Teaching
As an Assistant Professor at LSU and previously as a PhD student at Georgia Tech, Dr. Bivins has taught a diversity of engineering courses from first-year undergraduate to the graduate level. These include fundamental classes in environmental engineering, problem-based learning courses with cross-cultural travel and application, and engineering entrepreneurship courses.
Dr. Bivins's teaching style is one which places the practice of engineering at the center of the classroom with problems and projects designed to develop and emphasize the application of sound engineering reason, intuition, and judgment with incomplete information.
As a PhD student at Georgia Tech, Dr. Bivins completed an advanced certificate in Pedagogy from the Center for Teaching and Learning and was selected as a Future Faculty Fellow.
Microbiology for Environmental Engineers
(Spring Term, LSU)
EVEG 3400 is a required course in the Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Engineering curriculum at LSU. Students typically take the course in their junior year. The course covers the fundamentals of microbiology including the diverse physiology and metabolisms of microorganisms, microbial growth, the basics of ecology and nutrient cycling, culture-based and molecular measurements, human pathogens, quantitative microbial risk assessment, and microbiological wastewater treatment.
Environmental Engineering Measurements
(Fall Term, LSU)
EVEG 4780 is a mandatory junior-level course in the Bachelor's of Science program in Environmental Engineering at LSU. During the lab-based course students learn the fundamentals of metrology with emphasis on laboratory measurements relevant to the practice of environmental engineering. Students conduct weekly experiments and report their findings via written reports. Instruction includes lessons on effective written and visual communication for engineering applications.
Grand Challenges Research Projects
(Spring Term, Georgia Tech)
This course is part of the second year progression of the Grand Challenges Program of GT-LEAD. During the course students work together on dynamic and entrepreneurial teams to develop solutions to problems falling within the scope of the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges in Engineering. Students work with their teams to develop minimum viable products and business cases and engage with the potential market segment for their product. The course requires the creation of a dynamic and adaptive environment to accommodate problem-based learning by student teams working to solve a diverse array of problems.
Environmental Engineering Technology in Developing Countries
(Spring Term, Georgia Tech)
This is elective course is part of the undergraduate curriculum in environmental engineering at Georgia Tech. The course is a cross-culture immersion experience in which students design and execute environmental microbiology field experiments in collaboration with students and scientists in Bolivia. The course includes a 10-day excursion during Spring Break to execute the experiments and test hypotheses relevant to environmental engineering in Bolivia. Students then prepare written reports and final presentations to share their experience and learnings from the course.
