Impact-Focused Engineering Education
For this special issue, we invite articles from courses and programs that 1) engage in real-world engineering projects related to social innovation and global sustainable development and 2) prioritize (or at least give equal importance to) long-term project outcomes rather than simply focus on student learning outcomes. This special issue aims to curate proven practices and initiate larger conversations emerging from the work of engineering programs that engage students and faculty in the rigorous research, design, field-testing, and dissemination of technology-based solutions that address global development challenges. Whether partnering with departments on campus or communities in Appalachia, or striving to transform markets in Angola, these programs espouse diverse academic models, philosophies of engagement, and funding channels to deliver practical, sustainable, and scalable solutions to complex challenges including those related to food, energy, water, and health. Sustainability, in this context, refers to the notion that real solutions must be technologically appropriate, socially acceptable, environmentally benign, and economically sustainable. There is a recognition that ideas, presentations, and prototypes do not solve problems; the real challenge is in the implementation, assessment, and fast-paced pivoting to reach a higher sustainable equilibrium. The challenge is in the execution – getting the job done in partnership with diverse actors in an ethical, harmonious, and self-determined manner.