How do we change engineering?
And where do we start? The National Science Foundation is specifically calling for "transformative" or "revolutionary" changes in the structure of engineering departments, colleges, and universities, yet these are exactly the institutions that are most resistant to change.
The Visuals page shows the building I have worked in for the last several years - the Engineering Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. An exemplar of the brutalist style of architecture, the Engineering Center features expanses of bare concrete, labyrinthine interior hallways, and a garden level main entrance reminiscent of a parking garage. It is easy to dislike the building, particularly if you are a student lost on the way to class or a graduate student working endlessly without sunlight, windows, or any firsthand knowledge of the fickle Colorado weather.
Yet - the utilitarian ugliness of this Engineering Center has endured for over 50 years, locking into place the intentions, beliefs, and expectations of its creators. The brutal concrete exterior has darkened in some places and grown patches of ivy, yet remains largely unchanged since the dedication of the building in May of 1966. The building is one tangible aspect of our local engineering program that's not changing anytime soon.
So - in line with the NSF's request for revolution - I have taken this unexpected journey backwards into the history of the building I work in, the ugly Engineering Center. While uncovering the history of the building is just one small step in my overall analysis of the sociocultural environment of the undergraduate engineering program, it is an enlivening entry point.
The Visuals page has some basic modern photos of the Engineering Center and a few snapshots of old newspaper clippings. Writing contains further information about the Engineering Center, Actor-Network Theory, and Engineering Education Research.
Research has more academic information, including my CV.
And - I really don't think the Engineering Center is ugly anymore. It's misunderstood and a bear to deal with, sure, but intensely special.