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A cultural anthropologist, a theology professor, three high school seniors, four engineers and a physics professor sat in a circle.
An unlikely combination for a social gathering, but these 10 people are among the chief architects of Creighton University's new energy technology program.
They met last week to shape the curriculum for the program, which will begin with between 10 and 20 students in fall 2011.
Students will graduate with an energy technology major — a degree that will give them a background in engineering but also knowledge of social sciences and environmental topics related to renewable energy.
“It won't be just science,” said Rachel Ketchmark, 17, a senior at Omaha Gross High, who is helping to design the curriculum. “We'll have the business aspect, environmental aspect and even the religion aspect.”
The new major is only one piece of Creighton's exploration of renewable energy. New solar panels and wind turbines also are being installed on campus. The new major and energy technology are part of a $2.6 million project funded mostly by the federal government.
Michael Cherney, a physics professor helping to lead the project, said he expects about 25 students to enroll in the degree program each year.
Students will conduct experiments in four new laboratories that will allow students to analyze the solar panels, conduct computer simulations, design and construct new technology devices and create solar cells.
The university purchased solar panels from three manufacturers to expose the students to different technologies. A versatile framing system also was used so the panels could be easily swapped as the technology advanced, said Lennis Pederson, the university's director of facilities management.
That will enable students to test new technology as it becomes available, Pederson said.
Cherney said the curriculum will take a hands-on approach, with few lectures. He said he wants students to take risks, and the grading structure will encourage that.
“We're getting people to do things that they wouldn't do otherwise,” he said. “And actually an important part of the curriculum is letting people make mistakes.”
The program will emphasize the physics aspects of the new energy technology rather than technical instruction. Cherney said it's important that students know how to explain and apply the fundamentals behind the technology because the actual products will all be different in 10 years.
Creighton spokeswoman Cindy Workman said the program will be unique in its focus compared with other universities.
“It's an opening field. There are people out there who want to do this, but there aren't that many programs for it,” she said.
Chuck Kopocis, vice president of Control Services, a building automation contractor who participated in last week's workshop, said Creighton's emphasis on hands-on experience is something that industry professionals look for in recent graduates.
“Universities teach way too much theory, especially in engineering,” he said. “What we're looking for is one-third theory and two-thirds practical application.”
Cherney said the program also will focus on the environmental and social benefits of renewable energy. He said about 40 percent of the faculty will be from the humanities and social science fields.
With new energy initiatives facing questions about upfront and operational costs, Cherney said such knowledge will help graduates become more persuasive about selling renewable energy.
“A lot of this involves people making changes,” he said. “You can have the right engineering answer, but if you can't communicate what you have and give people what they want, you can't get very far.”
Cherney said he is modeling the hands-on teaching philosophy on the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., one of the nation's premier engineering institutions.
When developing curricular blueprint in the shadows of Olin's example, Cherney said he realized the strategy fit perfectly with Creighton's values.
“It's really the way the Jesuits used to teach 200 years ago — with an individual focus and individual responsibility, with a project-oriented approach,” he said. “And what's funny is, 200 years later, we're coming full cycle.”
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