Mike McMeekin

To unlock its full potential and fulfill its obligation to serve society at the highest levels, the engineering community needs to answer the “call to service” and step into the public policy arena. In this arena, priorities and funding are set and critical courses of action charted to address many of the engineering challenges of the 21^st century. Engineering Change Lab – USA’s (ECL) virtual summit, Engineering & Public Policy Leadership, held on June 20, 2023, explored this imperative, outlined the wide variety of options for engagement, and highlighted the personal satisfaction and sense of purpose that can come with contributing to society through public policy.

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Mike McMeekin & Kyle Davy

Updated 5/12/23.

Updated 5/28/23.

To unlock its full potential and fulfill its obligation to serve society at the highest levels, the engineering community needs to step boldly into the public policy arena. It is in this arena where critical policies related to the engineering challenges of the 21^st century are established and where funding levels and priorities are set. The public policy arena is where problems are defined that the engineering community is then asked to solve. The technical knowledge and experience of the engineering community are critical to effective public policy. To have a greater impact in the public policy arena, we will need to move from a sense of disempowerment to empowerment; from believing that we only implement the policies and ideas of others to active engagement in defining the right problems in the right way. We will need to apply this empowerment in new ways, with great respect and empathy for the impacts of public policy and our work on people, on communities, and on the environment.

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Why is sustainability important to the transformation of engineering education? ECL-USA’s virtual summit, Scanning the Horizon of Engineering Education:  The Sustainability Imperative, held on March 14, 2023, explored this question. The multi-faceted answers to this question lie in the engineering community’s responsibility in protecting our planet, the massive impact of the work of engineering, engineering student values, employer needs and responsibilities, and the academic community’s role in preparing the next generation.

 Cindy Cooper, The Lemelson Foundation

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Scanning the Horizon of Engineering Education:  The Sustainability Imperative

 An ECL-USA Summit Sponsored by NCEES and Presented in Collaboration with ABET, Engineering for One Planet, and Olin College of Engineering

 A series of significant societal, technological, and environmental challenges are reshaping what it means to be an engineer in the 21^st Century. Engineering education is a primary crucible for this change, with the need to transform the curriculum, experience, and composition of the student body, faculty, and staff in higher education institutions.

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An ECL-USA Summit Presented in Collaboration with ABET, Engineering for One Planet, and Olin College of Engineering

A series of significant societal, technological, and environmental challenges are reshaping what it means to be an engineer in the 21^st Century. Engineering education is a primary crucible for this change, with the need to transform the curriculum, experience, and composition of the student body, faculty, and staff in higher education institutions.

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By Kyle V. Davy AIA and Mike McMeekin PE

Sustainability is not enough.

Escalating climate, infrastructure and social crises are outpacing efforts to address them with sustainable practices. The engineering community has the tools and strategies to take us beyond sustainability — both to address dire challenges and to restore living systems. Circular economy and regenerative approaches are principal means for achieving these ends.

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