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Dr
Renate Fruchter
Director
of PBL
Senior
Research Engineer
Department
of Civil Engineering
Center for
Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE)
Stanford University
Education
& Experience
Educational Dreams & Motivation
Education
& Experience
"I'm
a square engineer. A typical example of an absolute academic person."
- Master
and PhD in Civil Engineering. Focus on dynamic behavior of flexible
structure, simulation like the collapse of Tacoma bridge.
- PhD
Research: Applied AI Technique in earthquake design of high-rise
building -- an interesting combination of structural engineering and
computer science.
- R &
D: Computer aided engineering focusing on Collaborative Technology
in support of Global Teamwork of cross disciplinary, geographical distributed
team.
- Before
Stanford: Engaged in National Committee for designing the earthquake
engineering at Israel for 7 years, which involved working with stakeholders
from very diverse institutions and industries -- from the ministry of
construction to contractors, military and academia.
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Educational Dreams & Motivation
"When
I was a (civil engineering) student, I was always wondering how I could
make use of my knowledge on engineering."
Fragmented industry
Renate observed
that the typical practice in the engineering world is:
- (civil
engineering) students have no opportunity to meet and interact with
students from other disciplines and the stakeholder in the building
project.
- Structural
engineering students don't understand the constraints of Architect and
Construction Manager and what they think.
- There
is no opportunity to tap the capability and pick the brain of industry
professionals who are doing the projects.
And yet industries
are looking for graduates who, on top of their basic disciplinary skills,
also equip with skills in information technology, negotiation, coordination
and collaboration.
Renate sees
that one of the main reasons for the fragmented industry is the tunnel
vision of our education that learning is confined by disciplines.
AEC
(Architecture/Engineering/Construction) Global Teamwork Program
Seeing the
needs from the AEC industry and based on her research on developing collaborations
technology in support of global teamwork, Renate emulates the concept
of master builder's atelier during the Renaissance and designed the AEC
global teamwork program.
The program
focuses on problem based, project centered activities that
produce a product for a client. It will be based on re-engineering
processes that bring people from multiple disciplines together.
In short, P5B(ased)L(earning).
(Please refer
to Stanford
online report for more news about the AEC program)
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