UNIV 116: Issues in Energy
Spring 2004
Professor Richard E. Smalley
and Dr. Emmanuelle Schuler
Course Schedule:
Tuesday & Thursday
Course website: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~univ116
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTACT INFORMATION
Professor Richard E. Smalley:
Office Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday
from
E-mail: res@rice.edu
Office: 713 348-4658
Home: 713 522-0434
Cell: 713 703-0963
Fax: 713 348-5320
Dr. Emmanuelle
Schuler:
Office Hours:
Monday and Wednesday from
E-mail: eschuler@rice.edu
Office: 713 348-2117
CAIN project in Engineering and Professional Communication
Click here to contact
the Cain project in Engineering and
Professional Communication for information and coaching
sessions.
Click here to access “Presenting with PowerPoint” slides, by
Professor Linda Driskill, Professor of English and Director of the Cain Project
in Engineering and Professional Communication
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Energy lies at the heart of this century’s humanitarian problems: energy is central to improved quality of life, economic, social, geopolitical, and environmental development. Prospects of forward looking and long-term solutions to abundant, cheap, efficient, safe and clean energy will require major scientific and technological leaps.
Using critical analysis and creative thinking, students will be asked to address real world energy problems using chemistry, physics, and engineering concepts as basis of their reflection. Moreover, the course will examine the social, political, and economical nature of the energy problems in the context of sustainable environment. The course will emphasize active participation of students to address ill-structured problems which mirror real-world problems in energy.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Note: Any student with a documented disability
needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with
Professor Richard E. Smalley or Emmanuelle Schuler during the first two weeks
of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with
disabilities will need to also contact Disability Support Services in the
LECTURE SCHEDULE
Spring Semester, 2004
Date Topic
1/13 Introduction to the course, its overview and goals. Get 5 teams of 4 students
1/15 Lecture on Energy by Professor Smalley
1/20 First presentation of the topics chosen by the 5 groups (15 min/group)
1/22 Feedback on the presentations. Lecture: How to make a Power Point presentation
1/27 Group presentation of the final choices (15 min/group)
1/29 Preparation, no class
2/3 Group 1 First presentation, followed by question and discussion period
2/5 Group 2 First presentation, followed by question and discussion period
2/10 Invited speaker: Ms. Amy Jaffe, Wallace Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies and Associate Director of the Rice Energy Program at the Baker Institute
2/12 Group 3 First presentation, followed by question and discussion period
2/17 Group 4 First presentation, followed by question and discussion period
2/19 Group 5 First presentation, followed by question and discussion period
2/24 Lecture: How to write a paper
2/26 Invited Speaker: Dr. Yoram Shoham, Vice President of
Shell International Exploration and Production for External Technology
Relations. Topic: “Energy
globalization and the emerging technology renaissance”
3/2 Mid-term recess
3/4 Mid-term recess
3/9 Group 1 Final presentation
3/11 Group 2 Final presentation
3/16 Group 3 Final presentation
3/18 Group 4 Final presentation
3/23 Group 5 Final presentation; hand in papers of Groups 1 and 2 to instructors; Distribution of Group 1 and 2 papers to the class.
3/25 No class (Field trip on April 10)
3/30 Discussion of Group 1 paper challenged by Group 5; hand in papers of Groups 3 and 4
4/1 No class
4/6 Discussion of Group 2 paper challenged by Group 4; hand in paper of Group 5; Distribution of Group 3 and 4 papers
4/8 Discussion of Group 3 Paper challenged by Group 2, Distribution of Group 5
Paper
4/10 Field trip to the nuclear plant South Texas Project Electric Generating Station in
4/13 Discussion of Group 4
Paper challenged by Group 1
4/15 Discussion of Group 5 Paper challenged by Group 3, distribution of evaluation forms
4/20 Team meetings on the final version of the paper
4/22 Turn out final version of all the groups’ paper.
Invited Speaker: Dr. Amory B. Lovins, Chief Executive Officer of the Rocky Mountain Institute
ISSUES IN ENERGY: LIST OF SUGGESTED TOPICS
Required textbook:
Innovative Energy Strategies for CO2 Stabilization by R. G. Watts, published by the Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Recommended:
KEY RESOURCES
Click here to
access the
Websites and on-line documents:
Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. government
Report from the International Energy Agency: International Energy Outlook 2003
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
American Wind Energy Association
European Wind Energy Association
Solar Energy Industries
Association
International Geothermal Association
Hydrogen Fuel: A Clean and Secure Energy Future ($1.2 B H2 fuel initiative)
Matt Simmons’ speeches and papers
MIT interdisciplinary study on “The
Future of Nuclear Power”
Periodicals:
Hitting the Natural Gas Jackpot
Articles:
Invited Speakers’
presentation:
Amy Jaffe, Associate Director of the Rice University
energy program and Wallace Wilson fellow for Energy Studies at the James A.
Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University: Energy
Science Policy
Dr. Yoram Shoham, Vice President
of Shell International Exploration and Production for External Technology
Relations: Energy
Globalization and the Emerging Technology Renaissance
EVALUATION AND GRADING
Individual evaluation will be based on oral presentation, in class participation, and final exams:
Participation in class 20%
Oral presentation 30%
Paper 40%
Peer evaluation 10%
Updated: