Teaching Engineering to

Prepare Engineers for Industry

Lueny Morell
UFSM March 2015

It is a miracle that
curiosity survives
formal education.
- Einstein

Gracias!

About your
professor (some years ago
doing a workshop w colleagues in
Budapest)

change is inevitable!

Because I am passionate about

innovation, engineering education
and promoting partnerships for
economic and social
development.
And because I want all of you to
consider becoming passionate
about these as well!

Why am I here?

Across the ever-changing global landscape,

societies urgently need locally relevant but
globally competent engineers who possess the
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to make a
better world. More than ever, engineering
education needs a huge (r)evolution, one that
should include understanding societys needs,
developing learning experiences for all types of
learners, and finally, one that rewards exemplary
teaching.
Lueny Morell, 2014

Lueny Morell, MS, PE

Born, raised, living in Puerto Rico
BSChE Univ of Puerto Rico; MSChE Stanford University
Founder and Director of InnovaHiEd
1 year Provost at NEU, Palo Alto, CA
11 years in the University Relations, Strategy and Innovation Offices, HP Labs, CA
24 years professor ChE at University of Puerto Rico at Mayagez
Member ABET Commission; IFEES Co-Founder & Past President, Co-Founder of
GEDC, SPEED and IIDEA
IEEE Senior Member, ASEE Fellow and recipient of the LACCEI Medal 2010 and
the US National Academy of Engineering Bernard M. Gordon Prize 2006
Engineering Education Pioneer (NSF)

webpages/blog:
www.luenymorell.com; www.innovahied.com

Disclaimers/Claimers

I am not an expert on pedagogy. I come here to share my experiences and learnings and
to learn from you in our continuous quest for excellence in Engineering and S&T
education.
There is much one can do, but one should start with small steps and assess outcomes.
One size DOES NOT fit all. I invite you to listen with an open mind and as me and my
colleagues did be innovative and creative about how to achieve your vision, goals.
Barriers do exist. To address these, involve all stakeholders in the process of innovation.

My personal history

Engineering
No profession unleashes the spirit of innovation like
engineering.
Few professions turn so many ideas into so many realities.
Few have such a direct and positive effect on peoples
everyday lives.

11

Scientists study the world as it is;

engineers create the world
that has never been.
Theodore Von Karman

Chile miners
rescue
engineering
at its best!

Objectives (learn, reflect, plan)

This workshop addresses some questions for engineering educators to

help them reflect on future steps: Why innovate engineering
education? How can we innovate the curriculum to better serve
society? What new interdisciplinary teaching/learning approaches
can we use to better prepare engineers for industry? What is the role
of industry/employers in the innovation process? How can we assess
student learning outcomes? How can we motivate others to change?

Agenda
FRIDAY
1. The need to transform engineering education for the 21st century
2. Essential steps to innovate the curriculum
3. Teaching/learning approaches to prepare engineers for industry
4. Teaching clinic
SATURDAY
1. Scaffold to build and sustain industry-university partnerships
2. Learning about and adapting to change and how to motivate others to change
3. Final reflection and workshop assessment

Why are we here?

The real voyage of

discovery consists not in
seeking new lands but
in seeing with new
eyes.

Marcel Proust

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Gandhi

Start by doing whats

necessary, then what's
possible, and suddenly you
are doing the impossible.
- St. Francis Assisi

Logistics

Workshop consists of modules/sessions which involve a combination of theory and

examples followed by practice/exercises
Informal, active/dynamic learning mode (no sleeping!)
Work in teams
Interaction with workshop leader

Reflection

Share your reflections on how you want to be remembered by your

students.