"There is a pressing need for engineers to become more proactive with society – to engage, to communicate, and to lead. We can no longer be content that our laboratory work will be presented and translated to the public as originally envisioned." - Greg Papadopolous and David Douglas have stated the truth, clearly.
I recall the OJ Simpson trials when questions of DNA authenticity were making headlines. A biomedical engineer I was introduced to engaged in a very interesting conversation. She was truly confounded by the issues - should I say, mistruths? - that were being propagated. She stated that in 3-5 years those same statements would be dismissed...the DNA would "speak for itself." In short, the experts engaged in this trial were not able to effectively communicate concrete truths about DNA. Facts are facts and when properly applied can bring clear solutions.
As I read the "Citizen Engineer" article by Greg and David I was challenged.
I am not an engineer...but in my daily work, I focus on sharing information about Sun and connecting dots for future engineers with Sun technology and Sun opportunities. I have always wanted the best students to join Sun. I'm now redefining "best" for myself. Yes, we certainly want the brightest minds. Yet, there is something more that requires our focus. We need to seek out students who understand that engineering is not JUST an interest of theirs...but an opportunity to make the world we live in a better place. By applying yourself, by focusing on your studies/projects/work you can move your community, even society forward in leaps and bounds. You HAVE the POWER TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD!
Understandably, it is a rare individual who KNOWS early on exactly what s/he "wants to be when they grow up". It is likely that you have NO IDEA what you want to do with your life. (Dare I mention that - more often than I care to admit, I have these same conversations with myself?) The point is, that you don't need to KNOW what you are going to be/do/become. You just need to make the most of what you are learning NOW. So that when you "arrive"...or as you are engaged in that process, you are able to truly rely on the knowledge that you were "randomly gathering" while you were in school. Eventually that knowledge will find a place to rest, to be recalled and then...to be applied.
The next question is, will you be able to communicate it? Defend it? Discuss it with someone who doesn't share your engineering or technical background? Can you speak to the facts and help others understand how your (insert subject matter expertise here) can help solve an issue? Can you do it in a manner that conveys confidence and doesn't attack or diminish those you are in a discussion with?
An analogy, if I may. What GPA do I want the heart surgeon working on my father to have demonstrated? How much internship/hands on experience do I NEED that surgeon to have? Further, how well do I need that surgeon to relate to me and my family in explaining all that is about to occur? Yes, I need technical expertise. I also need emotional intelligence. Without it, the user of your product/service is not fully engaged...not fully bought in.
Quite simply, you may not know what you want to do with your life. Still, please trust me on this, you do NOT want to look back and regret the breadth of the opportunity (only afforded in a brief window of life) and realize that you didn't maximize it.
Know that the world, while seemingly large, is really a small place where one person has the ability to impact many. The lightbulb. Alexander Graham Bell. Penicillin. The Internet. Java. OpenSource Technology.
I recall the OJ Simpson trials when questions of DNA authenticity were making headlines. A biomedical engineer I was introduced to engaged in a very interesting conversation. She was truly confounded by the issues - should I say, mistruths? - that were being propagated. She stated that in 3-5 years those same statements would be dismissed...the DNA would "speak for itself." In short, the experts engaged in this trial were not able to effectively communicate concrete truths about DNA. Facts are facts and when properly applied can bring clear solutions.
As I read the "Citizen Engineer" article by Greg and David I was challenged.
I am not an engineer...but in my daily work, I focus on sharing information about Sun and connecting dots for future engineers with Sun technology and Sun opportunities. I have always wanted the best students to join Sun. I'm now redefining "best" for myself. Yes, we certainly want the brightest minds. Yet, there is something more that requires our focus. We need to seek out students who understand that engineering is not JUST an interest of theirs...but an opportunity to make the world we live in a better place. By applying yourself, by focusing on your studies/projects/work you can move your community, even society forward in leaps and bounds. You HAVE the POWER TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD!
Understandably, it is a rare individual who KNOWS early on exactly what s/he "wants to be when they grow up". It is likely that you have NO IDEA what you want to do with your life. (Dare I mention that - more often than I care to admit, I have these same conversations with myself?) The point is, that you don't need to KNOW what you are going to be/do/become. You just need to make the most of what you are learning NOW. So that when you "arrive"...or as you are engaged in that process, you are able to truly rely on the knowledge that you were "randomly gathering" while you were in school. Eventually that knowledge will find a place to rest, to be recalled and then...to be applied.
The next question is, will you be able to communicate it? Defend it? Discuss it with someone who doesn't share your engineering or technical background? Can you speak to the facts and help others understand how your (insert subject matter expertise here) can help solve an issue? Can you do it in a manner that conveys confidence and doesn't attack or diminish those you are in a discussion with?
An analogy, if I may. What GPA do I want the heart surgeon working on my father to have demonstrated? How much internship/hands on experience do I NEED that surgeon to have? Further, how well do I need that surgeon to relate to me and my family in explaining all that is about to occur? Yes, I need technical expertise. I also need emotional intelligence. Without it, the user of your product/service is not fully engaged...not fully bought in.
Quite simply, you may not know what you want to do with your life. Still, please trust me on this, you do NOT want to look back and regret the breadth of the opportunity (only afforded in a brief window of life) and realize that you didn't maximize it.
Know that the world, while seemingly large, is really a small place where one person has the ability to impact many. The lightbulb. Alexander Graham Bell. Penicillin. The Internet. Java. OpenSource Technology.