Engineering and Public Policy
Encyclopedia
Engineering and Public Policy, informally known as EPP, is an interdisciplinary academic department within the Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...

 (CIT), Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....

's engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 college. EPP combines technical analysis with social science
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...

 and policy analysis
Policy analysis
Policy analysis is "determining which of various alternative policies will most achieve a given set of goals in light of the relations between the policies and the goals". However, policy analysis can be divided into two major fields. Analysis of policy is analytical and descriptive—i.e., it...

, in order to address problems in which knowledge of technical details is critical to decision making
Decision making
Decision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice.- Overview :Human performance in decision terms...

. EPP is one of three departments in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 universities that pioneered academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

 programs to address the profound societal changes brought about by technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

.

History

What is now known as EPP began in 1971 as Engineering and Public Affairs (EP&A), an undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...

 double-major program jointly developed by CIT and the School of Urban and Public Affairs (now the Heinz College). Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...

 began offering a Master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 in Technology and Human Affairs in 1971, which was discontinued in 1993. In 1976, the School of Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...

 (MIT) began offering a master's degree through its Technology and Policy Program. Of the several academic programs now offered in technology and public policy, EPP and the Engineering Systems Division in MIT's School of Engineering are the most similar.

The primary purpose of the E&PA program was to train undergraduate engineering students to work at the interface of the social and engineering sciences, through use of an interdisciplinary
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....

 curriculum based equally on social analysis
Social theory
Social theories are theoretical frameworks which are used to study and interpret social phenomena within a particular school of thought. An essential tool used by social scientists, theories relate to historical debates over the most valid and reliable methodologies , as well as the primacy of...

 and engineering analysis
Engineering analysis
Engineering analysis involves the application of scientific analytic principles and processes to reveal the properties and state of the system, device or mechanism under study...

. Students received a Bachelor's of Science degree from one of the traditional engineering departments plus E&PA.

Planning for the program began in the spring of 1969, initiated by the late Everard M. Williams
Everard Mott Williams
Dr Everard Mott Williams, noted scientist and educator, was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He received a Ph.D. from Yale University in Electrical Engineering in 1939, served as the head of Carnegie Mellon University , Department of Electrical Engineering from 1952–1969 and has over 100 patents.The...

, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...

. Early development and implementation of the undergraduate program began in 1970, led by faculty members Herbert Toor (then head of Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...

 and later dean of CIT), Robert Dunlap and Gordon Lewis. Dunlap and Gordon Lewis co-directed the program, which was announced in April 1971. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization in the United States. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.-Overview:...

 provided support between 1971 and 1975.

In 1976 CIT advanced the program to departmental status, and changed its name to Engineering and Public Policy. The establishment of EPP was the first new accredited engineering department at Carnegie Mellon in nearly 75 years.

M. Granger Morgan, who was recruited in 1974 to a joint appointment with the Department of Electrical Engineering, was appointed head of the new EPP department in 1977, and was given responsibility to coordinate the development of an EPP graduate program.

Education

The department runs highly regarded undergraduate and graduate programs. The undergraduate level includes a double major degree program which grants a joint degree between EPP and any of the five traditional engineering departments (Chemical, Civil
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...

, Electrical and Computer
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...

, Mechanical
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

, and Materials Science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...

) or the School of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
The School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA is a leading private school for computer science established in 1965. It has been consistently ranked among the top computer science programs over the decades. U.S...

 (SCS).

EPP offers a minor in Technology and Policy (T&P) for students not in CIT or SCS. The department also offers a 5th-year master's degree for students who complete an EPP major or T&P minor, as well as a master's program in Engineering & Technology Innovation Management (ETIM).

The graduate program in Engineering and Public Policy educates technically skilled men and women at the doctoral level to be leaders in policy-focused research in which a deep understanding of technology is relevant to decision-making. As part of the Ph.D., students take additional courses in engineering and science, quantitative methods
Quantitative research
In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of social phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to...

, social sciences and policy analysis.

Faculty

The department has approximately 40 faculty, including 50-50 joint appointments with all five traditional engineering departments and several social science units. Jointly appointed EPP faculty regularly involve more traditional disciplinary colleagues in research collaborations.

Based on distinguished and continuing achievements, several EPP faculty have been elected to the United States National Academies
United States National Academies
The United States National Academies comprises four organizations:* National Academy of Sciences * National Academy of Engineering * Institute of Medicine * National Research Council...

, including M. Granger Morgan, National Academy of Science; Baruch Fischhoff and Lester Lave, Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...

; and Alfred Blumstein
Alfred Blumstein
Alfred Blumstein is an American scientist and the J. Erik Jonsson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research at the Heinz College and Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University...

, Herbert Toor (emeritus) and Robert White (emeritus), National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...

.

EPP's faculty are widely published, frequently serve on government committees and provide expert testimony to lawmakers and regulators on an array of topics, from energy and the environment to consumer safety. In 2010, EPP professor Jon Peha was on sabbatical serving as Chief Technologist at the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

. EPP professor David Farber
David J. Farber
David J. "Dave" Farber is a professor of Computer Science, noted for his major contributions to programming languages and computer networking. He is currently Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy at the School of Computer Science, Heinz College, and Department of...

 also served as FCC Chief Technologist from January 2000 to June 2001.

Research

EPP works in four major research areas on problems that involve the interaction of technology with society:
  1. Energy and environment (including climate
    Climatology
    Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...

    );
  2. Risk analysis
    Risk analysis (engineering)
    Risk analysis is the science of risks and their probability and evaluation.Probabilistic risk assessment is one analysis strategy usually employed in science and engineering.-Risk analysis and the risk workshop:...

     and communication
    Risk management
    Risk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities...

    ;
  3. Information and communication technology policy;
  4. Management of technical innovation
    Technology Management
    Technology Management is set of management disciplines that allows organizations to manage its technological fundamentals to create competitive advantage...

     and R&D
    Research and development
    The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...

     policy.


Across these four focal areas, the department addresses issues in technology and organizations, and in technology and economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...

, focusing in particular on India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. EPP also develops new software tools for the support of policy analysis and research, and studies issues in engineered systems and security
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...

.

EPP has spearheaded a dozen large collaborative research efforts, including the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...

's Climate and Energy Decision Making Center; Climate Decision Making Center; Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center; Green Design Institute; Center for the Study & Improvement of Regulation; Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change; Integrated Environmental Control Model technology development; CCSReg Project, to develop regulation for carbon capture and sequestration
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage , alternatively referred to as carbon capture and sequestration, is a technology to prevent large quantities of from being released into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuel in power generation and other industries. It is often regarded as a means of mitigating...

 (CCS); RenewElec, which addresses the problems of integrating variable and intermittent renewable generation into the electric power system; and Cylab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory.

Washington, D.C. office

In June 1997, EPP opened an office in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 to expand interaction between EPP students and faculty and relevant policy organizations in Washington. It serves as a base of operations for EPP participation in the policymaking processes of the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

, federal agencies, and other Washington institutions.

Selected articles and books about or mentioning EPP

  • M. Granger Morgan, 'Chapter 7: Technology and Policy,' pp. 271–281 in Holistic Engineering: The dawn of a new era, Domenico Grasso and Melody Burkins (ed.), Springer, 2009.
  • AAAS Guide to Graduate Education in Science, Engineering and Public Policy, http://www.aaas.org/spp/sepp/
  • Prachi Patel-Predd, 'From Nerd to Wonk,' IEEE Spectrum, pp 57– 60, October 2007.
  • M. Granger Morgan et al., 'Carnegie Mellon's Department of Engineering and Public Policy,' International Journal of Technology Policy and Management, 1(2), pp. 138-150, 2001.
  • Stephen H. Schneider, Laboratory Earth: The Planetary Gamble We Can't Afford to Lose, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996.
  • Susan Bereiter, 'Engineers with a difference,' IEEE Spectrum, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 63–66, 1983.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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