Five civil and environmental engineering researchers affiliated with the Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center—a multi-party research collaborative located in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University—joined forces to offer two study abroad courses in the Netherlands and London for undergraduate students at Rice and Louisiana State University (LSU) this summer.
The courses were led by Philip Bedient, SSPEED Center director and Herman and George R. Brown Professor of Civil Engineering at Rice, and John Pardue, Elizabeth Howell Stewart Endowed Professor at LSU. Charles Penland, SSPEED consultant and director of business development in the Infrastructure Group at Walter P. Moore; James Doss-Gollin, assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice; and Nick Fang, the Robert S. Gooch Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, also served as instructors for the courses.
Fourteen undergraduate students—primarily underclassmen—from both institutions participated in a month-long immersive experience that was designed for the students to gain real-world perspectives on sustainable infrastructure and urban development. These experiential courses were last offered in 2019.
“Not since COVID have we seen this level of enthusiasm among students for this study abroad program, which motivated us to resume it this summer,” Bedient said. “Such immersive experiences not only broaden the students’ technical knowledge but also deepens that knowledge by placing it within the global historical and cultural context. This prepares them to tackle civil and environmental engineering challenges with creativity and insight in a holistic manner.”
For the first course, titled “Flood Control and Nature-Based Solutions in the Netherlands,” the faculty and students spent 13 days in the Netherlands in June exploring cutting-edge water management systems and eco-friendly engineering practices, learning from a country renowned for its flood control and environmental resilience. The students attended lectures by SSPEED and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) faculty on hydrologic concepts and nature-based flood control solutions. These were coupled with nine field trips to university labs and other sites in the country that served as real-world demonstrations of the concept of ‘Make room for the river’ and other unique Dutch approaches to flood prevention. The students visited storm surge barriers, dams, dikes, and floating houses around the country and had the opportunity to meet the engineers who designed and constructed these internationally renowned infrastructures.
During the second course, titled “Urban Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability,” the group spent 13 days in the United Kingdom. Using London as a case study, they examined the evolution of urban waste and water management technologies from its first sewer system that wiped out cholera and is still in use today to the current Thames Tideway tunnel deep-level sewer project. They learned from experts about the historical connection of the city’s residents to the river and how that connection continues to the present day. As they visited museums and attractions around London, they became familiar with innovations that led to significant improvements in the city’s air and drinking water quality over the ages and current eco-friendly practices such as urban regeneration projects and sustainable transport initiatives.
“Both these trips were a resounding success, and we have received overwhelmingly positive responses from the students,” Bedient said. “This trip offered Rice and LSU students an opportunity to interact with one another and all of them shared that they found this trip fun, enriching, and personally empowering in many ways—a few had not been to Europe or traveled so far from their family. Moreover, learning how different cultures have traditionally approached and addressed environmental issues and witnessing first-hand the many engineering marvels they had read about were powerful and truly eye-opening experiences for the students.”