Category: Fall 2017

  • Impact of Technology on Society

    By Matt A.

    This class, Engineering for Social Change, has been a great opportunity for me to look at the intersection of engineering, philanthropy, and social justice. The class has presented material covering a range of topics from automation, to 3D printing, and alternative waste treatment methods. While the range of topics has been diverse, one theme has strung them all together.

    To me, this course is all about the impact of technology on our society. I found that we addressed this topic from two viewpoints. One, how has technology helped society in the past and how can it help in the future? Two, what are the unintended consequences of new technologies and how might they be hurting society? Both angles reveal some fascinating things going on in the world. We touched on how 3D printing is leading to huge advancements in affordable prosthetics. However, we had to then confront the reality that so too is it enabling the production of cheap, illegal parts for guns. Likewise, with automation, our group discussed how new technologies may enable many people to do their jobs far more effectively and be freed from mundane tasks. Yet, we had to also discuss the fact that automation may lead to an increased income gap and put many out of work. This balance of advancement and unforeseen consequences composes the nature of our development as humans today.

    On top of this learning, we were able to integrate a large scale discussion and study of how philanthropy can tie into engineering and technology. Through the process of searching for nonprofits and ultimately awarding a grant to an organization that is using engineering to cause positive social change, we were able to gain an understanding of the work being done in this space. We saw how technology can be implemented in systematic ways to help people and solve problems in our society.

    I think it is remarkably important for engineers to be exposed to coursework and learning such as this. As engineers, we help implement new technologies into the world. Our coursework tends to focus on evaluating technical feasibility and maybe, to branch out, some financial considerations. It is easy to form a sort of tunnel vision which can not see past these factors when no where in our education are we challenged to stop and ask, “but how will this affect society?” If we really wish to have a positive impact on the world, it’s crucial to ask not just, “will this work?” or “will this sell?” but, “how might this impact the world around me for good and bad?” The day when these questions become ingrained into the minds of our world’s engineers is the day that we will begin to see the thoughtful integration of inventions into our overall system in a way we never have before.

  • Engineering is Not Just About Engineering

    By Mohamed A.

    During the stages of the course, I have learned how to embrace the concept of philanthropy while continue to remain relevant to the globally interconnected engineering landscape. I genuinely witnessed how “waste” signifies a growing need for a refocus of engineering on the sustainability side, instead of on supplying more irresponsible advanced products and technologies. This made me question myself how engineers can make the world a better place, because at the end of the day, the impact that we shine depends not just on the solution to a particular problem but on the way in which it is conducted. As the concerns related to the unintended consequences are becoming of a great contemporary relevance, the diverse lectures throughout the course provided me with an invaluable opportunity to get a practical understanding of professional and ethical responsibility and knowledge of contemporary issues.

    Moreover, being part of a team was a great chance to learn together how to design a process to meet desired needs and to minimize the harm with realistic constraints such as economic, social and environmental. Through the project, we have developed a critical analysis of issues at the intersection of engineering, philanthropy and social change. We learned that by addressing all the aforementioned concerns, we, as the engineers of the future, will be able to create a general framework that could harmoniously go along the engineering evolution.

    As I reflect upon the lecturers I have met, the enthusiastic fellows I worked with, and the knowledge I earned, I truly believe I gained an understanding to inculcate an appreciation of the social change that engineering creates. This class was the only introspective engineering class I have taken in the whole curriculum. This is an entirely different perspective that I have never experienced before. I particularly enjoyed the discussions about the different approaches to solving the problems at hand. I have witnessed the amount of research, careful consideration, and abundance of effort that fuel the grant-making process. Not only did I learn about nonprofits and their connections, but I also rediscovered myself and my passion. Indeed, I have seen in reality how engineering design, products and processes can impact social change. I was fortunate to have been a part of the Neilom Foundation’s grant-making process and that I contributed to help impact a community in a valuable way. Not every engineer would have the same honor. I have realized that philanthropy is just as essential to social change as hands-on service and engineering design, and this eventually inspires me to continue to do the same in the future.

    This course laid the foundation for the social engineering brick on my career, allowing me to take into account all the components of a contemporary engineering problem. I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in such an innovative class. As an ambitious and enlightened engineer, I envision to continue dedicate my efforts to make an immediate and valuable contribution to the interplay between engineering social change.