Engineering Change Lab-USA (ECL-USA) is a catalyst for change within the engineering community, helping it reach its highest potential on behalf of society

A recent Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL) summit featured a deep dive into the future of licensure for engineering and the role licensure and regulatory bodies can play in ensuring that engineers and organizations engaged in the development of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution act in the public interest. Discussions at the summit demonstrated a clear need for engineering licensure models to adapt to these transformational developments in a manner that will protect the public and guide engineers to practice as stewards of technology and nature on behalf of society.

Several key elements of a future regulatory model emerged at the summit.

• Increased focus on macro-ethics in addition to the traditional focus on micro-ethics.
• Mastery of critical thinking and systems thinking skills in addition to analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Consideration of modular regulatory systems in addition to the current single license model.
• Moving to an agile and adaptable system from the current static / high inertia model.
• Shift to a system based on credentials demonstrated through a portfolio or peer review in addition to the current education / exam / experience model.
• Emphasis on the importance of lifelong learning.
• Addition of inter-disciplinary licensure to the current single discipline model.
• Consideration of team- or project-based licensure to address emerging technologies.
• Moving from state-based licensure to a blended system of self-regulation, state and national.

These elements are captured in a map of the future of licensure that you can review at this link.

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Updated – July 14, 2022

Photo source: The Colorado Chautauqua

2022 Engineering Ideas Institute, September 26 – 28, 2022

In 2019, the leadership of Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL) conceived the idea of the Engineering Ideas Institute. Our goal for the Institute is to annually convene diverse change leaders from across the Engineering Community for a longer-form, deeper exploration of the most important issues that will define the future of engineering.

Participants in the third edition of the Engineering Ideas Institute will learn, share perspectives, provoke new ways of thinking and find avenues for action related to two important topics described below. Advancing our knowledge in these two areas aligns with ECL’s mission to catalyze action in the engineering community through deep learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. We invite you and your associates to join us for the Institute.

The Regenerative / Circular Economy Opportunity and the Future of Engineering

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In a narrative that is overwhelmingly positive, the history of engineering is commonly told as a story of progress and achievement. From the Brooklyn Bridge and the Hoover Dam to countless roadway and water projects across America, engineers designed and built an infrastructure that not only drove progress and growth, but also protected public health, safety, and welfare. From Edison’s lightbulb and Bell’s telephone to computers and the Internet, engineers created technologies that revolutionized the way we live and work. And, from mechanical and electrical devices to chemical processes, members of the Engineering Community were central to both industrial and consumer revolutions in the United States and across the world.

Members of the Engineering Community can and should take pride in this promethean legacy, one that continues as we move into a new century.

In his theories about the human psyche, Swiss psychologist Carl Jung describes a shadow that accompanies the face we present to the public and ourselves. That shadow is “full of those things we have no wish to be, and certainly no wish to present to the public: our fears, our insecurities, our anxieties.[i]” Taking a cue from Jung, we might ask – is there a “shadow story” of engineering in the United States? Does our dominant narrative obscure or ignore parts of our history where engineers were involved in technological developments that were deeply harmful to individuals and groups within our society?

A thorough examination of the history of engineering and race in the United States reveals significant racial injustice and harm that resulted from some actions by engineers. If the engineering community is going to do its part to heal these past racial harms and write a new narrative for the future – one that combines technological innovations and achievements with concrete contributions toward racial equity, this shadow story must be brought into the light.

Confronting this shadow does not diminish the dominant story. Rather, stepping up and owning this part of engineering’s history can result in a positive shift in values and behaviors; creating new foundation stones upon which members of the Engineering Community can build in their stewardship of technology and nature on behalf of society for the benefit of all[ii].

Illuminating the Shadow… Read More