Course Reflection | CPEP Reflection | ABET Assessment

AE 481W/482 Course Reflection
Senior thesis encompasses two semesters and ends with a presentation to a committee of AE faculty members. The thesis experience actually begins once a building of choice is approved which for me was March before my senior year. I chose to use the Penn State Ballpark because I would be working on the project for the project's duration and would have the ability to use the necessary resources on a daily basis. During the summer months, I had the opportunity to attend design meetings, bid review meetings, and job conferences which helped me to develop a better understanding of the project. Throughout the entire thesis experience, I utilized the many of my resources from the project to help gain a better understanding with the technical areas associated with my thesis work.

Because I worked daily on the project, the fall semester proved to be undemanding and tedious. Since the fall semester is researching the project, I already had many of the assignments (project background, estimate, schedule, etc.) already at my disposal from the preconstruction activities I assisted with. The fall semester concluded with a thesis proposal submission which proved to be very valuable while completing work during the spring semester.

Upon returning from an enjoyable winter break that included a trip to Miami for the Orange Bowl, getting back to work on thesis was quite a challenge. However, after an additional two week vacation, I realized it was time to get to work. After planning the rest of the semester with the needed areas of work, I began to make the uphill climb to complete my senior thesis project. I looked at three interesting facets associated with the Ballpark: field lighting columns (structural breadth), electrical distribution to retail building (electrical breadth), and streamlining the structural steel design to construction through computer modeling (construction depth). I spent the majority of the semester thoroughly working through the areas associated wtih my thesis.

Ultimately, I found the thesis experience to be very valuable and enjoyable. I was able to practice areas associated with a constructability review which will be very valuable upon graduating. I gained advice from faculty and industry regarding my work throughout the development and presentation process which will also benefit my career. Furthermore, I hope to use the knowledge I gained from the construction research topic upon entering the construction industry.

CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection
The Capstone Project e-Portfolio (CPEP) has allowed me to present my senior thesis research and results online. While an initial template was provided to organize the website, I took the liberty to customize and personalize the webpage design. The webpage was maintained and updated over the course of two semesters to reflect the most current work and obtain feedback from consultants. The discussion boards allowed me to communicate with industry professionals in hopes of providing a better understanding of my thesis research topics.

Constructing the CPEP website allowed me to express creativity and my understanding of webpage design from previous experience. Initially, I spent countless hours with the webpage design and images, but once that was complete, maintaining the site proved to be simple. Through the use of the CPEP, many of my family members, co-workers, and industry representatives were able to access my on-going work and provide feedback as necessary which could not have easily occurred with another format.

Because of the daily resources I had at the constrution site, I did not use the discussion boards and therefore have no opinion with that area of thesis.

The CPEP website and discussion boards have not necessarily made me a better student, but they have taught me the importance of visual display and serve as a lasting record to my semester long accomplishments. Furthermore, the knowlege of webpage design will be beneficial as the construction industry continues to implement technological advances on a project.

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Assessment
ABET, Inc., is the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Accreditation ensures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. ABET was established in 1932 and is now a federation of 28 professional and technical societies representing the fields of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Through the hard work and dedication of more than 1,500 volunteers, ABET currently accredits some 2,700 programs at over 550 colleges and universities nationwide. Visit the ABET website for more information.

ABET Assessment 2006 (PDF 21KB)

The Capstone Project Electronic Portfolio (CPEP) is a web-based project and information center. It contains material produced for a year-long Senior Thesis class. Its purpose, in addition to providing central storage of individual assignments, is to foster communication and collaboration between student, faculty consultant, course instructors, and industry consultants. This website is dedicated to the research and analysis conducted via guidelines provided by the Department of Architectural Engineering. For an explanation of this capstone design course and its requirements click here.

Senior Thesis | The Pennsylvania State University | Architectural Engineering | AE Lab | Contact Jason McFadden

This Page was last updated on April 30, 2006 by Jason McFadden and is hosted by the AE Department © 2005

Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work-in-progress for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of Jason McFadden. Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.