Presidential Faculty Fellow/Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PFF/PECASE)

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9629008 Edwards This is an award to provide the support this investigator requested in response to NSF 94-134, "Presidential Faculty Fellow Awards." The research component of this project is a continuation of the research this investigator has been conducting under NSF Grant No. 95-03079, "Copper Pitting and New Approaches to Teaching: A Career Development Plan," as part of the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. His research is directed toward improving our fundamental understanding of factors that result in corrosive behavior of materials used in distribution systems for water. Materials used in construction of water distribution systems are subject to corrosion over long periods of time which reduces the effective life of the system's components and has a potentially degrading effect on the quality of water delivered to users through the distribution system. Procedures to adequately determine the effect of corrosion can be useful in improving the engineering design of water distribution systems. This award also continues to have the intent of encouraging the investigator's early development as an educator. The investigator's education plan involves exploring changes in basic course structure that include active learning, development of supportive learning classroom environments,, and implementation of a reward structure that encourages development of non-traditional target skills such as teamwork, class motivation and interest in learning outside the classroom. His teaching plan involves implementation and evaluation of new approaches to learning in the undergraduate engineering classroom environment that will improve the way in which undergraduate engineering courses are taught. ***