In an earlier column where I reviewed the article "Redefining Engineering for the Year 2020", I discussed the present malaise of the Engineering discipline, but also the resources and initiatives that are already looking at this problem.
I'd like to revisit the approach discussed, a "Renaissance Man" type of engineer.
What attributes will that engineer of 2020 have? The NAE report says he or she will aspire to have the:
ingenuity of Lillian Gilbreth,
- the problem-solving capabilities of Gordon Moore,
- the scientific insight of Albert Einstein,
- the creativity of Pablo Picasso,
- the determination of the Wright brothers,
- the leadership abilities of Bill Gates,
- the conscience of Eleanor Roosevelt,
- the vision of Martin Luther King and
- the curiosity and wonder of our grandchildren.
As we begin the 2nd half of 2010, we might ask ourselves:
- Is it realistically possible to create an army of such super-engineers by 2020?
- If so, what major initiaitves would have to be put in place that we do not have today?
