Becoming an Adjective

From birth, the poet Lord Byron was bent on “becoming an adjective.” He ended up just that - - ranging from “one of the greatest British Poets” to “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.” People need to think about the adjectives they want to become and how they will to be remembered. I looked up the top 25 mostly commonly used adjectives and picked out five that people might want to consider reviewing and thinking about.

A Good Engineer - - what is engineering goodness? How will we define and measure the ideas of good/better/best/great in the context of engineering? My opinion of the future has one key attribute defining greatest - - imagination. We need engineers that can imagine a better world and future combined with the abilities to develop and implement their visionary plans. Greatness will be about engineering creativity and a vision of the role technology can play in the advancement of civilization. The core of creativity greatest is about, and will always be about, engineering inventiveness, originality, and ingenuity - - in the context of bringing all these elements together to solve the problems we face.

A New Engineer - - with the ability to look at old problems with new ideas. Set down and thing about all the “unsettled problems” we are facing - - there exists a huge opportunity for new ideas, new approaches, and new responsibilities. Every engineer, regardless of age, should think in terms of what it means to be new. In my mind, newness is about being current with technology, working on the continued development of key skills, and always working on and making connections with the key interfaces to engineering. These interfaces include cultural developments, an understanding of economic issues, and an interest in politics at all levels. New is about learning new things, meeting new people, exploring new ideas, having new experiences - - newness is a lifelong journey. Enjoy it.

A Big Engineer - - remember that our problems are not small - - climate change, energy independence, water resources, sustainability - - these may be the greatest and most important problems mankind has yet to face. There are two types of creativity - - the creativity of making zero to one, and the creativity of making one to 1,000. We need the big thinkers that can take us from one to 1,000. You cannot solve really big problems with lots of small ideas. We need big thinkers who are willing to dream about big ideas. Engineers with big minds filled with imagination and ingenuity - - people willing to see the big picture, the big problems, and the big solutions.

A Different Engineer - - different in this context means special. The engineer with something extra - - someone that is unique. A person that stands out. It may be engineers with language skills, with business skills, with public policy skills, or with multi-disciplinary skills. We are living in different times with more complexity and uncertainty. A world of difficult and different problems and issues than engineering has previously faced - - a world in need of a different kind of engineer.

An Important Engineer - - many of the problems we face today and in the future have a starting point with engineering. Moving from a carbon-based energy system will be a huge engineering challenge. The transition will require engineers to step forward and play important roles - - many of the roles will require engineers to accept leadership roles in the formulation of such things as public policy. An Important Engineer is one willing and able to play a significant, critical, and prominent role in our world.