Power the World

This course looks at the history, policies and current trends in energy technologies. Every generation in every community has experienced an "energy crisis." People have found ways to proceed, but solutions have always involved positive and negative consequences. Our students gain access to this depth and breadth of awareness from the first day of the first term. This is the key to becoming not only effective engineers, but effective citizens of the 21st century.


Students who complete this course will have developed a consumer guide for residential wind power, analyzed policies for nuclear waste management, analyzed the costs and benefits of a green roof on WPI's proposed recreation center, and studied algae for biodiesel production

• Course takes place in C & D terms
• Professors: Derren Rosbach (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Geoff Pfeifer (Humanities & Arts)
• Class meeting two times each week: C term: Tuesday and Friday 11:00-12:50, D term: Tuesday and Friday, 10:00-11:50.
• Credits earned: This Seminar sequence will count towards an Engineering Science (ES 1000) and Humanities (HU 1100) general elective credit.