The world of energy, says Semih Eser, "is so broad and diverse; it’s rapidly
changing." Changing so rapidly that Eser learned a thing or two about energy during
the CAUSE 2000 cross-country tour.
For over a decade, Eser has been teaching science and engineering majors and non-technical
students about energy. He knows that every course he teaches — whether it’s
"Problems in Fuel Science", "Energy and Modern Society", or "Energy and the Environment"
— is a learning experience for himself and his students.
Because the CAUSE 2000 seminar is different from a typical class, Eser gained a
different type of enrichment "through subject and social interrelations," he says.
"There are many opportunities for sharing. And I learned a lot from the students."
Having the students "address us by our first name helps," says Eser. After all,
"we’re staying in a motel together and sharing personal experiences. We are
all people," he says, chuckling.
"Another great experience was getting to know Derek and working closely with him," says
Eser of his colleague and co-instructor Derek Elsworth.
The duty of CAUSE professors isn’t just to transfer information, but to facilitate
discussion and group work among students. That’s pretty easy to do with such a
tight-knit group of students who know each other both academically and socially.
However, group work can be a major hurdle. If not done correctly, says Eser, it can
be "detrimental to learning and performance. It could slow you down."
It’s difficult when "four people are pulling in different directions trying to reach
consensus," Eser says. He adds, "it would have been best to have a professional come talk
about group work."
Eser has been able to incorporate some of the things he learned during CAUSE 2000 into
his other courses. "I look at students as resources — a two-way street. Don’t
shut them out. Listen to them," says Eser. "My principle objective in teaching is to
stimulate meaningful learning," he says, "not just in CAUSE but in all my of my classes."
After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at Middle
East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, Eser moved to the United States in 1981.
The move not only changed his lifestyle, but his academic focus too. He transitioned from
engineering to science, earning a Ph.D. in fuel science at Penn State in 1987.
Semih Eser is associate professor of energy and geo-environmental engineering in the
College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, 154 Hosler Building, University Park, PA, 16802;
(814) 863-1392; seser@psu.edu.
