What is good engineering?

8/12/2019 What is good engineering?

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Abhishek Jacob

What is Good Engineering?

From a very young age, I always dreamt of becoming an engineer. My perception of an

engineers responsibility was very vague but fantastical; building bridges and inventing

incredible technology. My grandfather always called me the little engineer because of my

fascination with fixing things. As I grew up and my journey towards becoming an engineer

started to take shape, the question what good Engineering looked like, took on new

importance. In fact, I found that it is possibly the most important question to ask as a student.

From a cursory observation of what the internet has to say about the question, I found a

plethora of answers, describing good engineering as the ability to use the least amount natural

resources or being able to maintain high cost efficiency or even just protecting life. Fortunately,

none of these answers are wrong. Unfortunately, none of them provide a holistic answer. I

believe the answer is diverse and multifaceted, and is for the most part constructed around the

experiences of the individual. Throughout my time as a student at Messiah, there have been

numerous experiences I have had, particularly through my work in the project setting that have

served as indicators of what is expected as a good engineer. Through this essay I hope to talk

about what I believe good engineering looks like, including some of the experiences I have had

that have led me to develop my perspective. I believe that a good engineer is one who is a

thinker, doer and a leader. He is a good communicator and an environmentalist.

When trying to identify what good engineering looked like, wanted to define engineering

itself. Therefore, I first searched for a generic dictionary definition. Dictionary.com defines


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engineering as the art orscienceofmakingpracticalapplicationof the knowledge ofpure

sciences,as physics or chemistry, as in the construction of engines, bridges,buildings,mines,

ships,andchemicalplants. This definition is quite adequate in giving a broad brush definition

of what engineering looks like, but as with many other things, the definition doesnt truly

express the nuances of the field. The greatest part about the field is the multifaceted

experience of an engineer, one that cannot be limited to a simplistic definition. Often I believe

that the most accurate definition of engineering is the one you develop through your

experience within the field. To one person, engineering is wholly the art of problem-solving but

to another, engineering is primarily about service to humanity. Engineering isnt just about

building things, its about problem-solving, decision-making and project-managing. Its about

identifying a certain need, brainstorming solutions, studying feasibility and identifying the most

realistic solution. Its about implementation, administration and continuation; management,

development and advancement.

So now that we have an idea of what engineering looks like, what does good engineering look

like? Probably the most important facet is that good engineering first and foremost requires a

good engineer. This may sound like a nebulous statement, but the reason I say that is, good

engineering requires an alignment of numerous different dimensions. Good engineering cant

be simply defined by a few variables but the lack of others. Good engineering requires a

holistically developed individual who is equipped with a wide variety of essential elements that

blend seamlessly to form good engineering. Of course, there is a difference between a good

engineer and a perfect engineer. In the essay, I first describe someone who has all these


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qualities as a perfect engineer particularly because its highly uncommon to find such people.

But I believe the perfect engineer can be formed through a strong group or team.

One of the preliminary tasks of an engineer is the process of problem-solving and one of the

most ubiquitous tasks is decision-making. Therefore, probably the most fundamental feature of

a good engineer is that he/she is a good thinker. At the forefront of a project is a person who is

capable of thinking and making decisions that will affect the long-term success of the project. A

good engineer is like a good chess player: he is capable of thinking numerous steps ahead when

making a decision. He has the capacity to think about the numerous avenues of the project and

be able to determine the feasibility of various ideas in a very limited amount of time. Time is

often the most inescapable limitation that affects most projects. Therefore, a good engineer

should be able to plan and shape the project in such a way that time is a well-utilized and well-

managed resource. Part of this process involves the most crucial element to a struggling

project: a reviver. A good engineer is one who is capable of using extremely limited resources to

arrive at a successful end. I experienced this problem first hand in my materials project. Our

goal was to build an oven made of cheap and easily-available resources that could constantly

maintain temperatures as high as 1000 degrees celsius. At the start, our first instinct was to

create a project timeline: when we want what done, and it was quite a well-thought out plan,

one that included numerous options for oven building. Our first option was a clay oven. We

spent nearly half the available time researching, planning and constructing a clay oven in the

Back 40. After building what looked like a brilliant oven, horrible news struck when we were

restricted from using it due to fire-hazard limitations. The three of us were completely

dumbstruck. We thought the end of our project was near, and our hope had nearly run dry. But


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through a search of desperation and a spark of innovation, we gathered the remaining crumbs

of our morale and started again. We took out the whiteboard and brainstormed for nearly an

hour. We ran down to the shop and identified all of our available resources and began to a

rebuild the project, but now with a metal oven. The further we went the more successful we

were. Fortunately in our original timetable, we accounted for possible setbacks. Our hope was

rejuvenated and now with a stronger drive to succeed, we did. In the end, we built an oven the

reached a temperature nearly double the original requirement. But all of the success we finally

achieved needed a spark to light the fire. We needed a thinker to be able to backtrack and solve

the problem we faced in an extremely limited period of time. Fortunately our group had a

thinker and the spark was lit.

Our project also needed a doer. Once the spark was lit we needed someone to carry the

torch. As soon as the plan was hatched, we needed to immediately place it into effect. Only

through prompt action and hard work can a project truly succeed. We needed someone who

was excellent with his hands and was able to take a plan from a drawing to reality. Often

projects fall through after the conception because the engineer isnt a doer. Every project

requires a person capable of applying the required hours to flesh out an idea. In order to be a

doer, the engineer must be motivated, passionate, determined and efficient. In almost all

projects, the doer is just as important to a project as a thinker.

Additionally, a good engineer is a good communicator. In my IPC project, one of the greatest

assets to the team were the professors and numerous advisors who we would communicate

with. One of my mentors back home advised me that as an engineer, he realized the most

important value he needed apart from the basic project functioning, was to be a good


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communicator and I agree with him. A lot of an engineers responsibility is to successfully

communicate with the higher ups regarding job progress and prospects and ensure their full

support for future endeavors. Communication is key when attempting to find clients or search

for new projects and is one of the underlying features every engineer needs to have.

Finally, a perfect engineer has excellent leadership qualities. No matter what the project

may be, there must be a central figure capable of organizing, planning and leading. Projects are

unsuccessful due to many reasons, but often most reasons root from the lack of a good leader

who is capable of seeing the project through to the end, equipped with the vision and

motivation that propels a group towards success.

The greatest inadequacy to almost all definitions on the internet that I found about

good engineering was the lack of moral consideration. This, I believe is in fact the most

important piece to the puzzle that needs to be addressed at every and any project or endeavor.

In Chapter 3, Florman talks a little about how engineers must extract value from their work and

he in turn responds to those who place the blame of our global problems on the backs of the

engineers who facilitated the innovation. Engineeringis the art of directing the great sources

of power in nature for the use and convenience of man(Florman, Chapter 3). Florman accepts

that having an ethical code is vital to the profession due to our responsibility. The annals of the

various professional societies bulge with speeches and papers emphasizing that upright

character and concern for the public are the very essence of engineering.(Florman, Chapter 3)

As an engineer, I believe it is my responsibility to use my skills to benefit other mankind, and in

doing so, I must consider not only the short-term benefits of my work but the long-term effects

to adequately determine if my work is truly benefitting mankind. In making a product, I must


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consider what it is affecting and if I am promulgating any unethical behavior. It is also important

to make the stand to protect mankind from any behavior that may directly or indirectly harm a

majority regardless of the personal implications that may hinder me from benefitting. As a

Christian, I must think and act selflessly. As an engineer, I have the power to create and to build

and to innovate. With this power comes the responsibility to better the world with it.

My final point in is that an engineer mustbe an environmentalist. We must channel our

inner John Muir or Rachel Carson and to let our love for the environment direct our actions.

This probably wasnt a keyelement to an engineers considerations a long time ago, but has

become one of the forefront considerations of today. People are starting to realize that the

impact we have on the environment today will only uncover the ugly face of consequence many

years after. Problems like global warming and the decreasing availability of natural resources

like oil and even resources as fundamental as potable water are beginning to significantly

impact the world around us. There are numerous developing regions around the world where

their livelihoods have been significantly affected by the effects of global warming. Changing

weather patterns have resulted in unsuccessful crops; crops they rely on for sustenance. The

greatest injustice with global warming is that although we are the ones causing it, the people

most affected are the poorest of the poor. As engineers we must be very aware and conscious

of the way that resources are used and we must make decisions in light of the potential future

implications and consequences. Although problems like global warming may not affect us

today, if they go unchecked, future generations will be significantly impacted.


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But we must be environmentalists not just as engineers but as Christians. In his paper

"The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis, Lynn White makes a critical argument against

Christians, labeling them as the fundamental cause of the ecological and environmental crisis

we currently face. He was largely mistaken in making the statements that he made. Although

the paper for the most part viciously attacked Christianity, like most clouds, the silver lining

came from the awakening that soon followed. Christians immediately reacted to White through

their actions. Environmental stewardship became a pivotal topic and Christians began to

respond to the widely infamous paper in the healthiest way, through their actions. "As God's

cultural agents on earth, human beings are to interact with the creation with the same gentle

love and concern God showed in creating the world..." (Monsma, pg. 37). We as Christians are

called to serve creation as Jesus served us. I believe that technology has a great potential to

positively impact the earth. Technology provides us with the opportunity to create comfortable

lives for ourselves while reducing our harmful impact on the environment. Daily we are moving

towards a more mutually sustainable living environment. From hybrid cars to alternative

energy, we are learning to maintain the intricate balance that holds the Earth. Although

technology may have the potential to destroy creation, like it has done so many times in the

past, I believe it is also the key to a more harmonious relationship between humans and

creation. As we learn to be more responsible and accountable for our actions, technology is

molded into a tool for stewardship.

Like I said previously, the engineer I described is perfect. Unfortunately, theres no

such thing as a perfect engineer. A person equipped with all the necessary traits is

unfortunately rare. Fortunately, the greatest tool for a project is a team of engineers, who


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culminate toformthe perfect engineer.Although an engineer may not have all the traits

required, a team must, and every team member mustbe a good team player. This characteristic

is probably the one attribute that absolutely every engineer must be equipped with. For my

project, each of the team members had a distinctive ability that we hoped to accentuate

throughout the project. We had a doer, a thinker and a leader and they all had the potential to

move the project forward but the only way that the endeavor would be productive and

successful was for all three of them to work together.

The world doesnt need more engineers. The world needs more goodengineers; people

who are willing to face extremely difficult circumstances to make extremely difficult decisions.

Good engineering involves thinking, doing and leading. It involves a fervent and selfless heart

for bettering the human condition.

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What is good engineering?