All images are provided courtesy of The Pennsylvania State University, unless otherwise noted.

General Description:

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.

User Note:

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 Mohammad Alhusaini. 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.

This page was last updated on 9/2/2010, by Mohammad Alhusaini and is hosted by the AE Department ©2010

ABET Outcome Survey
Important Note:  These outcomes reflect a personal (student) assessment of the course, not the instructor's assessment.

Course Reflection

The AE program was very fulfilling, challenging at times, and very broad in terms of material. The program allowed me to better my knowledge through constant interaction with AE related subjects, AE related classes and a more comprehensive course than one would typically graduate from.

In terms of thesis, this was the most important part of the whole course, and really allowed me as a person to be more involved with the interactions in the industry rather than simply be taught with no experience about what I was learning. The first half of the course, which coincides with the fall semester, enabled me to seek information and to ensure that my knowledge with the subject was vast and appropriate, whilst giving me a guide in terms of how to collect data and how to manipulate it. In the spring semester, or the second half, the most important part was the pure independence. It was almost liberating and a feeling of total independence, which made me most comfortable. I was now able to produce at my own pace, without constraint, and on my own schedule; I had a background of information but I was also able to use my judgment in order to expand my library of knowledge or not. It was a very rewarding experience.

 

CPEP Reflection

The CPEP may have been the single most important portion of thesis, and allowed me to research past information in order to have an idea of what is expected. It is true that there is a learning curve involved with setting up a website and ensuring its constant operation, but this is a tool and skill that is invaluable. The CPEP E-Portfolio is informative and could be just as important as the entire project as it is an update to the current status of everybody’s work and allows one to measure their performance throughout.