Envisioning ecological engineering education: An international survey of the educational and professional community

Abstract

Nearly half a century ago, H.T. Odum envisioned a sustainable approach to systems design where human intervention would be supplementary to nature. He referred to this concept as ecological engineering and suggested that practitioners should receive an education beyond the rigors of engineering. To understand natural processes needed to design, develop, and restore natural systems successfully, Odum suggested ecological engineers should have an expanded knowledge of environmental systems and ecology. Furthermore, he recommended broadening educational exposure to social science and liberal arts. The field of ecological engineering has blossomed in the years since Odum expressed his vision, but universities have not adopted his suggested curriculum, and undergraduate engineering students have generally seen a reduction in social science and liberal arts courses. This paper compares Odum's vision with the surveyed visions of an international group of ecological engineers, who assessed the value and characteristics of an ecological engineering undergraduate education. The respondents’ perspectives vary with their location, education, and profession; however, most participants in this survey share Odum's vision, and are dissatisfied with existing curricula. Participants outside of the United States were more confident that something approaching Odum's vision for a program in ecological engineering could be delivered at the undergraduate level.