Planning continues for Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL-USA) Summit 9, The Engineering Ideas Institute. Out of concern for the potential health risks of travelling to and participating in an in-person gathering and because of the uncertainty of our economy, the summit will be presented as a virtual experience. We will return to the in-person format for our future summits when conditions have stabilized.
The Engineering Ideas Institute will be presented in four separate, four-hour sessions. Provocateurs for the four sessions have been confirmed and design of the sessions is being finalized. All four sessions will include reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic and what we are learning about the role engineers and the engineering community can play to improve society’s resilience and adaptive capacity.
• Session 1 – Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT
Technological Driving Forces: Social Impacts of Technology / Building Capacities for Stewardship of Technology. This session will seek to further our understanding of the nature of the complex entanglement between society and technology and explore the role that the engineering community can play in an emergent future to help society anticipate, untangle, and adapt.
Provocateurs
- Iana Aranda, Director, Engineering for Change Programs, American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
- Darshan Karwat, Assistant Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University.
- Guru Madhavan, Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar & Director of Programs, National Academy of Engineering.
• Session 2 – Thursday, July 30, 2020, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT
Environmentally Responsible Engineering: Building Capacities for Leading ERE Work / Leading the Change. This session will explore what it takes to lead the work of ERE thorough the stories of leaders actively engaged in this type of work.
Provocateurs
- Betsy Del Monte, FAIA. Architect & Sustainability Consultant with Cameron MacAllister Group; Adjunct Professor, Southern Methodist University; Leader of AIA’s Resolution for Urgent and Sustained Climate Action.
- Cindy Gilbert, Senior Program Officer, VentureWell. Leader of “Engineering for One Planet” Initiative.
- Jen Molnar, Lead Scientist & Managing Director, Center for Sustainability Science, The Nature Conservancy.
- Brian Sifton, Sustainability Program Manager, Black & Veatch
• Session 3 – Wednesday, August 5, 2020, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT
Diversity Challenges: Exploring Barriers and Enablers for Women and Under Represented Minorities in Engineering. This session will explore why the system is stuck with respect to the percentage of women and under-represented minorities in the engineering workforce and possible leverage points for unsticking it (removing barriers, fostering enablers, changing mindsets and unconscious biases, etc.).
Provocateurs
- Rachel Attebery, P.E., Director of Operations, Diode Ventures, 2017 ENR Top 20 Under 40, Champion for Women in Engineering and Construction.
- Peggy Layne, P.E., Assistant Provost for Faculty Development, Virginia Tech University and co-author of A Review of 2018 Literature, State of Women in Engineering, 2019, No. 2, Society of Women Engineers.
- Rosa Sheng, Principal, Equity, Diversion & Inclusion Director, Higher Education Studio Leader, Smith Group; Founding Chair, AIA’s Equity By Design.
• Session 4 – Thursday, August 6, 2020, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CDT
Public Policy: Enabling Engineering Leadership in the Public Policy Arena. This session will examine how engineering and science can be used to more effectively set policy and how engineers can move beyond simply providing technical advice and counsel to higher level engagement in public policy.
Provocateurs
- Carla Perez, Senior Strategic Consultant, HDR.
- Steve Costello, Chief Recovery Officer, City of Houston, Leader of Renew Houston Ballot Initiative & Member of Houston City Council from 2010 to 2015.
- Carla Perez, Senior Strategic Consultant, HDR.
- Rick Pilgrim, Senior Vice President, HDR.
- George Sparks, President/CEO, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Passionate Advocate for Science-Based Public Policy.
In advance of the summit, we would like to get your input on high priority public policy issues and strategies for the engineering community. Please take a couple of minutes to complete a survey on public policy issues at this link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B6WJ7GS).
Each session of The Engineering Ideas Institute will be presented utilizing the Zoom Meeting platform. All sessions will be facilitated by Kyle Davy. Kyle and all session provocateurs will present by live stream with opportunities for live questions and answers. In line with the tradition of past ECL-USA summits, there will also be opportunities for small group and large group discussions.
Registration for the summit is open through the ECL-USA website (Summit Registration). Registration fees are as follows. Free registration is available for a limited number of students. Students interested in participating should contact Mike McMeekin (mike.mcmeekin@lamprynearson.com).
• Full Conference (All 4 Sessions) – $200
• Individual Sessions – $100
While the transition to a virtual format will challenge all of us to be fully engaged, it also offers an opportunity to reach a larger audience and broaden our base within the engineering community. We hope you will consider inviting your staff and professional associates to take part in the summit. We wish everyone all the best in this unique, challenging time.
