2021 KEEN National Conference Talks
Day 1
In February 2021, hundreds of leaders, faculty, and staff from top universities came together in a virtual conference for engineering educators: The KEEN National Conference.
Attendees were inspired and invigorated by keynotes, plenary talks, and over 30 interactive sessions geared toward reinventing engineering education with the entrepreneurial mindset. We're happy to share these exclusive talks from Day 1 of the conference, ranging from helping engineers and non-engineers work together, discovering how to find new ideas, uncovering the truth about leadership, and more. Connect with the presenters, too, right here on Engineering Unleashed.
Transform Your Career!
Faculty Development National Workshops can help you transform your career!
Doug Melton provides an overview of the Faculty Development spectrum, including the year-long coaching available to you. Then Karin Van Voorhees, Editorial Director of Magna Publications, joins to talk about their shared dedication to advancing professional development in higher education.
Enjoy a sneak peek at the exciting future plans that expand the spectrum!
Doug Melton, Program Director, The Kern Family Foundation
What Does it Mean to Innovate?
How can engineers and non-engineers best work together to solve problems?
In this dynamic talk, Luis Perez Breva discusses the meaning of innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset, about repurposing inventions, using technologies to scale up, and what to do if you're afraid of failure.
Luis Perez Breva, MIT iTeams Faculty Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Surprise! How to Find New Ideas
Did you know? Engineering students have a lot in common with novelists!
A novelist is an expert at words and grammar, but still needs an idea to write a story. As engineers, we learn to use math and science as tools. But innovation can only come by applying those tools to a new idea. So where does a new idea come from?
AnnMarie Thomas says we get ideas from the people we meet, the stuff on our desks, the things we read, the things we play with, and maybe even what we had for dinner. But her favorite way to find new ideas is to seek out and embrace the element of surprise. Sometimes the best ideas are hiding in unexpected places!
AnnMarie Thomas, Professor of Engineering and Entrepreneurship, University of St. Thomas
Willy Wonka & the Truth About Leadership
Does your engineering curricula prepare engineers for the "soft skills" of developing others?
"There is nothing soft about these relational skills," says Kris Ropella. "Leadership is about unleashing human potential through relationships."
Using an analogy of Willy Wonka, Kris discusses the truth about leadership, the challenges in its way, and what we can do to help our students be leaders.
Kris Ropella, Opus Dean for Opus College of Engineering, Marquette University
The Entrepreneur Engineer
"We need an engineer with a depth and breadth of knowledge, and an ability and interest in lifelong learning," says Dr. Kevin Bennet. "We need people with judgment and reliability. We need people who are creative and collaborative. We need an economic and business orientation. And we need good communication."
Dive into this overview of the innovations and developments in deep brain stimulation, and discover more about what companies are looking for in today's engineers.
Kevin Bennet, Mayo Clinic, NaviNetics, Inc.
Resources
Conference Talks, Day 2
