Engineering For Social Justice Not New
If you thought the move to build socially just bridges and dams is a new one, think again. In an essay distributed by the James G. Martin center for Academic Renewal, writer Ben Cohen traces its roots. “In 2015, Colorado School of Mines writing instructor Dr. Jon Leydens delivered a TED talk titled ‘engineering and social justice,'” Cohen writes. “According to Leydens, in the mid-2000s students started asking him about how they could combine their ‘passion for social justice’ with their ‘interest in engineering.'”
“Leydens is part of a growing movement that seeks to incorporate social justice into engineering, in both the professional code and the curriculum. Far from being a marginal movement, on the fringes of the profession, it enjoys support at the highest levels. The movement began during the Vietnam War era when left-wing engineers founded the Committee for Social Responsibility in Engineering (CSRE).”
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Malcolm A. Kline
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.
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