, C 70‐79, D 60‐69, F < 59 Course Outline The course is organized in form of 3 major topics Block 1: Topic 1: Water, water facts, chemistry of aqueous systems (acid/base, pH, redox reactions, solubility, electrolytes) Topic 2: Surface tension, phenomena at surfaces, interfacial processes; transport phenomena; viscosity; soluble polymers, thickeners, polyelectrolytes, surfactant chemistry Mid‐semester exam 1 Block 2: Topic 3: Color observation and color theory Topic 4: Principles of coloration: Dyes and pigments Mid‐semester exam 2 Block 3 Topic 5: Coloration methods, applications of colorants for fibrous materials and polymers (plastics) Topic 6: Surface modifications Presentations to current topics related to class content Final Labs Lab reports are due one week after the experiment has been performed. For each day late 5 points will be deducted. Students write their individual lab reports, even if the experiment was performed as a team. The format and guidelines for technical report writing will be discussed. Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the fiber option, covers the areas of structure, properties, processing and performance. Prepared by Gisela Buschle‐Diller, January 7, 2009.

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PFEN 3500 STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS AND FIBERS

Required Credit Hours: 3 LEC Prerequisites: CHEM 2030 or CHEM 2070 and PFEN 3100 or permission of the instructor. Text: Instructor’s Class Notes Supplementary Texts: “Introduction to Physical Polymer Science”, L.H. Sperling , Fourth edition, 2006 Willey Intersience Course Description and Objectives: The course is designed to give the student with a chemistry or materials science background a thorough grounding in the main techniques and concepts used to describe the structure, behavior and properties of polymeric materials. We will take both a practical, as well as a theoretical-conceptual approach to the study of these materials. Throughout the quarter the student will: • Gain insight into the bulk structure of polymeric materials • Qualitatively and quantitatively predict the relationships between the

structure and properties of polymeric materials • Understand the behavior of polymers as viscoelastic materials ABET Outcomes:

a. Ability to apply knowledge of science, engineering, and mathematics d.An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. e.An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems j.A knowledge of contemporary issues

Course Content: • Week 1 Review of organic and polymer chemistry principles, naming, reactions. • Week 2, 3 Properties of molecules: size, shape, symmetry, polarity etc • Week 4, 5 Relationship between properties of molecules and properties of materials made

from them Week 6 Different requirements for elastomers, fibers, plastics • Week 7 - 13 Specific polymers: structure, properties, uses. • Week 14 Special topics: rubber elasticity theory, time-temperature superposition. • Week 15 Review, summarize, class evaluation • Final Examination Period: Final exam (Comprehensive)

Tests will be closed book and will consist of a combination of short answer, multiple choice and essay questions. A missed test counts as zero unless the student provides a written medical or other acceptable excuse certifying inability to attend Course Requirements/Evaluation: The grade for this course will be determined by the results of 2 written examinations, Oral presentation, homework and assignments, and class participation. The weighting will be as follows:

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Examinations @ 30% each 60% Oral Presentation 20% Homework, class assignments and participation 20% TOTAL (T) 100% Grades will be assigned as follows: T ≥ 90% A 89% ≥ T ≥ 80% B 79% ≥ T ≥ 70% C 69% ≥ T ≥ 60% D T ≤ 59% F Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. Students are responsible for everything that is covered or announced in the class. Students with Special Needs: Students requiring special accommodations should contact the Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1232 Haley. Academic Integrity: The highest standards of academic integrity are expected. You are free to consult with one another to solve the homework problems, but the solutions are expected to be your individual efforts. Consult the Tiger Cub, or speak to me if there are any questions. Reference Materials The following texts are good reference materials to supplement the notes. - J. Bicerano, Prediction of Polymer Properties This text introduces tools to predict polymer properties based on the architecture (topology) of chain molecules. - N. M. Bikales, ed., Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology This is the seminal reference source on all topics of polymer science and technology. It consists of 16 volumes, and is periodically updated. (Reference) - F. Billmeyer, Textbook of Polymer Science This is an often quoted reference book. It covers the entire field of polymeric materials in one succinct volume.

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, covers the areas of structure and properties. Prepared by Maria L. Auad, January 14, 2009.

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PFEN 3570 ENGINEERED PROTECTIVE MATERIALS

Required Course Title: Engineered Protective Materials Credit Hours/ Prerequisites: Lecture 3; Prerequisites: ENGR 1110, Math 1610, Math 1620, Chem 1030, Chem 1040, PHYS 1600 Texts or Major Resources: Military Textiles, Eugene Wilusz, editor; Woodhead Publishing; ISBN 1 84569 206 3; ISBN-13: 978 1 84569 206 3; May 2008 Electronic media, including PowerPoint lectures will be provided on the course’s Blackboard site as well. Course Description: An engineering approach to the design of protective materials and structures based on analyses to counter kinetic, chemical and radiant threat hazards to people, animals and valuable objects. Course Objectives: This course is intended to: 1) Introduce the student to threat hazards including: fire, ballistic threats, explosion threats, chemical hazards, nuclear and radiation hazards and microbiological threats 2) Discuss and analyze the physical mechanistic and materials structure basis of performance characteristics in protective materials including individual materials capabilities and application of data to design effective protective materials structures 3) Review the basics of data analysis with emphasis on the fundamentals of statistical theory and methods. 4) Introduce the student to test methods and evaluation of protective materials in pertinent tests and performance standardizations for outcome assessment. Course Content: Specific topics that are covered in this course include:

• Global concepts and broad definitions of “protection” 2 weeks • Definitions of ballistic threats and standards to measure severity 1 week • Application of fiber-based systems for protection against ballistic threats 1 week • Requisite characteristics of materials’ chemical

and physical behavior during impact phenomena 1 week Test 1 (prior to midterm)

• Rigid armors, material types, appropriate structures, and impact disruption mechanisms 1 week

• Analysis of bomb types, physical mechanisms and blast threats 2 weeks • Strategies for reducing bomb effectiveness and destruction 1 week • Unusual and unconventional threat types and protection 1 week • Test 2 • Chemical threats, their chemical structures, mechanisms

and countermeasures 1 week • Biological threat types and countermeasures 2 weeks • Fire and ordinary accident protection 1 week • Class project is due on the last scheduled day of class

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• Final Exam (as assigned in the university schedule of exam meeting times)

The class will meet for three 50-minute sessions per week. Course Requirements/Evaluation: There will be three tests, including the Final Examination, from lectures, textbook and handout materials. The final exam will be comprised of material previously covered in the course plus any new material introduced after the second test. A class project is also required of the students in which they will perform as a team to design a solution to a pertinent and real world problem, as assigned by the instructor. A written report and a verbal presentation must be made to explain the solution the class devised to address the problem assigned. Final grades are scaled according to the following table: Grade Points Earned A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 59 or less Course Policy Statements: The following are the policies for absences and make-up of tests and report contributions: Excused Absences: Students are granted excused absences from class for the following reasons: Illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student’s immediate family, the death of a member of the student’s immediate family, trips for student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, trips for University classes, trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events, subpoena for a court appearance, and religious holidays. When feasible, the student must notify the instructor prior to the occurrence of any excused absences, but in no case shall such notification occur more than one week after the absence. Appropriate documentation for all excused absences is required. Please see the Tiger Cub http://www.auburn.edu/tigercub/handbook.htmlfor more information on excused absences. Academic Honesty Statement: The instructor requires the students to adhere to the Academic Honesty Code outlinedin the Tiger Cub. All portions of the Auburn University student academic honestycode (Title XII) found in the Tiger Cub will apply to this class. Program Outcomes: a, c, g, h, j, k Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the fiber option, covers the areas of properties and performance. Prepared by Gwen A. Thomas, Feb. 6, 2009

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PFEN 4100 POLYMER CHARACTERIZATION Required 1. Credit Hours: 4, T, R, 11:00-12:15 pm, room 104, lab T, R, 2-4:45 pm Prerequisites: PHYS 1610, CHEM 2080, PFEN 3500 or departmental approval. Instructor: Xinyu Zhang, Assistant Professor Office Hours: Tuesday, 3-4 pm 2. Recommended References: Campbell D. Pethrick, R. A., and White, J. R., Polymer Characterization: Physical Techniques 2nd Edition, Cleveland, CRC Press, 2000. Sperling, L. H., Introduction to physical polymer science, New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1990 Sandler, S. R., Karo, W., Bonesteel, J., and Pearce, E. M., Polymer Synthesis and Characterization: A Laboratory Manual, Academic Press, 1998. 3. Course Description: This course covers the most important aspects of the advanced methods in polymer characterization. The major techniques for the physical characterization of polymers are presented. Topics to be covered include molecular weight determination, spectroscopy techniques (UV, infra red IR, nuclear magnetic resonance NMR , electron spin resonance ESR), morphology and structural characterization by microscopy and diffraction (XRD, TEM, SEM, AFM, and optical), and thermal analysis. 4. Course Objectives: • To provide students with a familiarity with the common methods used in the analytical characterization of polymers. • To provide the students with an understanding of the fundamental physics and chemistry used by these techniques. • To provide the students with a sufficient background to select the appropriate method of characterization to solve a given problem. 5. ABET Outcomes: • An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering. • An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data. • An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. • Recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning. • An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice. 6. Course Content: 1) Introduction to polymer Characterization: purpose of characterization, molecular architecture, survey of techniques. 2) Molecular weight determination: primary methods, secondary methods. 3) Introduction to spectroscopy: energy level calculations, properties of electromagnetic radiation, double beam optics. 4) UV-Visible spectroscopy: instrumentation, theoretical estimation of electronic levels, polymer applications.

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5) Vibrational spectroscopy: infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy—fundamentals, experimental techniques, application to polymers. 6) Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR): principles of magnetic resonance, experimental techniques, applications to polymers. 7) Electron spin resonance spectroscopy: theory, experimental considerations, polymerization studies, degradation, relaxation. 8) X-ray diffraction: generation and properties of X-rays, diffraction theory, wide- and small-angle scattering, applications to polymers. 9) Scanning electron microscopy: introduction, design and operation of the SEM, primary, secondary, and backscattered electrons, contrast, observation of polymers, artifacts. 10) Transmission electron microscopy: diffraction, layout of the TEM, diffraction, resolution, contrast, polymer studies, scanning transmission electron microscopy. 11) Light optical techniques: refractive indices, birefringence, small angle light scattering. 12) Thermal analysis: calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis. 13) Thermal analysis: dynamic mechanical analysis, dielectric thermal analysis. rheology 14) Other techniques: x-ray photoelectron scattering, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, neutron diffraction. Course evaluation 7. Laboratory The laboratory sections are intended to include significant interactive discussion of important techniques for polymer synthesis and characterization. Therefore, reading assignments will be made every week. Laboratories will be made every week. Active participation in these discussions is a key part of the performance. Laboratory experiments will be used to reinforce the material presented in lectures. Note: all the lab sections are up to the availability of the instruments and operators. 8. Course Requirements/Evaluation: The grade for this course will be determined by the results of 2 written examinations and written laboratory reports. The weighting will be as follows: Mid-term Exam 25%, Final Exam 25%, Lab reports 30%, Final work 20% Minimum grades will be assigned as follows (T=% of total points): T ≥ 90% A, 89% ≥ T ≥ 80% , 79% ≥ T ≥ 70% C, 69% ≥ T ≥ 60% D, T ≤ 59% F Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the polymer option, covers the areas of structure, properties and performance. Prepared by Xinyu Zhang, Apr. 29, 2010

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PFEN 4200 POLYMERS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES Required M, W, 1-1:50, room 209 Instructor: Dr. Gisela Buschle-Diller (4-5468) Open door policy Course Description This course focuses on biopolymers, either from natural renewable materials or manufactured polymers that have the capability to bio-deteriorate within a reasonable timeframe. The concept of biodegradation as well as microbial synthesis will be introduced. Important biopolymers with industrial applications, or with potential to be commercialized in the near future, will be given special attention. In the introduction to the course we will take a look at biodecomposition and the involved problematic for polymeric materials. We will then discuss polymers that are considered biodegradable, compostable and produced from alternative renewable resources. In the second part we will talk about natural polymers as an option for petroplastics and how we could make biodegradable composites. Finally we’ll take a look at modifications of conventional petro-based polymers to make them easier degradable. The course will end with a discussion of cradle-to-cradle design, some industrial case studies and the concept of zero-waste. Credit Hours: 2 (lecture, no lab), Prerequisites: PFEN 3100 Text: Any polymer chemistry textbook can be used for background information; handouts and literature with the most important information will be given to the student Course Objectives • Become familiar with the concepts of biodegradation and biosynthesis of most important biopolymers • Develop an understanding for the necessity of increased use of renewable resources and environmentally friendly processing • Acquire an understanding of potential and limitation of alternative resources and routes to polymer materials (as opposed to petroleum) • Appreciate possibilities to develop more sustainable solutions to environmental challenges • Be able to apply learned concepts Course Content -Topics Biodegradation; cradle-to-cradle concept; biopolymers from natural and petrochemical origin, and from agricultural waste; modification of synthetic polymers to become biodegradable. Course Outline Week 1: Introduction (discussion of peak oil), overview of resources for biopolymers, definition of biodegradation, composting; “green” polymers and “greenwashing” Week 2: What are microorganisms? What is an enzyme and how do enzymes function? Weeks 3-4: Polymers made by microbial means, plants or waste sources (PHA, PLA, PGA) Weeks 4-5: Polymers from petroleum (PCL, PEA) that are still considered “biopolymers”; conditions for conventional polymers to be biodegradable

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Week 6: Polymers from natural oils, also considered “biopolymers” MIDSEMESTER EXAM Weeks 7-9: Polymers from plant origin (starch, cellulose, lignin, alginate, chitin, etc.) and polymers based on proteins (collagen, gelatin, casein, fibrogen, elastin, etc.); natural rubber Week 10: Examples of biocomposites, using biodegradable and natural materials as matrix and reinforcement Week 11: Making synthetic polymers more accessible to biodegradation, impact on properties (poly(vinyl saccharides, oxo-polyolefins, aromatic polyesters, etc.) Week 12: Biopolymer applications – cytotoxicity, biomedical devices, scaffolds, bio-integration, controlled drug release, agricultural applications Week 13: Recycling and reprocessing (industrial case studies), cradle-to-cradle concept, economics Week 14: Overview of enzymatic polymerization reactions Week 15: Wrap-up and FINAL Grading PFEN 4200: Grading is based on the average of assignments (15%), class activities (10%), one mid-semester exam and a final (30% each), and a presentation on a course related topic (15%). Attendance is required. Letter Grade Points A 90 - 100 B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79 D 60 - 69 F 59 or less Class activities: students will be asked to prepare short summaries of reading material, solve problems and puzzles in groups or on their own during class time, find relevant information from polymer databases via the internet or the library. Students with Special Needs Students requiring special accommodations should contact the Director of the Program for Students with Disabilities, located in 1232 Haley. Program Outcomes: a, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the fiber option, covers the areas of properties and performance. Prepared by G. Buschle-Diller, August 2008.

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PFEN 4300 ENGINEERED FIBROUS STRUCTURES

Required Instructor: Dr. Sabit Adanur, Professor, 222 Textile Building Phone: 844-5497, e-mail: adanusa@auburn.edu http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~adanusa Class Hours: Lec.: M,W,F: 10.00 am –10.50 am , TX 209. Lab: M, 2.00-4.45 pm, TX 209. Office Hours: M-F: 9.00-10.00 and 13.00-14.00 pm OR whenever I am in my office. Catalog Description: Lec. 3, Lab. 3, Pr. PFEN 2270 Design and applications of high performance industrial fibrous structures for civil engineering, architecture and construction, filtration, medical, military and defense, pulp and paper industry, safety and protection, sports and recreation, transportation, agriculture and other industries Course Objectives: To introduce the student to the area of industrial fibrous structures and provide a sound understanding of design, manufacturing, testing and applications of these structures.

Course Outcomes: a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments c. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and

societal context i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering

practice

Assessment Tools: 1. In class closed book exams to test outcomes for individual students 2. Homeworks, labs, and design project to test outcomes with the possibility of student

collaboration. Course Contents: - Ch. 1 Introduction / Overview - Ch. 6 Architectural and Construction Textiles - Ch. 8 Filtration Textiles - Ch. 9 Geotextiles - Ch. 10 Medical Textiles - Ch. 11 Military and Defense Textiles - Ch. 12 Paper Machine Clothing

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- Ch. 13 Safety and Protective Textiles - Ch. 14 Sports and Recreation Textiles - Ch. 15 Transportation Textiles - Ch. 16 General Industrial Textiles Prerequisite: PFEN 2270 Credit Hours: 4 Text: Adanur, S., Wellington Sears Handbook of Industrial Textiles, Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., 1995 (now CRC Press). Tests and Assignments: Points First Test (M, Sept. 22) 100 Second Test (F, Oct. 24) 100 Final Exam (M, Dec. 15) 100 Hours: 8-10.30 am Homeworks/labs 150 Design Project 50 Total 500 Tests will be essay type and closed book. No one may take any test at any time other than the scheduled time. A missed exam counts zero unless the student provides a written medical excuse certifying inability to attend. All questions concerning grading must be submitted within one week of the test date. Attendance Policy: Attendance is strongly encouraged. A student with perfect attendance will be awarded a 12 points bonus. Grading: At the end of the course, points are added and final letter grades are assigned as follows: Letter Grade Percent of Total Points A 90-100+ B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F Less than 60 Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the fiber option, covers the areas of structure, properties, processing and performance. Prepared by S. Adanur, August 19, 2009

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PFEN 4400 MECHANICS OF FLEXIBLE STRUCTURES

Required Dr. Yasser Gowayed 222A Textile Bldg gowayed@auburn.edu

(334) 844-5496Official Office Hours: 12:00 – 14:00 W

Class: 9:30-10:45 TR, 209 TXTL, 3 credits Prerequisites: ENGR 2070, ENGR 2200, PFEN 2270 Objectives Present mechanics of fibers, yarns and fabrics to students and study the inter-relationship of different elements on the overall performance of fabrics. Students are expected to be able to apply mechanical modeling techniques introduced in this class, along with general textile knowledge relevant to fiber, yarn and fabric in the design of a textile product. Bulletin Description Analysis of mechanical behavior and physical properties of flexible structures such as fibers, yarns and fabrics. The influence of geometric characteristics and physical properties on mechanical behavior. ABET Student outcomes:

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments. c. An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs. d. e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. f. g. An ability to communicate effectively. h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a

global and societal context. i. j. k. An ability to use techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering

Recommended Text: Class notes

Evaluation and Grade The grade for this course will be determined from the results of a midterm, a comprehensive final examination, homework exercises, and the design project. The individual weightings will be as follows: Post-reading activities 10% Midterm test 20% Final 30% Lab 10%

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Homeworks 20% Design Project 10% Assignment of letter grades: Letter grades will be assigned based upon your performance in each of the five areas above. The criteria for assign the letter grade will be based upon the final average as follows: Letter Grade Minimum Final Average A 90+ B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F < 60 Attendance is required. A maximum number of three unexcused will be accommodated. Any class missed after that will reduce one point for the final class score. Design Project A fibrous product has to be designed utilizing information and mechanics presented in this class. Each student is expected to select a product, define loading and environmental conditions, conduct design and verify structural stability. Deadline for project submission is on the day of the final exam. Fiber

Week 1: Review of elastic behavior in 1D; Ductile and Brittle fibers; Stress-strain curves Week 2: Lab I: Mechanical testing of fibers Week 3: Effect of Temperature, light and moisture; Elastic behavior of fibers in 3D Week 4: Lab II: Hygro-thermal testing of fibers Week 5: Flexural and torsion rigidities; True stress and true strain Week 6: Creep and Relaxation; Numerical examples

Yarn Week 7: Spun yarns; Continuous filament yarns; Idealized yarn geometry Week 8: Lab III: Yarn testing

Week 9: Mechanics of continuous filament yarns Week 10: Mechanics of spun fiber yarns

FabricWeek 11: Pierces model for the geometry of plain weaves; Jamming and cover

factor; Tensile properties of fabrics Week 12: Lab IV: Mechanical testing of fabrics Week 13: Shear properties of fabrics Week 14: Drape

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for the fiber option, covers the areas of structure, properties and performance. Prepared by Y. Gowayed, August 10, 2009

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PFEN 4500 FIBER REINFORCED MATERIALS

Required Instructor: Dr. Yasser Gowayed 222A TXTL Bldg gowayed@auburn.edu

(334) 844-5496Official Office Hours: 12:30-14:00 T

12:30- 14:00 R Class: 11:00-12:15 TR, 119 TXTL, 3 credits

Prerequisites: ENGR 2070, ENGR 2200, MATH 2660, PFEN 2270 Objectives

1. To provide students with an understanding of the material properties and capabilities of fiber reinforced materials and its constituents.

2. To present manufacturing techniques for fiber reinforced materials. 3. To provide an appreciation of the impact of fiber geometry on material properties. 4. To introduce students to the mechanics of fiber reinforced materials. 5. To help students create their own analysis code using Matlab to calculate elastic and

thermal properties of fiber reinforced materials. 6. To guide students to design and manufacture a product of their choice using composite

materials.

Required text : Hull, D. and Clyne, T.W., “An Introduction to Composite Materials,” 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 1996.

ABET Outcomes

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs d. e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems f. g. An ability to communicate effectively h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global

and societal context i. j. A knowledge of contemporary issues k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for

engineering practice

Evaluation and Grade (Assessment Tools) The grade for this course will be determined from the results a midterm and a final exam, laboratory/homework exercises, and a design and manufacture project. The individual weightings will be as follows: Quizes 10% Midterm 25%

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Final exam 25% Labs/homework 20% Design and manufacture project 20% - If an emergency arises making it impossible for you to take the exam at the scheduled time,

you must give me ±24 hours notification, otherwise a grade of “zero” will be assigned to the examination.

Assignment of letter grades: Letter grades will be assigned based upon your performance in each of the four areas above. The criteria for assigning the letter grade will be based upon the final average as follows: Letter Grade Minimum Final Average A 90+ B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F < 60 Outline of class activities Week 1-2: Types of composite materials and their applications; isotropic vs. anisotropic

response; review of stress state in 3D; Hooke’s law for anisotropic materials (Chapter 1 + supplementary material).

Week 3: Fibers and matrix materials (Chapter 2). Week 4: Elastic deformation of unidirectional composites (Chapter 4) Week 5-7: Composite manufacturing methods (Chapter 11.1 + supplementary material) Mid-term examination (Weeks 1-7) Week 8: Transverse isotropy and stiffness matrices (Chapter 5) Week 9: Fiber architecture (Chapter 13 + supplementary material) Week 10-11: The Stiffness Average Method (Supplementary material) Week 12: Short fiber composites (Chapter 6&7) Week 13: Thermal conductivity (Chapter 10) Week 14: Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (Chapter 10) Week 15: Review and work on design and manufacture project Final Examination Period: Final (comprehensive) Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, covers the areas of structure, properties, processing and performance. Prepared by Y. Gowayed, Jan. 4, 2010

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PFEN 4810 POLYMER AND FIBER ENGINEERING DESIGN I Required Course Description This course is designed to give the student tools and skills that are needed to conduct an engineering design project. The emphasis will be on acquiring proficiency necessary for writing and presenting a design project. The student will learn to follow a timeline from developing an idea to writing the project outline, background information and designing a plan of work. Background knowledge and experience from various courses taken in previous years will be incorporated and applied in the senior design project. Prerequisites: Senior standing Credit Hours: (1) Lec. 1, independent study 2 Text: no text book; literature will be given to the student where necessary Course Objectives • To gain familiarity with researching scientific literature • To acquire essential oral and written communication skills • To get acquainted with the course of action of designing a process or product • To practice team‐work and creative problem solving • To solve problems with acquired background knowledge and experience • To apply problem‐solving skills to a real‐life industrial setting Course Content This course is designed to practice effective oral and written presentation skills, to create a timeline and to set goals for a design project. Emphasis is on developing skills needed to research a selected topic in the literature and to write and present the topic in form of a “mini‐thesis”. Further, the students practice team work and advance in effective communication skills. Different approaches are used to achieve these goals, such as group discussions and creative role plays. Once the students selected a design topic, a faculty advisor will assist with their individual projects (PFEN 4820 Senior Design II). ABET Criteria for Course Outcomes: 1. Ability to apply knowledge of science, engineering, and mathematics 2. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data 3. An ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems 4. Ability to communicate effectively 5. Knowledge of contemporary issues Grading Grading is based on the average of assignments and class activities (30%) and the grade submitted by the individual advisor of the student(s) (70%). The grade of the individual advisor is based on the preliminary report on the design project delivered by the student. Attendance is required. One (1) unexcused absence will be permitted. Each subsequent unexcused absence will cause one (1) point to be deducted from the final average used to determine the grade.

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Letter Grade Points: A 90 ‐ 100, B 80 ‐ 89, C 70 ‐ 79, D 60 ‐ 69, F 59 or less Academic Integrity: The highest standards of academic integrity are expected. The students are free to consult with one another to solve the homework problems, but the solutions are expected to be her/his individual efforts. Rules and regulations can be found in the Tiger Cub. Course Outline (might have to be changed slightly depending on the needs of class) Week 1 (8/20) Introduction: what is a senior design project? Expectations, guidelines; forming teams Week 2 (8/27) Group discussion: brainstorming and selecting a topic; dissection of a scientific article into its parts; defining goals; setting up a timeline; creating a framework, MacDonald’s creative clips Assignment: define the topic, due 9/3 Week 3 (9/3) How to write an introduction (problem statement) Assignment: draft of introduction, due 9/17 Week 4 (9/10) A sure way of writing abstracts – email abstract at end of class to instructor Week 5 (9/17) Create a list of sub‐headings for the literature review; how to write the literature review? Writing tips, presentation and style guidelines Assignment: Draft of literature review due 10/22 Week 6 (9/24) Creativity project; team‐project; taped for later Week 7 (10/1) Ethics for engineers: case studies – how would you have handled the situation? PowerPoint for oral presentations and posters – some helpful guidelines Week 8 (10/8) Getting a job – job search, resume writing, interviewing; including your design project into your resume and interview Week 9 (10/15) 10‐min PowerPoint presentation on your project; advisors will be invited for feedback; assignment: create a poster for 11/10 on a current topic (engineering or science) Week 10 (10/22) Bring your resume to class – how to handle interview situations and unexpected questions; group interview as a role play Week 11 (10/29) Discussion of intro/problem statement, literature review Week 12 (11/3) How to create a Plan of Work and a Cost Analysis? Feed back on body language Week 13 (11/10) Bringing it all together – poster session ‐ polishing of your design project draft Week 14 (11/17) Thanksgiving break Week 15 (11/24) Turn your written report in to your faculty advisor; finalize the report

Contribution to meeting the requirements of Criterion 5: The course, which is required for both options, covers the areas of structure and properties. Prepared by Gisela Buschle‐Diller, August 8, 2008.

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PFEN 4820 POLYMER AND FIBER ENGINEERING DESIGN II

Required

Catalog Description: Undergraduate design project, second semester

Prerequisite: PFEN 4810 Textbook:

• None Course Objectives:

To help the student gain the experience of completing a design project and presenting it orally and in a written report.

Topics Covered:

Topics vary with the interest of the student and faculty Class/Laboratory schedule: (3 cr.), independent work Contribution of course to meeting the professional component:

Engineering Topics: 3 hours Relationship of course to program objectives:

Prepares students to meet the following program outcomes: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3e, 3g, 3i, 3j, 3k Prepared by Peter Schwartz, 22 February 2005

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APPENDIX B – FACULTY RESUMES

SABIT ADANUR Professor

115 Textile Building Phone: (334) 844-5497, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: adanusa@auburn.edu Website: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~adanusa

EDUCATION • 1989 - Ph.D., Fiber and Polymer Science, N. Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC • 1985 - MS, Textile Engineering and Science, N. Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC • 1982 - BS, Mechanical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University

EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 18

• 1999 - Present: Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 1996 - 1999: Associate Professor, Textile Engineering, Auburn University • 1992 - 1996: Assistant Professor, Textile Engineering, Auburn University • 1989 - 1989: Process Development Engineer, Asten Forming Fabrics, Appleton, WI. • 1989 - 1992: Product & Process Development Mgr, Asten Forming Fabrics, Appleton,

WI. • 1983 - 1989: Research/Teaching Assistant, Textile Eng, Chem. and Sci., N. C. State

University

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) • Manufacture Alabama • Phi Psi Textile Fraternity • The Fiber Society

INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES • 2007 - Present: Chair/Member - AU Faculty Grievance Committee • 2005 - 2008: Chair - AU Student Academic Grievance Committee • 2003 - 2006: Member - AU Academic Honesty Committee • 2003 - Present: Coordinator - Polymer and Fiber Engineering ABET Comittee • 2002 - 2005: Member - Engineering Faculty Council (EFC) • 2002 - 2005: Member - AU Diversity Leadership Council • 1993 - Present: Member - CoE Curriculum Committee

HONORS AND AWARDS • 2009: Outstanding Faculty Member, Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Auburn University. • 2008: Outstanding Faculty Member, Polymer and Fiber Engineering - Auburn University. • 2003: Outstanding Faculty Member, Textile Engineering Dept. - Auburn University. • 2002: Outstanding Faculty Member, Textile Engineering Dep. - Auburn University. • 2001: Outstanding Faculty Member, Textile Engineering Dep. - Auburn University. • 2000: College of Engineering Birdsong Merit Teaching Award - Auburn University. • 2000: Outstanding Faculty Member, Textile Engineering Dep. - Auburn University. • 1999: Alumni Engineering Council Senior Faculty Research Award - Auburn University.

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• 1999: Auburn Alumni Professor - Auburn University. 4 years • 1995: Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) - National Science Foundation. • 1991: George Goldfinger Award - N. C. State Univ., Coll. of Textiles. Best Ph.D.

dissertation

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES • 2008 - Present: Biggio Center seminars and workshops, Auburn Univ. • 2008 - 2008: Advances in Extrusion Conference, New Orleans • 2007 - 2007: Blackboard training, Auburn University • 1992 - Present: Various patents shortcourses and workshops • 1992 - Present: International Textile Machinery Association (ITMA)

RESEARCH INTERESTS • Fiber reinforced composites • Polymer processing • Engineered fabric design, development and analysis • Computer aided design and modeling • Manufacturing machinery and process design and development

Specialty • Composites, fibers, yarns, fabrics, polymer processing, manufacturing and testing, patent

technology

APPLICATIONS • Aerospace and automotive composite applications, medical textiles, paper machine

clothing, fuel cells, nanotechnology

EXAMPLES OF FUNDING SOURCE • National Science Foundation, US Army Natick, Private Industry, National Textile Center,

Department of Commerce

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Liu, W., and Adanur, S., "Properties of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Membranes and

Chemically-Activated Carbon Nanofibers", Textile Research Journal, Vol. 80, No. 2, pp 124-134, Jan. 2010.

• Ascioglu, B., Adanur, S., Gumusel, L., and Bas, H., "Transverse Direction Thermal Conductivity Modeling of Nano-micro Fiber Reinforced Composites", Textile Research Journal, Vol. 79, No. 12, pp 1059-1066, 2009.

• Adanur, S., and Schwartz, P., (editor), "Structure and Mechanics of Coated Fabrics in Structure and Mechanics of Fibre Assemblies", Woodhead Publishing Ltd and CRC Press, May. 2008.

• Adanur, S., "Handbook of Weaving", CRC Press, 2001. • Adanur, S., "Paper Machine Clothing", CRC Press, 1997. • Adanur, S., "Wellington Sears Handbook of Industrial Textiles", CRC Press, 1995.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 35% Percentage of time committed to the program: 65%

105

MARIA LUJAN AUAD Professor

103 Textile Building Phone: (334) 844-5459, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: auad@auburn.edu Website: http://http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~mla0001/

EDUCATION

• 2000 - Ph.D., Materials Science, University of Mar del Plata, Argentina • 1995 - BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Mar del Plata, Argentina

EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 4

• 2006 - Present: Assistant Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 2002 - 2006: Research Assistant, Department of Materials Science, University of

Southern California, USC • 2000 - 2002: Research Assistant, Chemical Engineering Department, California Institute

of Technology, CALTECH

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES • American Chemical Society, ACS • Material Research Society, MRS • Society of Rheology, SOR

HONORS AND AWARDS

• 2010: 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Grant Award, “3M New Environmental Safe Barrier Materials” - 3M.

• 2010: 2010 Outstanding Faculty Professor Polymer and Fiber Engineering Department - Auburn University.

• 2009: 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Grant Award, “3M New Environmental Safe Barrier Materials” - 3M.

• 2008: Competitive Research Grant Auburn 2008 - Auburn University. • 2007: Auburn Mentoring Program- 2007 - Auburn Univesrity. • 2007: Competitive Research Grant Auburn 2007 - Auburn University. • 2003: Women in Science and Engineering, USC Program (WISE) - University of

Southern

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES • 2005 - 2006: Invited Lectures - Univ. of Southern California - Thermodynamics of

Materials Science (graduate course) •

RESEARCH INTERESTS • Shape memory polymers • Interpenetrating polymer networks • Control of microstructures & nanostructure in materials • Flow behavior of polymers

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• Polymers for structural & biomedical applications • Polymer nanocomposites

EXAMPLES OF FUNDING SOURCE

• Sponsors: 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Grant Award, “3M Project New Environmental Safe Barrier Materials” (2009-2010) Defense Threat Reduction Agency-Broad Agency Announcement (Phase 2) HDTRA1-08-10-BRCWMD "Processing and Dynamic Failure Characterization of Novel Impact Absorbing Transparent Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (t-IPN)". NSF MRI: Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art X-ray Diffractometer for Research and Education Department of Commerce, “Tailored Surface Reactivity of Carbon Nanotubes for Polymeric Composite Applications” NSF-REU Program: “Interdisciplinary Studies for Sensor and Biosensor Development” Program Raices, “Bio-compuestos macro-micro y nano reforzados”, PICT-2006-02153, Collaborative Work ARGENTINA-USA.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Maria L. Auad, Mirna A. Mosiewicki*, Cihan Uzunpinar*, Roberto J. J. Williams,

"Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanofibers used in Epoxy/Amine Matrices that Avoid Partitioning of the Monomers at the Fiber Interfac", POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp 183-190, 2010.

• Maria L. Auad*, Mirna A. Mosiewicki,Tara Richardson, Mirta I. Aranguren, Norma E. Marcovich, "Tailored Shape memory Polyurethane Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Nanofibers", Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 115, No. 2, pp 1215-1225, 2010.

• Wei Chen, Hongbin Shen, Maria L. Auad, Changzheng Huang, Steven Nutt, "Basalt fiber–epoxy laminates with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes", Composites: Part A, Vol. 40, pp 1082–1089, 2009.

• Maria L. Auad*, Mirna A. Mosiewicki, Cihan Uzunpinar, Roberto J. J. Williams, "Single-wall carbon nanotubes/epoxy elastomers exhibiting high damping capacity in an extended temperature range", Composite Science and Technology, Vol. 69, pp 1088–1092, 2009.

• Chia-Hao Wang, Maria L. Auad, Norma E Marcovich, Steven Nutt,, "Synthesis and characterization of organically modified attapulgite/polyurethane nanocomposites", Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 109, No. 4, pp 2562-2570, 2008.

• Murphy, Erin B.; Bolanos, Ed; Schaffner-Hamann, Christine; Wudl, Fred; Nutt, Steven R.; Auad, Maria L., "Synthesis and Characterization of a Single-Component Thermally Remendable Polymer Network: Staudinger and Stille Revisited", Macromolecules, Vol. 41, No. 14, pp 5203-5209, 2008.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 50% Percentage of time committed to the program: 50%

.

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GISELA BUSCHLE-DILLER Professor

223 Textile Building Phone: (334) 844-5468, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: buschgi@auburn.edu Website: http://http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/buschgi/

EDUCATION • 1989 - Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Germany • 1985 - Diploma, Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Germany

• 1979 - Pre-Diploma, Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Germany EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 15

• 2007 - Present: Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 1999 - 2007: Associate Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 1998 - 2001: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis • 1995 - 1999: Assistant Professor, Textile Engineering, Auburn University • 1995 - 1995: Research Associate, Analytical Laboratories, Rathgen Laboratories, Berlin,

Germany • 1994 - 1995: Research Associate, Natural Polymers, Fraunhofer Inst. Applied Polym.

Res., Teltow, FRG • 1990 - 1993: Postdoctoral Research Associate, College of Agricultural and

Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis • 1987 - 1989: Research Assistant, Materials Research, Max Planck Inst. Solid State

Physics, Stuttgart

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES • 2009 - Present: American Society for Engineering Education • 2001 - Present: Fiber Society • 1995 - 2008: American Association of Textile Chemists Colorists • 1992 - Present: American Chemical Soc., Cellulose & Renewable Materials Div

INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• 2009 - Present: Faculty Advisor - Postdoctoral Fellows at Auburn • 2009 - Present: Editorial Board member - Industrial Biotechnology • 2009 - Present: Member - International Skills Implementation Committee • 2008 - 2009: Member - Presidential International Task Force • 2007 - Present: Member - Leaning Community Planning Committee, Faculty Dev. • 2007 - Present: Member - Dean's Graduate Fellowship Committee • 2007 - Present: Member - Graduate Council • 2007 - Present: Member - Engineering Faculty Council (T&P) • 2003 - 2005: U.S. Representative, Natural Polymers Division - Fraunhofer Inst. Applied

Polymer Research, Germany • 2001 - 2007: Member, Chair (2005-2007) - Teaching Effectiveness Committee • 1999 - Present: Graduate Program Officer - Polymer and Fiber Engineering

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• 1998 - Present: USDA Research panel member , NRI & SBIR - US Department of Agriculture

HONORS AND AWARDS • 2009-2010: Faculty Fellow - Biggio Ctr. f. Enhancement of Teaching & Learning. • 2006: Outstanding Faculty Member - Polymer and Fiber Engineering. • 2005: Walker Teaching Award - Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. • 2004: Outstanding Faculty Member - Textile Engineering. • 2002: National Textile Center Award for Scientific Excellence - National Textile Center. • 1998: Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Research Award - Alumni Eng. Council.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Enzyme technology; enzymatic polymerization; hydrogels; glycopolymers; electrospinning of biodegradable nanofibers for medical applications; drug release studies; surface chemistry and surface modification technology; sustainability issues; natural polymers; coloration; renewable resources from biomass

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Z. Xie, G. Buschle-Diller, "Electrospun poly(D, L-lactic acid) fibers for drug delivery:

the influence of co-solvent and the mechanism of drug release", J. Appl. Polym. Sci., Vol. 115, No. 1, pp 1-8, 2010.

• Chou, S.F., Gale, W.F., Gale, H.S., Shannon, C.G., Buschle-Diller, G., Sofyan, N.I., "Evaluation of Airliner Cabin Textile Materials after Vapour Phase Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination", Materials Science and Technology, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp 66-80, 2010.

• Xie, Z., Buschle-Diller, G., "Functionalized Poly(L-lactide) Nanoparticles from Electrospun Nanofibers", Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition, 2010.

• Karaaslan, M.A., Tshabalala, M., Buschle-Diller, G., "Wood hemicellulose/chitosan-based semi-interpenetrating network hydrogels: mechanical, swelling and controlled drug release properties", Bioresources, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp 1036-1054, 2010.

• R. Stephen, G. Buschle-Diller, "Enzymatic Formation of Colorants", The Fiber Society, Book of Abstracts, Oct. 2007.

• G. Buschle-Diller, A. Ahmed, Y. Gowayed, T. Turel, R. Rifki, Z. Bangash, "Assessment of Continuous and Aerated Fabric Pressure-Washing", Journal Textile Institute, Vol. 98, No. 4, pp 319-326, 2007.

• G. Buschle-Diller, J. Cooper, Y. Wu, J. Waldrup, X. Ren, "Electrospun Biodegradable Bicomponent Fibers", Cellulose; Nanotechnology - A Fiber Perspective, Vol. 14, No. 6, pp 553-562, 2007.

• X. Ren, G. Buschle-Diller, "Oxidoreductases for Modification of Linen Fibers", Colloids and Surfaces; Part A, Physicochemical Eng. Aspects, Vol. 299, No. 1, pp 15-21, 2007.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 30% Percentage of time committed to the program: 70%

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EDWARD W. DAVIS Assistant Research Professor

Polymer and Fiber Engineering Department Auburn University, 103 Textile Building, Auburn, AL 36849

Phone: (334)844-5471, Fax: (334)844-4068, E-mail: ewd0001@auburn.edu

Professional Preparation: University of Akron, Akron, OH. Chemical Engineering Ph.D. 1996 Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. Chemical Engineering M.E. 1993 Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. Chemical Engineering B.S.E. 1990

Appointments: 8/07-present Assistant Research Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering Dept., Auburn

University (Full time research appointment) 08/05-08/07 Quality Improvement Engineer, CSP Technologies, Auburn 04/00-08/05 Senior Principal Research Engineer, EVAL Company of America, Houston 05/99-03/00 Polyester Technical Support Specialist, Shell Chemicals, Akron 04/97-05/99 Polymer Research Engineer, Shell Chemicals, Belgium

Publications: 1). K. Radhakrishnan, E.W. Davis, V. Davis, “Influence of initial mixing methods on melt

extruded single-walled carbon nanotube-polypropylene nanocomposites,” Submitted. 2). S. Song, W. Christopher, E.W. Davis, “Controlled Release of Tetracycline

Hydrochloride from Halloysite Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH) Composite Films” Submitted.

3). E.W. Davis, “EVALTM for PET Bottle Applications,” Proceedings of Nova-Pack Europe, Düsseldorf, Germany, September 2002.

4). E.W. Davis, B. Bootsma, “Recycling Studies of EVAL – Commercial Recycling,” Proceedings of Nova-Pack Europe, Düsseldorf, Germany, September 19, 2001.

5). E.W. Davis, “Recycling Studies of EVALTM – Recycling of PET Bottles Containing Oxygen Scavenging EVAL,” Proceedings of Nova-Pack Americas, Orlando, FL, January 30, 2001.

6). E.W. Davis, R. Mukkamala, and H.M. Cheung, “Effects of precursor composition on pore morphology for thermally polymerized acrylic acid/methyl methacrylate-based microemulsions,” Langmuir, 1998. 14(4): p. 762-767.

7). N. Schmuhl, E.W. Davis, and H.M. Cheung, “Morphology of thermally polymerized microporous polymer materials prepared from methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate microemulsions,” Langmuir, 1998. 14(4): p. 757-761.

8). E.W. Davis, “Polymerized Bicontinuous Microemulsions as Controlled Release Devices,” (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Akron, 1996)

Consulting, Institutional and Professional Activities:

110

• Consulting for CSP Technologies (Auburn, AL) – 6 six sigma process improvement of injection molding process.

• Consulting for Brecon Knitting Mills (Talladega, AL) and Talladega Enterprises (Talladega, AL) – PET fiber spinning process.

• Consulting for EVALCA (Houston, TX) – high barrier plastics and improvement of mechanical properties.

• Refereed Journal Papers (Journal of Electrostatics, Langmuir, Packaging Technology & Science, Biomacromolecules, Composites Science and Technology, Journal of Controlled Release)

• Mentored visiting undergraduate female during a 12 week summer project on the area of controlled release from composite systems.

• Mentor undergraduate recipient of the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowship, year long project on novel controlled release systems based on Halloysite Nanocomposites.

Collaborators & Other Affiliations: i) Project Collaborations:

Sabit Adanur (AU), Maria Auad (AU), Christopher Roberts (AU), Allen McMillian (Brecon Knitting Mills), Kenith Williams (Talladega Enterprises)

ii) Graduate and Professional Advisors: Dr. Michael Cheung, Ph.D. (The University of Akron)

iii) Thesis Advisor and Committee Member (last five years):

As thesis Advisor: Current graduate students: S. Nandikonda As Committee Member: K. Radhakrishnan, Vishal Salian

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 100% Percentage of time committed to the program: 100%

111

YEHIA EL MOGAHZY WestPoint Stevens Professor

101 Textile Bldg Phone: (334) 844-5463, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: elmogye@auburn.edu Website: http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~yehiae/

EDUCATION • 1986 - Ph.D., Fiber & Polymer Science, North Carolina State University • 1978 - MS, Textile Engineering, Alexandria University

EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 24

• 2003 - Present: USDA National Research Review Committee Member, , USDA-ARS • 2000 - Present: Consultant to the Egyptian Minister of Industry, , The Ministry of

Industry-Egypt • 1999 - Present: Manufacturing Cost Consultant, , Mayfair Spinning-Pakistan • 1999 - 2001: Analyst of Cotton Quality Modeling, , Uster-Switzerland • 1997 - Present: Quality Program-Consultant, , Manifattura di Legnano • 1995 - 2002: Technical Editor, , Journal of Cotton Fiber science • 1990 - Present: EFS Algorithms Consultant, , Cotton Incorporated-U.S.A.

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• 1997 - Present: Fiber Society • 1995 - Present: ASQC • 1990 - 1995: ASME • 1990 - Present: Textile Quality Control association

HONORS AND AWARDS

• 2002: WestPoint Stevens Distinguished Professor - Auburn University. • 1999: Birdsong Outstanding Faculty Award - Auburn University. • 1996: Outstanding Faculty member - Outstanding Faculty member. • 1995: Outstanding Faculty member - Auburn University. • 1994: Outstanding Faculty member - Auburn University. • 1993: Outstanding Faculty member - Auburn University. • 1990: Tessili Award of Outstanding Engineering Research - Italian Trade Commission.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

• 2004 - Present: Integrated Quality Control-ITAS-Course • 1999 - Present: Video-Course on Statitistics and Quality Control • 1995 - Present: Statistics for Engineers and Science-Course

RESEARCH INTERESTS

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• (1) Human-Related Aspects of Textiles (2) Judgmental-Forecasting Techniques (3) Protective Clothing

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Yehia E. El Mogahzy, Asaad M., R. farag, Faissal Hady, "Study of the Nature of Fiber

Blending-Part II: Experimental", Tex. Res. J.-Accepted, 2004. • Dr. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, "Study of the Nature of Fiber Blending-Part I Theoretical

Consideration", Text. Res. J. - Accepted, 2004. • Yehia El Mogahzy, Fatma Selcen Kilinc, Monir Hassan, and Ramsis Farag,

"Developments of Fabric Handle Evaluation", Book-Chapter - Woodhead Publishing, pp 27 pages, 2004.

• Yehia El Mogahzy, Fatma Selcen Kilinc, Monir Hassan, and Ramsis Farag, "Friction of Synthetic Fibrous Materials", Book-Chapter - Woodhead Publishing, pp 35 pages, 2004.

• Yehia El Mogahzy, Fatma Selcen Kilinc, Monir Hassan, and Ramsis Farag, "Friction of Cotton Fibers", Book Chapter-Woodhead Publishing, pp 32 pages, 2003.

• Dr. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, "MODERNIZING THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TO MEET GLOBAL DEMANDS", Textile Institute-Conference, pp 23 pages, 2002.

• Dr. Yehia El Mogahzy, "Statistics & Quality Control for Engineers and Manufacturers (2nd Ed)", Book-Quality Press, pp 521 pages, 2002.

• Dr. Yehia El Mogahzy & Mr. Charles Chewning, Jr, "Cotton Fiber to Yarn Manufacturing Technology", Book Published Cotton Inc., pp 485 pages, 2002.

• Dr. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, "Quality Improvement, and Textile Processing", Book Chapter-Haworth Press, pp 28 pages, 1999.

• EL Mogahzy, Y.E., Broughton, R., Guo, H., and Taylor, R. A, "Evaluating Staple Fiber Processing Propensity, Part I: Processing Propensity of Cotton Fibers", Textile Res. J., Vol. 68, No. 11, pp 835-840, 1998.

• EL Mogahzy, Y.E., Broughton, R., Guo, H., and Rollins, C., "Evaluating Staple Fiber Processing Propensity, Part II: Processing Propensity of Cotton/Polyester Blends", Textile Res. J., Vol. 68, No. 12, pp 907-912, 1998.

• Dr. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, "Manufacturing of Staple Yarns-Book Chapter", Book Chapter-Wellington Sears Handbook of Industrial Textiles, pp 24 pages, 1995.

PATENTS

• Yehia El Mogahzy & Faissal AbdelHady, "Magnetic Spinning", Patent issued, 2004.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 0% (on sick leave) Percentage of time committed to the program: 0% (on sick leave)

113

YASSER GOWAYED Professor

222A Textile Bldg. Phone: (334) 844-5496, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: gowayed@auburn.edu

EDUCATION

• 1992 – Ph.D., Fiber and Polymer Science, North Carolina State University

• 1989 – M.Sc., Materials Engineering, The American University in Cairo

• 1980 – B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn University: 17. Appointment at Auburn University: August 1992

• 2004 - Present: Professor, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University

• 1996 - 2003: Associate Professor, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University

• 2000 - 2001: Visiting Professor, Philadelphia University

• 1992 - 1995: Assistant Professor, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University

• 1980 - 1989: Senior Engineer, Howeedy Consulting, Egypt

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• The Fiber Society

• Materials Research Society

• SAMPE

INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• 2004 - Present: Academic Program Review Committee, Chair- Auburn University

• 2002 - Present: Site Director- National Textile Center

• 2001 - Present: Faculty Advisor, Muslim Student Organization, Auburn University

• 2002 –Present: Presidential Symposium, coordinating member, Auburn University

• 2005 – Present: College of Engineering Faculty Council, member, Auburn University

HONORS AND AWARDS

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• 1996: Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Research Award • 1999-2007: Outstanding Faculty member (5 times)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Ceramic Matrix Composites • Modeling of composite materials • Mechanics of nanocomposites

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Turel, T., Shady, E., Farag, R., Eldessouki, M., Gowayed, Y., Burtovvy, O., Luzinov, I.,

“A probabilistic model for the permeation of gases through microporous membranes”, The Journal of the Textile Institute, in print, 2009.

• Shady, E., Gowayed, Y., “Mapping of stress distribution in woven-fabric composites”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 29, No. 8, pp. 861-868, 2008.

• Morscher, G., Ojard, G., Miller, R., Gowayed, Y, Santhosh, U., Ahmed, J., and Reji, J., “Tensile Creep and Fatigue of Sylramic-iBN Melt-Infiltrated SiC Matrix Composites: Retained Properties, Damage Development, and Failure Mechanisms,” Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 68, pp. 3305-3313, 2008.

• Buschle-Diller, G., Ahmed, A., Gowayed, Y., Turel, T., Rifki, R. and Bangash, Z., “Assessment of continuous and aerated fabric pressure-washing”, Journal of the Textile Institute, Vol. 98, No. 4, pp.319-326, 2007.

• Lee, D. and Gowayed, Y., “Determination of Mode-I Stress Intensity Factor of Edge Notched Fabric-Reinforced Composites”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 213-220, 2006.

• Shady, E., Abou-iiana, M., Gowayed, Y., and Pastore, C., “Detection and Classification of Defects in Knitted Fabric Structures”, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 76, pp. 295 – 300, 2006.

• Chen, J., Gowayed, Y., Moreira, A., and Flower, G., “Damping of polymer composite materials for flywheel applications”, Polymer Composites, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 498-508, 2005.

• Abdel-Hady, F., Baaklini, G., Gowayed, Y., Creighton, R., Lee, D., and Trudell, J., “Manufacture and NDE of multi-direction composite flywheel rims,” Journal of Reinforced Plastics & Composites, Vol. 24, No. 4, 2005.

• Hristov, K., Armstrong-Carroll, E., Dunn, M., Pastore, C. and Gowayed, Y., “Mechanical behavior of circular hybrid braids under tensile loads”, Textile Research Journal, Vol. 74, No. 1, 2004.

CONSULTANT • Pratt & Whitney • Rolls-Royce • Goodrich Corporation • United Technologies Research Center

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 50% Percentage of time committed to the program: 50%

115

PETER SCHWARTZ Professor & Head 101 Textile Bldg.

Phone: (334) 844-5452, Fax: (334) 844-4068 E-mail: schwap1@auburn.edu <mailto:schwap1@auburn.edu>

Website: http://schwartz.eng.auburn.edu <http://schwartz.eng.auburn.edu/> EDUCATION • 1981 - PhD, Fiber and Polymer Science, North Carolina State University • 1972 - MA, Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh • 1970 - MS, Engineering Mechanics, Georgia Institute of Technology • 1968 - BEng, Textile Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 9

• 2006 - Present:Professor and Head, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 2002 - Present: Professor Emeritus, Textiles & Apparel, Cornell University • 2001 - 2006: Professor & Head, Textile Engineering, Auburn University • 1997 - 1998: Gastprofessor, Polymers and Composites, Technical University of

Hamburg-Harburg • 1996 - 2002: Professor, Textiles & Apparel, Cornell University • 1989 - 1989: Visiting Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology • 1987 - 1994: Associate Professor, Textiles and Apparel, Cornell University • 1982 - 1987: Assistant Professor, Textiles and Apparel, Cornell University • 1976 - 1982: Instructor, Textile Technology, North Carolina State University • 1972 - 1976: _Senior Engineer, Manufacturing Engineering, Talon/TEXTRON

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• 2005 - Present: Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering • 2002 - Present: American Association for Engineering Education • 2000 - Present: Materials Research Society • 1996 - Present: American Society of Mechanical Engineers • 1988 - Present: American Chemical Society • 1986 - Present: Fiber Society

INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• 2007 - Present: Advisory Board/ - Textile Research Journal • 2006 - Present: Head, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 2001 - 2005: /Head, Department of Textile Engineering, Auburn University

116

• 2001 - Present: Operating Board, National Textile Center • 1993 - Present: Editorial Board, Advanced Composites Letters

HONORS AND AWARDS

• 1995: Gamma Sigma Delta Distinguished Research Award, Cornell University. • 1994: ASTM Committee D-13 Harold DeWitt Smith Memorial Award, ASTM. • 1993: Kappa Omicron Nu/Human Ecology Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award,

Cornell University. • 1992: Andrew D. White Outstanding Faculty Award, Cornell University. • 1991: Honor Society of Gamma Sigma Delta, Cornell University. • 1982: N. C. State Academy of Outstanding Teachers, North Carolina State University. • 1981: Society of Sigma Xi, North Carolina State University. • 1981: Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, North Carolina State University (President,

Cornell University Chapter, 1986-1990) RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Percolation modeling of flow through porous media • Stochastic modeling of materials behavior • Micromechanics of composite materials

EXAMPLES OF FUNDING SOURCE

• U. S. Department of Commerce • National Science Foundation • U. S. Department of Agriculture

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Unsal, E., Dane, J. H., Schwartz, P.,and Dozier, G. V., "Modeling Displacement Proprties of Immiscible Fluids in Porous Media", Simulation, Vol. 82, pp 499-510, 2006.

• Unsal, E., Dane, J. H., and Schwartz, P., "Effect of Liquid Characteristics on Wetting, Capillary Migration and Retention Properties of Fibrous Polymer Networks", Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 97, pp 282-292, 2005.

• Unsal, E., Schwartz, P., and Dane, J., "Roll of Capillarity on Penetration Into and Flow through Fibrous Barrier Materials", Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 95, pp 841-846, 2005.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 10% Percentage of time committed to the program: 90%

117

GWYNEDD ADELAIDE THOMAS Associate Professor

115 Textile Engineering Building Phone: (334) 844-5546, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: gat0001@auburn.edu Website: http://www.auburn.edu/~gat0001

EDUCATION * 1991 - Ph.D., Textile and Polymer Science, Clemson University * 1987 - MS, Textiles, Georgia Institute of Technology * 1974 - BS, Textiles, Georgia Institute of Technology EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 14 * January 2001 - Present: Associate Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering * March 1995 – December 2000: Assistant Professor, Textile Engineering Other institutions and experience * 1990 - 1995: Professor, Institute of Textile Technology * 1981 - 1986: TTU Ingenieur, Textil Technische Untersuchung, Sulzer Rüti AG * 1978 - 1981: Industrial Engineer, Corporate Industrial Engineering, Springs Industries * 1976 - 1978: Industrial Engineer, J.P. Stevens and Company * 1975 - 1976: Industrial Engineer, Cone Mills Corporation SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES * 2007 – Present : American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES * 2009 – Faculty Senate Rules Committee, University Council on Multiculturalism and

Diversity * 2007 – Present: Faculty advisor, Auburn Gay Straight Alliance and Spectrum Alliance * 2007 - Present: Faculty Handbook Committee * 2003 - 2009: Faculty Senator - Auburn University * 1996 - 2000: Faculty Senator - Auburn University RESEARCH INTERESTS * Kinetic Energy Dissipation Media * Protective and barrier fabrics * Geotextile barrier fabrics * Textile machinery improvement and development SELECTED PUBLICATIONS 1. Thomas, G. A., Chapter 2, “Nonwoven Fabrics for Military Applications,” Military Textiles, Woodhead Publishing, Ltd., Cambridge, UK 2008

118

2. Thomas, H. L. (fka), Chapter 7, “Nonwoven Ballistic Composites, ” Lightweight ballistic composites: Military and law-enforcement applications, Woodhead Publishing, Ltd., Cambridge, UK 2006 3. Thomas, H. L.(fka), “Multicomponent Materials for High Level Ballistic Threat Protection,” SAMPE 2005, Long Beach, CA 4. Thomas, H. L.(fka), “Handels- und Entwicklungstendenzen in der USA Textilindustrie”, Vortrag zur Denkendorfer Schlichterei Kolloquium, Denkendorf , Germany 2004 CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

* 2008 - 2009: Various, including 1. Cocoon Corporation, Davenport, IA 2. Echelon Materials, LLC, Stamford, CT 3. Honeywell Performance Fibers, Colonial Heights, VA 4. Kennon Aircraft Covers, Sheridan, WY

* 2003 - 2007: Development of Ballistic Resistant Materials, including 1. Plainsman Armor International, Auburn, AL 2. Science and Engineering Services, Columbia, MD 3. Forcefield Corporation, San Diego, CA 4. U. S. Technical, Fullerton, CA

PATENTS * Howard L. Thomas, Jr., (fka) "Ballistisches Mehrschicht Material", Patent issued, No.\

0885117 Europe, 2003. * Howard L. Thomas, Jr., (fka) "Impact Absorbing Material", Patent issued,

No. 6846545, 2003. * Howard L. Thomas, Jr., (fka) "A Multi-structured Ballistic Material and a Method of

Utilizing Same", Patent issued, No. 126,057 Israel, 2002. * Howard L. Thomas, Jr., (fka) "Multistructure Ballistic Material", Patent issued, No.

5,736,474, 1998.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 30% Percentage of time committed to the program: 70%

119

XINYU ZHANG Assistant Professor

223 Textile Building Phone: (334) 844-5439, Fax: (334) 844-4068

E-mail: xzz0004@auburn.edu Website: http://http://www.eng.auburn.edu/users/xzz0004/

EDUCATION • 2005 - Ph.D., Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas • 1999 - ME, Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University • 1996 - BE, Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University

EXPERIENCE Years of experience at Auburn: 2

• 2008 - Present: Assistant Professor, Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University • 2006 - 2008: Research Associate, Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts

Lowell SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• 2004 - Present: American Chemical Society INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• 2009 - Present: Faculty Advisor - Journal club • 2008 - Present: Member - Polymer and Fiber Engineering ABET Comittee

HONORS AND AWARDS • 2006: Top 10 highly cited chemistry papers by Science Watch • 2006: Top 20 Most-Accessed Articles in Macromolecules • 2004: Outstanding Overseas Chinese Students Scholarship

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES • 2009 - Present: New Faculty Scholars program

RESEARCH INTERESTS • Optically transparent, conducting films of carbon nanotubes on flexible substrates for

device application, such as flexible display and organic solar cells • Fabrication of individual polymer nanofiber/nanotube devices for chemical vapor or

analyte sensors and field effect transistors • Synthesis and characterization of biocompatible polymers for use as nanoparticulate drug

carriers for controlled and targeted drug delivery • Green approaches to polymer/metal and nanocarbon/metal catalysts for fuel cell

applications • Synthesis and characterization of conducting polymer nanotubes/nanofibers and

composites with noble metals. Investigate their role in catalysis, capacitive energy and hydrogen storage

• Fundamental research in molecular self assembly using seeding methods Specialty

• Conducting Polymers; Nanomaterials; Sensors; Nanocarbons, Carbon Nanotubes APPLICATIONS

• Fabrication and applications of devices, including sensors, transistors and organic LEDs, using nanostructured conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes.

EXAMPLES OF FUNDING SOURCE • Department of Commerce, AAES Hatch

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS • Surwade, Sumedh P.; Agnihotra, Srikanth Rao; Dua, Vineet; Kolla, Harsha S.; Zhang,

Xinyu; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Chromism and molecular weight of polyaniline derivatives", Synthetic Metals, Vol. 159, No. 19, pp 2153, Aug. 2009.

• Dua, Vineet; Surwade, Sumedh P.; Ammu, Srikanth; Zhang, Xinyu; Jain, Sujit; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Chemical Vapor Detection Using Parent Polythiophene Nanofibers", Macromolecules, Vol. 42, No. 15, pp 5414, Jul. 2009.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Surwade, Sumedh P.; Dua, Vineet; Bouldin, Ryan; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Parent polythiophene nanofibers", Chemistry Letters, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp 526, Apr. 2008.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Microwave Synthesis of Nanocarbons from Conducting Polymers", Chemical Communications, Vol. 23, pp 2477, May. 2006.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Kolla, Harsha S.; Wang, Xianghui; Raja, Kirtana; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Fibrillar Growth in Polyaniline", Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 16, No. 9, pp 1145, Feb. 2006.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Lee, Jeong-Soo; Lee, Gil S.; Cha, Dong-Kyu; Kim, Moon J.; Yang, Duck J.; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Chemical Synthesis of PEDOT Nanotubes", Macromolecules, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp 470, Jan. 2006.

• Kolla, Harsha S.; Surwade, Sumedh; Zhang, Xinyu; MacDiarmid, Alan G.; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Absolute Molecular Weight of Polyaniline", Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 127, No. 48, pp 16770, Nov. 2005.

• Zhang, Xinyu; MacDiarmid, Alan G.; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Chemical synthesis of PEDOT nanofibers", Chemical Communications, Vol. 42, pp 5328, Sep. 2005.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Narrow Pore-Diameter Polypyrrole Nanotubes", Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 127, No. 41, pp 14156, Sep. 2005.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Polyaniline Nanofibers: Chemical Synthesis using Surfactants", Chemical Communications, Vol. 20, pp 2360, Sep. 2004.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Bulk Synthesis of Polypyrrole Nanofibers by a Seeding Approach", Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 126, No. 40, pp 12714, Sep. 2004.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Chan-Yu-King, Roch; Jose, Anil; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Nanofibers of Polyaniline Synthesized by Interfacial Polymerization", Synthetic Metals, Vol. 145, pp 23, Jun. 2004.

• Zhang, Xinyu; Goux, Warren J.; Manohar, Sanjeev K., "Synthesis of Polyaniline Nanofibers by ?Nanofiber Seeding?", Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 126, No. 14, pp 4502, Mar. 2004.

PATENTS • Manohar, Sanjeev K.; Zhang, Xinyu, "Controlled Nanofiber Seeding", Patent pending,

No. 2006051401, 2006.

Percentage of time available for research or scholarly activities: 45% Percentage of time committed to the program: 55%

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APPENDIX C – LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

MODEL DESCRIPTION SERIAL DATE COST ($) ROOM COND

Physical Testing Lab

217505 Testing Machine Instron Universal 5565 5565Q9009 3/31/2008 66,467.00 3 EX 147382 Meter, Color 423 8 5/10/1984 17,163.00 3 NA 212267 Device, Thermophsical Alambeta ALMABETA 402 11/11/2002 20,500.00 3 EX

208725 Spectrum, Hvi Zellweger Uster HIV

SPECTRUM 1 9902001P 9/15/2000 60,000.00 3 EX 201267 Unit, Transport Constant Tension 3/9/1998 42,000.00 3 EX 211437 Tester, Hairness Zweigle G565 345 2/19/2002 8,000.00 3 EX 185018 Tensorapid, Prser & Ptr UTR3 1303-010811436 12/17/1991 62,664.00 3 EX 176074 Reel, Motor Yarn L-232 3/28/1989 6,832.00 3 EX 171456 Tester, Uster UT3-EC2 218 1/25/1988 62,858.00 3 EX 215495 Tester, Modulus L-H Dynamic PPM-5R 121 4/18/2006 5,000.00 3 EX 187809 Tester, Print Pc Baln AFIS 792159 1/7/1992 102,937.00 3 EX 130647 Fibrosampler, Spinlab 9/28/1979 7,250.00 3 NA 151246 Webtester, Ruetlinger 1018 39337600229 11/29/1984 11,865.00 3 NA 107156 Tensimotor R1192 76157 6/1/1977 6,000.00 3 NA 107453 Tester, Cohesion CS-83-039 6/1/1977 5,000.00 3 NA 157826 Meter/Winder, Yarn SDL 98 055L85 12/17/1985 9,596.00 3 NA 130646 Fibrograph, Spinlab 4301705B79 9/28/1979 7,250.00 3 NA 194972 System, Rotorring Uster 580 8/24/1995 32,096.78 3 EX 216579 Microscope, Atomic Veeco Force 600301-005 5/25/2007 127,536.73 4 EX

Nonwovens Lab

133695 Fiber/Locker 26 31 7/25/1980 5,534.00 5 NA 212492 Loom, Needlepunch Fehrer N121 NL21 45 2/17/2003 12,400.00 5 GD 194454 Card, 12' Roller-Top Sample NSN# 5/22/1995 5,000.00 5 EX

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MODEL DESCRIPTION SERIAL DATE COST ($) ROOM COND

198805 Nonwovens Lab cont.

Drives, Vector Seco Sv3000 B00306 5/5/1997 7,230.71 5 EX 171928 Calender, Roll Heated HS 7749-65 11/6/1987 7,000.00 5 EX 175296 Bonder, Conv Thermal TEX GIFT 1/23/1989 30,000.00 5 GD

182758 Feefer-Webber, Rando 40B RWT491-RRFT488 3/12/1991 20,000.00 5 GD

184182 Lapper, W/Aprons CBL CUSTOM 9/27/1991 16,310.00 5 EX 130642 Open/Blender 3382011F79 9/28/1979 8,400.00 24 EX 211409 Oven, Curling Werner Mathis 4381 12/11/2002 5,160.00 27 GD

Machine Shop

216936 Compressor, Rotary Ingersol-Rand SSR OP6-40-

125W PG3630U07235 9/25/2007 16,943.00 7 EX 216628 Compressor, Air Ingersoll-Rand White OL5D5 701170155 9/28/1979 6,531.00 7 NA

Dyeing and Finishing Lab

211434 Bath, Dye Roaches 95-743164 260897 2/19/2002 8,750.00 108 GD 173347 Apparatus, Lab Dry 3X220 118287 5/19/1988 16,235.00 108 EX 205853 Padder, Laboratory Birch Bros. 207242 9/16/1999 11,714.82 108 EX 211436 Jet, Lab Werner Mathis Jfo Jfo 10187 2/19/2002 9,500.00 108 GD 218370 Microwave Oven Research BP-211 6KD9100048 2/23/2009 17,606.00 108 EX 210583 Dryer, Beaker Mathis ALT BG4301 6/6/2001 13,050.00 108 EX 184094 Instrument, Holometrx K-MATIC 6A-0591DEL-4 6/14/1991 15,030.00 108 EX 218505 Freeze Dry System Labconco Freeze Zone 2.5 90300678 4/27/2009 7,487.08 113 EX 204199 Unit, Uv Curing Lab Fusion LO-8 836 2/22/1999 7,267.08 113 EX 218368 Electro Chemical System Arbin MSTAT 163893 2/23/2009 12,132.90 113 EX

Analytical Testing Lab

205103 Instrument, Dma Seiko Dms6100 7/20/1999 49,950.00 109 EX

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MODEL DESCRIPTION SERIAL DATE COST ($) ROOM COND

202152 Analytical Testing Lab cont.

Calorimeter, Scanning Differiental Ta DSC2920 5/19/1998 35,200.00 109 EX 179146 Microscope, Analytical 1400 1/25/1990 1/25/1990 17,375.00 109 EX 177523 System, Multisensor 1400 40C01104148 8/14/1989 12,200.00 109 EX 209859 Analyzer, Dynamic Contact Angle DCA-322 79419 2/8/2001 29,660.00 109 EX 192104 Spectrometer, Datacolor CS-5 1987 12/22/1993 31,730.00 109 EX 219098 UV Spectrophotometer Shimadzu UV-2450 A10834638255 1/4/2010 9,039.00 109 EX 218504 MFF Temperature Bar Quality Test 50 113 082967U0920 4/28/2009 26,404.50 109 EX 218456 Paticle Sizer Nicomp 380 ZLS 811301 4/1/2009 48,850.00 109 EX 218369 Spectrofourmeter Shimadzu RF-5301 PC A40194642364SA 2/24/2009 18,274.00 109 EX 217592 Dual Detector System Visotek 270 270-0308-166 5/8/2008 54,833.00 109 EX 216619 Mixer, Speed Siemens DAC 150 FVZK 11222 6/14/2007 9,940.00 109 EX 216436 Module, Raman Thermo NXR-FT AEU0700415 3/23/2007 58,898.04 109 EX 216435 System, FTIR Thermo Nicolet 6700 AHR0700525 3/23/2007 44,236.63 109 EX 216386 Analyzer, Dynamic Mechanical DMA 21 RSA3 8500-0107 2/22/2007 65,800.00 109 EX 216309 Caloricmeter, Scanning TA Instruments Q200 2/5/2007 57,461.25 109 EX 212812 Spectrophotometer Genesys 6 2M6F041001 6/6/2003 5,509.61 109 EX 216307 Rheometer, Rotational TA Instruments 6K3210 2/5/2007 61,103.75 109 EX 216308 Analysis, TGA Thermogravimeters Q500 2/5/2007 31,326.25 109 EX

Yarn, Fabric Formation Labs

196533 Winder, Bobbin Wardwell 4 Spindle TW-2004 1494-TW-10 4/4/1996 27,495.00 208 EX 195981 Braider, Composite Wardwell B10-64 1/10/1996 45,605.00 118 EX 213465 Loom, Air Jet Sulzer L5200 JA2663 12/10/2003 15,000.00 118 EX 214736 Loom, Shuttle Vaupel Used 460 6/17/2005 9,000.00 118 EX 216394 Forklift, Used Toyota 42-4FGC20 404FGC25-14610 3/5/2007 5,000.00 118 EX

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MODEL DESCRIPTION SERIAL DATE COST ($) ROOM COND

Polymer Processing Lab 176389 Autoclave, High Pressure 1989 9479 5/8/1989 64,148.00 208 EX

218422 Twin Screw Extruder Leisstrz Micro-MIC

18/GG-400 3222 3/16/2009 53,650.00 208 EX 218775 Volumetric Feeder Schench Accurate 135040-01A-580 8/19/2009 5,650.00 208 EX 216620 Controller, Comet Temperature CC-05 60132 6/14/2007 5,885.00 208 EX 218684 Lace Braiding Machine 7/10/2009 39,188.79 208 EX 217184 Production Extruder Wayne Machine 8630 12/13/2007 168,922.40 208 EX 216310 machine, Molding Battenfield Inject EM 50/300 28871 2/5/2007 62,125.00 208 EX 218393 TS Mold 2-Cavity AU Logo No Tag 2/27/2009 7,499.00 208 EX 101049 Extruder, 1.5in Poly 5/1/1977 8,500.00 231 NA

Advanced Fibrous Materials Lab

218503 Impulse System Dynatup Upgrade 8250 8250HVR2715 4/27/2009 20,908.00 226 EX

217932 3 Axis Robot I & J Fisnar 4300-LF I & J 4300-

LF 259050 9/23/2008 8,925.00 226 EX 196702 Grips, Testing Curtis Geosynthetic D 1608X36971 5/8/1996 5,043.87 226 EX 205192 instrument, Instron Non-Pnuematic Impact 8250 183792 7/29/1999 48,368.00 226 EX 207934 Simulator, Air Jet Sulzer Loom 6/27/2000 8,879.22 226 EX 197442 Cabinet, Temperature Instron 3119 9/9/1996 20,128.73 226 EX 193155 System, Materials Testing 4505 H2234 11/16/1994 52,530.87 226 EX 189089 Machine, Sewing Ind 370 589153 7/16/1993 5,820.00 226 EX

Protective Materials Lab

189792 Polisher, W/Attatchment VP160-XP60 4169 9/30/1993 5,040.00 230A EX 145401 Chromatograph, Gas 5793 2343A02822 11/23/1983 12,363.00 230A NA 215766 Tester, Permability Cell CSI 135 1216 7/25/2006 22,906.00 230A EX 216712 GC/Mass Spectrometer Griffin 300 300-0011 7/23/2007 51,250.00 230A EX

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MODEL DESCRIPTION SERIAL DATE COST ($) ROOM COND

217132 Protective Materials Lab cont

Capillary Porometer Porous CFP-1200-AEXM 101132007-1681 12/4/2007 42,898.01 230A EX

Composites Lab 195608 Analyzer, Gas Sensing HCTFS 2520 3725 10/26/1995 49,877.00 224A EX 196701 Press, Hydraulin Washbash G30h-15 B 9505 5/8/1996 16,400.00 224A EX

Others

80248 Spectrophotometer 735 6572 11/5/1975 7,370.00 ATTIC NA 147518 Foamer, Lab 1982 27170 4/30/1984 10,053.00 ATTIC NA 198834 Tester, Yarn Tension W/500cn Measuring Hd A-62 5/7/1997 12,705.37 222 EX

204857 Table, Digitizer Gtco Accutab 36"x48"

ACCUTAB 36H8AL30599001 4/4/1996 6,060.00 213 EX 209430 System, Multianalyzer Bruel & Kjaer 2827 2255957 12/15/2000 21,922.00 232 EX 211566 Lathe, Engine Nova 14x14 C6236A 7567 4/4/2002 5,150.00 118B EX 207189 Micrscope, Stereo Olympus Szx12 9005974 2/22/2000 21,143.75 208A EX 217800 Hot Stage Instec HCS302-STC20A CCDR48DS69491 9/5/2008 6,980.00 208A EX 190484 Miscroscope, W/Camera SMZ-U 410 12/23/1993 8,576.00 222A EX

98 items 2,494,517.02

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APPENDIX D – INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY The institution has chosen to represent itself to ABET via a separately attached College Self Study. This document provides the information normally included in Appendix D as well as some supplemental information. It is intended to provide a context for and an introduction to the program self-studies. Included in Appendix D of this self-study is only that information specifically relevant to the polymer and fiber engineering program.

A. The Institution

1. Name and Address of the Institution Please refer to the College Self Study. 2. Name and Title of the Chief Executive Officer of the Institution Please refer to the College Self Study.

B. Type of Control Please refer to the College Self Study.

C. History of Institution Please refer to the College Self Study.

D. Polymer and Fiber Engineering Student Body The student body in the PFEN department is comprised of students who are interested in several areas: high-performance materials, especially those used in aircraft or automotive composites; the processing or research of polymers or plastics; graduate programs in science or engineering; or medical careers including medical research. They typically like the hands-on approach of polymer and fiber engineering labs and are interested in the scope of opportunities for undergraduate research that are offered by professors in polymer and fiber engineering. In 2008–2009, three engineering students were awarded Auburn University Undergraduate Research Fellowships. Two of the three were students in PFEN who received $4,000 each. One student researched shape memory polymers and the other conducted research using nanocomposite films for drug delivery. Students interested in high-performance composite materials comprise the Hovercraft Team which is part of AU Motor Sports and is housed in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering. During the past five years, several teams of students have fabricated four hovercraft. One craft placed in national competition in 2008 and another won a technical innovation award in 2009. While the team is open to all majors, the majority of members are students in PFEN.

The majority of polymer and fiber engineering students are from the Southeast. In 2008–2009, 72% were Alabama residents (52) and 15% were Georgia residents (11). Two students were from Florida and we had one each from the states of Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Female students made up 32% (22) and males made

127

up 68%. Of nine minority students (14%), six identified as Black (9%) and three identified themselves as Oriental.

E. Regional or Institutional Accreditation Please refer to the College Self Study.

F. Personnel and Policies

1. The promotion and tenure system Please refer to the College Self Study.

2. The process used to determine faculty salaries Please refer to the College Self Study.

3. Faculty benefits Please refer to the College Self Study.

G. Educational Unit The educational unit is the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, which is headed by the Dr. Peter Schwartz. Dr. Schwartz’s responsibilities are listed in Criterion 6 (Faculty). Dr. Schwartz reports to Dr. Larry Benefield, Dean of the College of Engineering. You may refer to the Auburn Organization Chart given earlier in this report.

H. Credit Unit Please refer to the College Self Study.

I. Instructional Mode Please refer to the College Self Study.

J. Grade-Point Average Please refer to the College Self Study.

K. Academic Supporting Units Please refer to the College Self Study.

L. Non-Academic Supporting Units Please refer to the College Self Study.

M. Faculty Workload Please refer to the College Self Study.

N. Tables

128

Table D-1. Programs Offered by the Educational Unit

Program Title1

Modes Offered2

Nom

inal

Y

ears

to

Com

plet

e

AdministrativeHead

Administrative Unit or Units (e.g. Dept.) Exercising Budgetary

Control

Submitted for Evaluation3

Offered, Not Submitted

for Evaluation4

Day

C

oope

rativ

e Edi

Off

C

ampu

s A

ltern

ate

Mod

e

Now

A

ccre

dite

d. N

ot N

ow

Acc

redi

ted

Now

A

ccre

dite

d

Not

Now

A

ccre

dite

d

Polymer and Fiber Engineering 4

Peter Schwartz

Polymer and Fiber Engineering

MST Polymer and Fiber Engineering Non-Thesis

MS Polymer and Fiber Engineering Thesis

PhD Integrated Textiles and Apparel

Peter Schwartz Carol Warfield

Polymer and Fiber Engineering Consumer Affairs

1 Give program title as shown on a graduate’s transcript 2 Indicate all modes in which the program is offered. If separate accreditation is requested for an alternative mode, list on a separate line. Describe “Other” by footnote. 3 Only those programs being submitted at this time for reaccreditation (now accredited) or initial accreditation (not now accredited) should be checked in this column. 4 Programs not submitted for evaluation at this time should be checked in this column.

129

Table D-2. Degrees Awarded and Transcript Designations by Educational Unit

Program Title1

Modes Offered2

Name of Degree Awarded3 Designation on Transcript4 Day Co-op Off Campus

Alternative Mode

Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Bachelor of Polymer and Fiber Engineering

BPFE Polymer Engineering; BPFE Fiber Engineering

Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Master of Polymer and Fiber Engineering

MST Polymer and Fiber Engineering Non-Thesis

Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Master of Science MS Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Integrated Textile and Apparel Science

Doctor of Philosophy PhD Integrated Textile and Apparel Science

Complete the table for all programs, as follows:

1 Give the program title as officially published in catalog. 2 Indicate all modes in which the program is offered. If separate accreditation is requested for an alternative mode, list on a separate line. Describe “Other” by footnote. 3 List degree awarded for each mode offered. If different degrees are awarded, list on separate lines. 4 Indicate how the program is listed on transcript for each mode offered. If different designations are used, list on separate lines.

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Table D-3. Support Expenditures Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Fiscal Year FY091 FY102 FY113

Expenditure Category Operations (not including staff)4

$38,378.07

$39,000.00

$39,000.00

Travel5 $ 4,119.23 $ 4,200.00

$ 4,000.00

Equipment6 $7,500.00 $5,000.00 (a) Institutional Funds $7,500.00 $5,000.00 (b) Grants and Gifts7 Graduate Teaching Assistants $23,400.00 $24,000.00* $24,000.00** Part-time Assistance8 (other than teaching)

$6,564.15

$ 6,600.00

$ 6,600.00

Faculty Salaries $676,863.88 $677,000.00 $677,000.00

Report Department Level and Program Level data for each program being evaluated. Updated tables are to be provided at the time of the visit. 1 Provide the statistics from the audited account for the fiscal year completed year prior to the current fiscal year. 2 This is your current fiscal year (when you will be preparing these statistics). Provide your preliminary estimate of annual expenditures, since your current fiscal year presumably is not over at this point. 3 Provide the budgeted amounts for your next fiscal year to cover the fall term when the ABET team will arrive on campus. 4 Categories of general operating expenses to be included here. 5 Institutionally sponsored, excluding special program grants. 6 Major equipment, excluding equipment primarily used for research. Note that the expenditures (a) and (b) under “Equipment” should total the expenditures for Equipment. If they don’t, please explain. 7 Including special (not part of institution’s annual appropriation) non-recurring equipment purchase programs. 8 Do not include graduate teaching and research assistant or permanent part-time personnel.

Note: The above totals were taken from our teaching, state line, and ICRE accounts. We were forced to use our ICRE funds in order to meet our needs.

*Includes stimulus funds **Includes anticipated stimulus funds ***Total grant equipment divided by 2

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Table D-4. Personnel and Students Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Year1: 2009 HEAD COUNT FTE2

RATIO TO FACULTY3 FT PT

Administrative4 Faculty (tenure-track) 8 8 Other Faculty (excluding student Assistants)

5 5

Student Teaching Assistants 8 2.2 0.17 Student Research Assistants 12 3.0 0.23 Technicians/Specialists 3 3.00 0.23 Office/Clerical Employees 3 3.00 0.23 Others5 Undergraduate Student enrollment6 66 [Fr-Sr] 1 66 [Fr-Sr] 5.08 Graduate Student enrollment 12 1 12.50 0.96

Report data for the program unit(s) and for each program being evaluated. 1 Data on this table should be for the fall term immediately preceding the visit. Updated tables for the fall term when the ABET team is visiting are to be prepared and presented to the team when they arrive. 2 For student teaching assistants, 1 FTE equals 20 hours per week of work (or service). For undergraduate and graduate students, 1 FTE equals 15 semester credit-hours (or 24 quarter credit-hours) per term of institutional course work, meaning all courses — science, humanities and social sciences, etc. For faculty members, 1 FTE equals what your institution defines as a full-time load. 3 Divide FTE in each category by total FTE Faculty. Do not include administrative FTE. 4 Persons holding joint administrative/faculty positions or other combined assignments should be allocated to each category according to the fraction of the appointment assigned to that category. 5 Specify any other category considered appropriate, or leave blank. 6 Specify whether this includes freshman and/or sophomores.

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Table D-5. Program Enrollment and Degree Data Polymer and Fiber Engineering

Academic Year

Enrollment Year

Tota

l U

nder

grad

Tota

l G

rad Degrees Conferred

FR SO JR SR 5th Bachelor Master Doctor OtherCURRENT 2009 FT 16 15 17 18 0 66 0 * * * N/A PT 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 2008 FT 18 17 12 12 0 59 9 6 3 N/A N/A PT 0 1 0 1 0 2 2 2007 FT 23 11 6 5 0 45 4 2 2 N/A N/A PT 0 0 0 2 0 2 3 2006 FT 13 8 6 3 0 30 5 3 2 N/A N/A PT 0 1 0 2 0 3 4 2005 FT 15 9 2 9 0 35 7 7 0 N/A N/A PT 0 0 0 1 0 1 Give official fall term enrollment figures (head count) for the current and preceding five academic years and undergraduate and graduate degrees conferred during each of those years. The "current" year means the academic year preceding the fall visit. FT--full time PT--part time

133

Table D-6. Faculty Salary Data1

Polymer and Fiber Engineering Academic Year 2009-2010

Professor Associate Professor

Assistant Professor Instructor

Number 5 1 2 High $143,889 $79,560 $72,800 Mean $111,708 $79,560 $72,400 Low $94,740 $79,560 $72,000

1 If the program considers this information to be confidential, it can be provided only to the Team Chair.

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APPENDICES PROVIDED BY PFEN APPENDIX E - ABET IDEAL SCHOLAR LETTER

February 2, 2009 Jay Gogue President Auburn University 107 Samford Hall Auburn, AL 36849 Dear President Gogue: It is a privilege for me to report that Sabit Adanur successfully completed ABET’s Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL) which was held in Savannah, GA January 5-9, 2009. As the accrediting agency for applied science, computing, engineering and technology, ABET is well aware of the challenges that institutions of higher education face in promoting and ensuring quality improvement of academic programs. As you know, program assessment of student learning plays an important role in monitoring program effectiveness and fulfilling the requirements of accreditation and external accountability. During the weeklong Institute, participants developed skills in the principles of program assessment, change management, and facilitation. As IDEAL Scholars, they will continue to interact this academic year through sharing and discussion boards on an ABET sponsored web-portal dedicated to IDEAL. Dr. Gloria Rogers, Managing Director for Professional Services and the facilitator for IDEAL will continue to mentor each of the Scholars as they begin to implement the things learned during the Institute. We are confident that the participants will make a significant contribution to their institutions during the coming years and we are privileged to call each of them an ABET IDEAL Scholar. If you have any questions about IDEAL or the on-going services provided by ABET, please let us know. Sincerely,

President, ABET, Inc. c: Scholar Lance Hoboy, Acting Executive Director, ABET

ABET, Inc. 111 Market Place, Suite 1050 Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: 410-347-7700 Fax: 410-625-2238 www.abet.org

Leadership and Quality Assurance in Applied Science, Computing, Engineering, and Technology Education

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APPENDIX F – MINUTES OF THE FIBER ENGINEERING ALUMNI COUNCIL

The Fiber Engineering Alumni Council Review visit was held on September 20, 2006 to address this issue; the attendees were Mr. Tommy Johnson, Dr. Peter Schwartz and Dr. Nels Madsen. In this meeting, the council reviewed actions taken to address issues raised at the last ABET Visit. The last ABET visit in 2004 identified a single weakness and stated that the “program needs to develop a process to more directly and systematically measure achievement of outcomes and to demonstrate the use of these measures to further improve the program.” Dr. Schwartz provided a “tour” of the report submitted to ABET describing how this weakness is being addressed. Faculty gather data each semester relative to the outcomes associated with their courses. A matrix scheme is used to assure that adequate data is gathered for each outcome. A faculty meeting is held each semester to review this data and consider changes for program improvement. The system appears well designed, seems to be working well, and is sustainable. Outcome assessment data exhibits a generally positive trend. The only concern noted by the reviewers was assessment on outcome f, professional and ethical responsibility, occurred in only one course and this course was in the freshman year. It was felt that an additional assessment should take place later in the curriculum. It was generally agreed that asking the students how they would respond to certain workplace situations could generate meaningful assessment data. The departmental advisory board might be in an excellent position to describe meaningful scenarios to present to the students. Checklist Items The reviewers next considered each of the items on the checklist. Criterion 2: Program Educational Objectives

a. Do the objectives describe the career and professional accomplishments that the program is preparing graduates to achieve? It was agreed that the objectives were appropriate. However with the recent program changes including the development of a program track in polymers, it would appear to be a good time to engage the departmental advisory board in a review of program objectives.

b. Is there a process in place involving program constituencies to review/modify these objectives? Yes.

c. Does the curriculum “match” the objectives? Yes.

Criterion 3: Program Outcomes a. Are the program outcomes narrower statements that describe what students are expected to know

and to be able to do by the time of graduation? Yes. b. Do the program outcomes “cover” the ABET requirements relative student demonstrated

attainment of knowledge, skills, and attributes? These are the “infamous” a-k requirements found as an appendix to this document. Yes.

Criterion 4: Assessment and Evaluation

a. Is the program gathering meaningful data relative to its achievement of program objectives? (Assessment of objectives) The program has an aggressive approach to both alumni and employer surveys that is providing meaningful data. A relatively small enrollment provides a continuing challenge in this regard.

b. Is the program gathering meaningful data relative to each of its program outcomes? (Assessment of outcomes) Yes. As stated above, the only area of concern here is relative outcome f,

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professional and ethical responsibility. The possibility of using mock FE exams from Exam Café was discussed as a possible assessment tool.

c. Does a documented plan/process exist and function effectively to exploit assessment data to improve the program? (Evaluation of objectives and outcomes). The faculty meetings described above serve this purpose well. The process is documented on the departmental Web site. The departmental advisory committee has also been very active in this regard although it may be possible to further formalize and increase this involvement.

Criterion 5: Curriculum

a. Does the curriculum culminate in a major design experience that incorporates appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints, and as such serves as excellent preparation for the practice of engineering? The senior project course has been transitioning from individual experiences to team experiences. This has facilitated the consideration of more comprehensive design problems such as a bicycle and a hovercraft.

b. Does the curriculum provide an adequate foundation in all requisite knowledge and skills for success in the major design experience? Yes.

Criterion 6: Faculty

a. Are the program faculty adequate in number and breadth to support the curriculum and play meaningful roles in moving the College toward achievement of its vision? Faculty numbers and breadth are adequate; however, additional faculty expertise in the polymers area would be a real plus.

Criterion 7: Facilities

a. Are the facilities (classrooms, labs, equipment) adequate to support the curriculum? While adequate space is available, the utility of that space is marginal at best. There is space in the basement, apparently currently utilized by Facilities as a storage area that would be more appropriately allocated to the program. A plan has been created that would increase the utility of the existing space. It is recommended that this plan be further developed and refined so that it can be implemented in stages as resources become available.

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APPENDIX G - ONLINE ALUMNI AND INDUSTRY SURVEYS Alumni Survey

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Industry Survey

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APPENDIX H - PERFORMANCE CRITERIA RUBRIC

a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering

Performance

Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Model development

Combines mathematical and/or scientific

principles to formulate models

Chooses model from menu but has trouble developing model that represents chemical or

physical processes

Does not understand connection between

models and chemical or physical processes

ii) Advanced mathematical

concepts

Applies calculus to solve problems

Basic understanding of the application of calculus

Does not understand application of calculus to solving engineering

problems

iii) Interpretation

Interprets mathematical and scientific terms and

concepts correctly

Interprets some mathematical and

scientific terms and concepts correctly

Mathematical and scientific terms and

concepts are interpreted incorrectly

iv) Theory to practice

Translates theory into engineering applications

and understands limitations of

mathematical models

Some gaps in understanding of

application of theory

Does not grasp connection between theory and practice

v) Calculations Executes calculations correctly

Minor errors in calculations

Calculations not performed correctly

vi) Statistical analysis

Correctly analyzes data using statistical

concepts.

Minor errors in statistical analysis

Incorrect application of statistical concepts

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b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Lab safety Observes good

laboratory safety procedures

Unsafe procedures observed infrequently

Unsafe lab procedures followed

ii) Planning to meet objectives

Formulates appropriate experimental plan to

attain a stated objective

Simplistic experimental plan, does not recognize

scope No systematic plan

iii) Selection of procedures

Selects appropriate procedures and

equipment to perform experiments

Needs some guidance in selecting appropriate

procedures and equipment

Cannot select appropriate

procedures or equipment

iv) Interpretation and analysis

Analyzes and interprets data using appropriate

concepts; aware of measurement error and

accounts for it

Some data are misunderstood or

misinterpreted; Aware of measurement error but does not account for it

No attempt to relate data to theory or

experiments; unaware of

measurement error

v) Documentation

Correctly documents data

Not all data documented correctly

Data poorly or incorrectly

documented

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c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Understanding and establishing

relationships between the need and design

Has a complete understanding

between function and design

Needs outside help to make connection between the need

and design

No understanding and no connection

between the need and design

ii) Creativity in solving design problems

Develops novel design ideas

Needs help to develop new design

ideas

Has no design creativity

iii) Manufacturing and assembling the entire

system to function properly

Knows how to fit every component

together for proper functioning

Understands the system but unable to

fit the system components together

Unable to integrate the system

components

iv) Testing of final product

Conducts proper functionality tests

correctly with meaningful results

Can test the product partially

Can not test the product

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d. An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Fulfilling team role’s duties

Performs all assigned duties of team role

without much supervision

Performs some duties assigned

Does not perform any duties of assigned

team role

ii) Mutual respect for ideas of fellow team

members

Respects and values the ideas of other

team members

Selectively respects and values ideas of

other team members

Does not respect or value other ideas of the team; criticizes

frequently

iii) Communication with other teammates

Listens carefully and speaks a fair amount

as needed

Usually doing most of the talking; rarely listens and allows others to speak

Is always talking; never allows anyone else to speak; does

not listen

e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Identification and understanding of the

problem

Properly identifies and understands the

problem or issue

Can identify and grasp some of the problem or

issue

Does not grasp the scope of the

problem or issue

ii) Analysis and formulation of the

problem

Able to analyze and formulate the entire

problem

Analyzes and formulates only

portions of the problem but not all

Unable to analyze and formulate the

problem

iii) Synthesis and solution of the

problem

Able to fit the pieces together to solve the

problem

Only able to solve portion(s) of the

problem

Can not add the pieces together to reach a solution

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f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Understanding the importance of

ethical responsibility

Assigns utmost importance to ethical

behavior

Some consideration of ethical issues

Does not consider that ethical behavior is

important

ii) Giving credits to others for the use of

their materials

Always gives credits to others for any use of

their intellectual property (IP)

Sometime gives credit to others for

their IP

Does not recognize other people’s work and copies their IP

freely

iii) Professional responsibility

Demonstrates responsible behavior

and takes initiatives to help others or make

suggestions

Demonstrates responsible behavior

only when asked

Does not think that he/she has any professional

responsibility to others and society at large

iv) Student code of ethics

Aware of the student code of ethics and

abides by it

Aware of the student code of ethics but

does not abide by it all the time

Violates the student code of ethics freely

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g. An ability to communicate effectively

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Written communication

Writes effectively and appropriately for

various audiences and purposes

Able to express ideas in writing but not very

effectively for different audiences and purposes

Not able to write effectively for different

audiences and purposes

ii) Oral communication

Makes oral presentations effectively

and appropriately for various audiences and purposes using good

time management

Able to present information orally, but not able to explain and

interpret results or respond to questions for various audiences and

purposes

Not able to present, explain and interpret

information for various audiences and purposes; not able to respond to questions

iii) Visual communication

Uses visual aids effectively to explain, interpret, and assess

information

Able to make some use of visual aids to explain,

interpret and assess information but not very

effectively

Not able to use visual aids effectively to

explain, interpret, and assess information

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h. A broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Understanding the impact of engineering solutions in a global

context

Evaluates tradeoffs of global issues to make informed decisions about engineering

solutions

Has some ability to evaluate tradeoffs to

make informed decisions about

engineering solutions

Not able to evaluate tradeoffs of global issues

ii) Understanding the impact of engineering solutions in a societal

context

Critically evaluates engineering solutions

from a societal perspective and make

informed decisions

Has some ability to evaluate engineering

solutions from a societal perspective

Not able to evaluate

engineering solutions as they

impact the society

i. A recognition of the need for, and ability to engage in life-long learning

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Learning skills

Develops necessary/new learning skills

Develops some learning skills

Not able to develop/use learning skills

ii) Learning needs

Able to identify relevant needs and learns them

To some extent, knows what issues are relevant to be learned

Does not know what needs to be learned

iii) Learning plan

Able to make, evaluate and follow a learning plan

Able to make a learning plan but not follow it thoroughly

Not able to make a learning plan

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j: A knowledge of contemporary issues

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Current issues relevant to the profession of engineering

Understands and articulates current engineering issues

Understands current engineering issues but can not articulate them

Not able to understand current issues relevant to engineering

k: An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

Performance Criteria

LEVEL OF ABILITY (5: Exemplary, 3: Needs improvement, 1: Unsatisfactory)

5 3 1

i) Use of modern engineering

techniques, skills and tools

Makes informed decisions based on

utilization of techniques, skills and modern engineering

tools

Makes informed decisions on some

issues using techniques, skills and

some modern engineering tools

Not able to make informed decisions using techniques,

skills and engineering tools

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APPENDIX I - SUMMARY STUDENT OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT FORM Course Number : Instructor : Term & Year : Course Objectives: Student Outcomes: Course Changes Based on Previous Evaluation: Assessment of Achievement of Outcomes and Methods Used: Evaluation Method of Performance Criteria: Outcome X. "………………………………………………………………….." (Figure X) Criteria Method used for evaluation Level of ability Percentage of students

5 3 1 Overall average for Outcome X:

Outcome Y. "………………………………………………………………….." (Figure Y) Criteria Method used for evaluation Level of ability Percentage of students

5 3 1 Overall average for Outcome Y:

. . .

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Future Changes Based on this Evaluation: Rubrics (A sample of X students was assessed)

Figure X –Student Performance Criteria for the Student Outcome “X”

Figure Y –Student Performance Criteria for the Student Outcome “Y”

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APPENDIX J - EBI RESULTS

Auburn University EBI Engineering Exit Assessment for Polymer and Fiber Engineering – August 2009

N=7 

Q1. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of mathematics (calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, etc.) in your engineering classes and design project(s)?  

Q2. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of probability and statistics in your engineering classes and design project(s)? 

N=7 

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Q3. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of basic science (chemistry, physics, etc.) in your engineering classes and design project(s)? 

 

Q4. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of computer programming in your engineering classes and design project(s)? 

 

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Q5. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of computer-based engineering tools (spreadsheet, simulation, CAD, MATLAB, etc.) in your engineering classes and design project(s)?  

Q6. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of environmental and safety issues in your engineering classes and design project(s)?  

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Q7. Client - How well were you able to apply your knowledge of contemporary issues facing society in your engineering classes and design project(s)?  

Q8. Client - How well do you feel your engineering education prepared you to learn new engineering concepts independently?  

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Q9. Client - How well do you feel your engineering education prepared you to pass the fundamentals of engineering (FE) exam?

Q10. Client - How well do you feel your engineering education prepared you to perform a job in your chosen field of engineering?

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Longitudinal Study

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APPENDIX K - PEER EVALUATION GUIDE

PEER EVALUATION GUIDE  

Faculty Member Reviewed  ___________________   Class  _________________  Observer  _______________________      Date  __________________  

Evaluation Scale:     X = Unable to determine      3 = Average     5 = Outstanding        2 = Weak     4 = Strong          1 = Deficient   Aspects                Comments   _____ 1. Establishing Set – starts class on time, provides for smooth transition to lesson, creates 

conducive environment.    _____ 2. Objectives – clear and appropriate for subject matter.    _____ 3. Subject Matter Content – relevant, at appropriate level, 

knowledge of subject evident, up to date.      _____ 4. Organization of Content and Presentation – planning evident, 

transitions smooth, timing is appropriate, clear delivery, well prepared, uses example to clarify complex or abstract concepts.  

   _____ 5. Methods – appropriate, variety, effective, flexible, student 

participation promoted.     

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_____ 6. Questioning/Reinforcement/Integration – both questions and class activities promote higher levels of thinking, integration and relevant application of material; feedback provided to students.  

    _____ 7. Technology, media and Materials – neat, clear, effective and appropriate.      _____ 8. Closure/Ending Class – summary ties lesson concept together.      _____ 9. Overall Atmosphere – supportive, intellectual stimulation, 

commitment to students is evident.      _____ 10. Personal Qualities – use of language, voice, enthusiasm, eye 

contact, appearance, posture; instructor made course interesting.  

    

Summary  Strengths               Areas for Improvement 

 : : : : :