Eggshells, which are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, have been considered as alternative filler in polymer composites to reduce cost and improve some of the material properties. One of the biofillers that has not yet widely studied for its potential use in rubber is quail eggshell. For this research study, the effects of quail eggshell filler on the abrasion resistance and thermal degradation of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber were investigated. Samples with 0, 5, 10 and 15 wt. % quail eggshell filler were prepared through manual mixing and open molding process. Abrasion resistance test was performed based on ASTM D4060 while thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis was utilized to examine thermal degradation. Results revealed that the abrasion resistance of silicone rubber increases as the eggshell filler content rises from 0 to 15 wt. %. The silicone rubber with 15 wt. % filler achieved the best abrasion resistance with a mass loss of about 44.7 % less than the sample without filler. For the thermal analysis, the sample with 15 wt. % eggshell filler achieved a higher peak degradation temperature of about 605.61 oC as compared to the plain sample (511.25 oC) but the latter appears to resist thermal degradation better at high temperatures.

The BS Mechanical Engineering Program of FEU Institute of Technology designed undergraduate thesis courses for its first batch of BSME students enrolled in the Project Study 1 and Project Study 2 courses. These courses were designed to be in line with governmental and institutional requirements, outcomes-based education, and optimized research output. The courses were successfully implemented and used as optimal venues for assessing program outcomes for accreditation purposes and the continuous quality improvement process of the BS-mechanical engineering program.

The threat of a massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the Philippines prompted its government to implement community lockdowns all across the country. The first of which was implemented in Metro Manila beginning on 15 March 2020 and lasted up to 15 May 2020. During the lockdown, all schools were prohibited to conduct face-to-face classes while businesses were encouraged to implement work-from-home arrangements. FEU Institute of Technology (FEU Tech), located in Metro Manila, Philippines, was able to quickly adapt to the health crisis mainly due to its previous implementation of Canvas, an online learning management system, in 2017. The mechanical engineering department at FEU Tech revised its strategy in its implementation of its undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Project Study course (MEPROSTUD) to adapt to the class disruptions caused by the community quarantines imposed in Metro Manila. Comparing student performance before and during the pandemic, it was observed that there was a significant decline in oral communication and a significant improvement in written communication in MEPROSTUD1 and MEPROSTUD2, respectively. This paper documents the experiences of the mechanical engineering department at FEU Tech in its implementation of MEPROSTUD courses during the pandemic and intends to provide additional information to other engineering schools about how to remotely implement their undergraduate thesis courses.

The threat of a massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the Philippines prompted its government to implement community lockdowns all across the country. The first of which was implemented in Metro Manila beginning on 15 March 2020 and lasted up to 15 May 2020. During the lockdown, all schools were prohibited to conduct face-to-face classes while businesses were encouraged to implement work-from-home arrangements. FEU Institute of Technology (FEU Tech), located in Metro Manila, Philippines, was able to quickly adapt to the health crisis mainly due to its previous implementation of Canvas, an online learning management system, in 2017. The mechanical engineering department at FEU Tech revised its strategy in its implementation of its undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Project Study course (MEPROSTUD) to adapt to the class disruptions caused by the community quarantines imposed in Metro Manila. Comparing student performance before and during the pandemic, it was observed that there was a significant decline in oral communication and a significant improvement in written communication in MEPROSTUD1 and MEPROSTUD2, respectively. This paper documents the experiences of the mechanical engineering department at FEU Tech in its implementation of MEPROSTUD courses during the pandemic and intends to provide additional information to other engineering schools about how to remotely implement their undergraduate thesis courses.