Engineering the Common Good: How Communication Affects Decisions and Shape Communities
Instructor: Pinar Omur-Ozbek
Engineers design the systems that shape our world; bridges, water networks, engines, technologies, and communities. Yet every engineering decision affects people differently. In this honors seminar, we will explore how engineering impacts society, the environment, and the economy, sometimes advancing innovation and progress, other times producing inequities or harm. Guided by Monica Guzman’s call to question our assumptions and listen across difference, students will engage in readings, deliberation, and reflection to uncover the perspectives often overlooked in technical work. Through collaborative discussion and a semester-long project, you will analyze real-world engineering cases, identify diverse stakeholders, and practice communicating complex ideas with empathy and responsibility. As part of the Honors community, you will also examine how your own intersecting identities shape your values, beliefs, and communication choices. By connecting technical decisions with human stories, this course invites you to cultivate curiosity, engage constructively across differences, and envision engineering as a practice of ethical action for the common good.