Karl A. Smith
Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor and Emeritus Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
ARMSTRONG HALL
701 WEST STADIUM AVENUE
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN 47907-2045
Education
M.S., Metallurgical Engineering, Michigan Technological University
B.S., Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University
Research Interests
Selected Publications
Cooperative learning: Increasing college faculty instructional productivity (with David and Roger Johnson), published by ASHE-ERIC Reports on Higher Education in 1991
Strategies for energizing large classes: From small groups to learning communities (with James Cooper and Jean MacGregor) published in Jossey-Bass’s New Direction for Teaching and Learning series in 2000
Teamwork and project management, 4rd Ed. published in McGraw-Hill’s BEST Series in 2014.
Experience
- Dr. Smith has over 30 years of experience working with faculty to redesign their courses and programs to improve student learning. He adapted the cooperative learning model to engineering education and in the past 15 years has focused on high-performance teamwork through his workshops and book Teamwork and Project Management (2014).
Advice for the First-Year Engineer
I'm reluctant to provide advice since my first year in engineering school was over 40 years ago. However, I have worked with hundreds of students and so with some trepidation offer the following advice: Get to know yourself -- what do you love to do?, what do you really care about? Engineering is about making the world a better place and so if you want to make a difference in people's lives, engineering may be for you. Get to know other students. Many of us develop lifelong friendships during our student years and I hope you do too. Get to know faculty. Although faculty may not be your typical student, we did figure out how to navigate these complex programs and so may have some insights to offer. Also, we can be quite helpful when you need letters of recommendation. Most of all, enjoy the journey. You have the opportunity to get a great education in one of the best engineering schools in the world.