Frank Talks: Living the Engineer's Dilemma — Ideals and Reality Moderated by Annie Zeng '15, Erhardt Graeff, and Emanuel Towns II '10
Date
Friday, August 14
8:00PM EST to 10:00PM EST
Location
Zoom (link will be sent to those who register)
Join us for what we hope will be the first in a series of moderated alumni conversations designed to bring the Olin Alumni community together for honest discussions about the challenges and opportunities of creating change in the world.
Whether you've been out of the "Olin bubble" for one year or twenty, your experiences have shaped your perspective on engineering, leadership, and impact. As industries and society continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace, we all have something to learn from one another. Through open dialogue, thoughtful reflection, and shared experiences, we'll explore what it means to navigate the tension between our ideals and the realities of our work.
Frank Talks is a space for candid conversations about our successes, our setbacks, and the difficult questions we often don't have the opportunity to discuss. Together, we'll reflect on what we've learned, challenge our assumptions, and strengthen our collective understanding of what it means to make a meaningful impact.
Register here and see agenda below:
Agenda
We'll begin with a brief icebreaker, giving everyone an opportunity to introduce themselves, share what they do, and discuss any questions or reflections from the pre-event readings.
Our discussion will then focus on three guiding questions:
1. Responsibility: In your current role, do you feel accountable to someone or something beyond yourself? If so, to whom and why? If not, why not?
2. Challenges: Whether or not you pursued a career in engineering, what has been the most surprising obstacle you've encountered while trying to accomplish something you believed was necessary or worthwhile?
3. Engineering Principles: Are there fundamental principles that define what it means to be an engineer? If so, what are they? How well are those principles understood by people outside the profession?
We'll conclude with approximately 30 minutes of informal networking and conversation for alumni who would like to reconnect and continue the discussion.
Participants will receive a short set of optional readings (~30 minutes) about one week before the event to provide additional context and enrich our conversation.
About the Moderators
Annie Zeng '15
Annie Zeng (Olin '15) is a writer and cultural researcher based in Los Angeles. She develops participatory exhibitions and programs that cultivate artistic inquiry into science and technology. She is primarily concerned with nurturing healthy ecosystems amid a socially fragmented and climate-stressed world. Most recently, Annie produced "Sense/Make", a programming series exploring the intersection of bioremediation and creative practice for the creative research institute, Fathomers. She began her career in the Bay Area, where she developed interactive exhibits for the Exploratorium and performed research and development for Twelve. Annie holds an MSc in Cultures of Arts, Science, and Technology from Maastricht University.
Erhardt Graeff
Erhardt is Associate Professor of Social and Computer Science at Olin College of Engineering, where he co-founded the public interest technology clinic PInT and serves as liaison to the Public Interest Technology University Network. He is a faculty affiliate of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and is a KEEN Engineering Unleashed Fellow. His work spans two areas: the design and use of technology for civic engagement, civic learning, and social justice; and the ethical responsibility of technologists as stewards of democracy. His current research focuses on articulating the responsibilities of engineers as citizens and developing new forms of civic and character education within undergraduate engineering. Erhardt holds a PhD from the MIT Media Lab.
Emanuel Towns II
is a United States Navy Submarine Officer, currently stationed in Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hawaii as the Submarine Squadron Seven Combat Officer. Emanuel commissioned in 2013 and first began serving on a submarine in March 2016. Emanuel served as a Division Officer onboard USS Key West, USS Annapolis, and USS Montana and as Weapons Officer on board USS San Juan. Emanuel’s tours included multiple engineering availabilities during which he participated in engineering test programs, crew certifications both in the shipyard and during deployment preparations. He has deployed in both Western Pacific and European Theaters.
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