Celebrating Engineer’s Week

February 21, 2023

In 1951, the National Society of Professional Engineers launched Engineer’s Week to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world.

In past years, I have highlighted the stories of engineers I admire, including Dr. Lilia Abron, the first Black woman to receive a doctorate in chemical engineering and Dr. Mark Dean, who played a pivotal role in developing IBM’s first personal computer.

This year, I want to share the voices of engineers much closer to home. In a series of stories and videos that will be featured on Olin.edu and Olin’s social media this week, you will hear and read about Oliners who are dedicated to doing good in the world and improving lives through discovery, perseverance and problem-solving.

A few stories to look forward to include:

The students, faculty and community partners in Technology, Accessibility, and Design who work together to design a technology that enhances accessibility for users with disabilities.

Current Olin students talking about how they intend to make the world a better place through engineering.

Olin alumnus Claire Kincaid ’19, who assists underground mines all over the world to increase safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness of their design and operations. Olin alumnus Bret Richmond ’06, who is using his expertise in mechanical and systems engineering to help reduce wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest by creating biochar in a sustainable way.

The hard work, dedication and joy that emanates from our student project teams.

And, finally, a window into a course that I am co-teaching this semester with Lawrence Neeley, Gillian Epstein and Leif Jentoft ’09 called Real World Lessons in Creating Impact. When Leif and I met at Alumni Weekend last fall, we talked about the vision of Engineering for Everyone and how to make engineering education accessible. How do we take those big dreams and make them a reality, and make sure that reality is a sustainable one? The course is intended to help students envision their own perspectives on how to create and capture the value of their work in a sustainable way.

I hope you enjoy these stories and, in reading them, take pride in the work of your fellow Oliners.

Warmly,

Gilda