Thanks to Dr. Yvette Pearson, Associate Dean at the Rice University School of Engineering, for featuring ECL-USA on her Engineering Change Podcast series. Dr. Pearson’s podcast (https://engineeringchangepodcast.com/resources) and her work is seeking to transform engineering and aligns closely with the work of ECL-USA. She is particularly interested in shifting cultures to enhance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion engineering education and practice.

You can listen to the ECL-USA podcast at any of these links.

Apple Podcasts https://lnkd.in/daK4eF5
Google Podcasts https://lnkd.in/dqJXY9A
Spotify https://lnkd.in/dhZWR5T
Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/engineering-change-podcast

Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL-USA) will present two events in the coming weeks that continue to explore the future of engineering. In recognition of the ongoing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will utilize virtual programming through mid-2021. Until our in-person summits are resumed, we will offer a series of half-day, virtual mini-summits at intervals of about every two months. Each of these mini-summits will continue the “deep dive” aspects of our in-person summits. We will also experiment with informal, virtual open houses between the mini-summits to continue the discussions began at summits and to maintain the connections between participants that are an important element of our work.

Upcoming Events

• November 2, 2020 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House.  Maintain connections from Summit 9 or catch up with previous connections! Join us for our first virtual open house. Click on the button below and scroll to the registration form titled “ECL-USA Virtual Open House”. It is the second form window in the browser.

Register for the Virtual Open House

• December 16, 2020 – Summit 10, Licensure Models for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Summit 10 will feature a half-day deep dive into the need for engineering licensure models to adapt to the transformational technological developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Presented in partnership with the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

Register for Summit 10

Future Events

• January 2021 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• February 2021 – Summit 11, Developing a Climate Change Public Policy Strategy for the Engineering Community (Tentative)
• March 2021 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• April 2021 – Summit 12, Consulting Engineering in a Post-COVID World (Tentative)
• May – June 2021, ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• July – August 2021, The Engineering Ideas Institute II (Topics to be determined)

 

Accepting Nominations for The Constellation Prize

Summit 9 provocateur Darshan Karwat is one of the organizers of The Constellation Prize, which seeks to reimagine what engineering is for by celebrating engineers and their collaborators whose work embodies the ideals of environmental protection, social justice, human rights, and peace. The prize recognizes both engineers and thoughtful collaborations between engineers and individuals, communities, and organizations. It further seeks to elevate the engineering, technological, and scientific expertise that frontline, marginalized, and disenfranchised communities employ to resist and thrive in the face of systemic oppression.

The prize endeavors to inspire others–from students to retirees–while bringing into view a constellation of socially-minded, technically astute practitioners who seek to protect the environment, fight for rights and social justice, and promote peace through their engineering.

The deadline for nominations for the prize has been extended to October 31, 2020. In 2020, submissions are limited to US-based engineers and their collaborators. For more information on the award and nomination process, click on the button below.

Learn More

Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL-USA) will continue to explore the future of engineering in the coming months. In recognition of the ongoing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will utilize virtual programming through mid-2021. Until our in-person summits are resumed, we will offer a series of half-day, virtual mini-summits at intervals of about every two months. Each of these min-summits will continue the “deep dive” aspects of our summits.

Beginning in October, we will also experiment with informal, virtual open houses between the mini-summits to continue the discussions began at summits and to maintain the connections between participants that are an important element of our work.

We are also beginning planning for an in-person Engineering Ideas Institute II in Summer 2021.

Here is the schedule for our upcoming events.

• November 2, 2020 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House.  Maintain connections from Summit 9 or catch up with previous connections! Join us for our first virtual open house. Click on the button below and scroll to the registration form titled “ECL-USA Virtual Open House”. It is the second form window in the browser.

Register for the Virtual Open House

• December 16, 2020 – Summit 10, Licensure Models for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Summit 10 will feature a half-day deep dive into the need for engineering licensure models to adapt to the transformational technological developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Presented in partnership with the National Society of Professional Engineers and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

Register for Summit 10

• January 2021 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• February 2021 – Summit 11, Developing a Climate Change Public Policy Strategy for the Engineering Community (Tentative)
• March 2021 – ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• April 2021 – Summit 12, Consulting Engineering in a Post-COVID World (Tentative)
• May – June 2021, ECL-USA Virtual Open House
• July – August 2021, The Engineering Ideas Institute II (Topics to be determined)

ECL-USA’s first Engineering Ideas Institute is complete. You can now review the reports for all four sessions (Session 1 Report) (Session 2 Report) (Session 3 Report) (Session 4 Report). Recordings of all four sessions are also available (Session 1) (Session 2) (Session 3) (Session 4).

The reports highlight the provocateur presentations and the group discussions on four topics that are highly important to the future of engineering. Each report summarizes the key takeaways from the sessions.

Session 1 included an exploration of the complex entanglement between society and technology and the role that the engineering community can play in an emergent future to help society anticipate, untangle, and adapt. Group discussion was centered around provocateur Darshan Karwat’s self-reflection questions for activist engineers.

Session 2 revealed the unique leadership responsibility of the engineering community to commit to a deep understanding of the systems that are impacted by our work captured in this framework.

Session 3 challenged participants to work for justice, equity, diversity and inclusivity in the engineering community through a broad-based approach that encompasses personal mastery, interpersonal relationships, organizational culture, and structural barriers.

Session 4 examined 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.

Look for an announcement soon on our upcoming programming.

ECL-USA’s Summit 9, The Engineering Ideas Institute, is in the books. Session 1 included an exploration of the complex entanglement between society and technology and the role that the engineering community can play in an emergent future to help society anticipate, untangle, and adapt. The theme of Session 2 was Environmentally Responsible Engineering: Building Capacities for Leading ERE Work / Leading the Change. This session explored what it takes to lead the work of ERE through the stories of the session provocateurs who are actively engaged in this type of work. Session 3 focused on the subject of Diversity Challenges: Exploring Barriers and Enablers for Women and Under Represented Minorities in Engineering. The session explored 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.). Session 4’s theme was Public Policy: Enabling Engineering Leadership in the Public Policy Arena. This session examined 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. Detailed reports on all four sessions will be available soon.

The tragic death of George Floyd and the subsequent demonstrations and protests have altered our view of the world and motivated many organizations, including engineering organizations, to issue statements of commitment to change that results in a more equitable society. How can engineering organizations best contribute to this movement? Certainly, addressing diversity and inclusivity within our organizations and broadening our approach to the design of projects to include a more comprehensive view of the human impacts of our work are important. We can also contribute to public policy changes that re-prioritize our investments in public infrastructure in ways that result in more equitable communities…. Read More