Engineers are trained to be problem solvers and creators who use their skills to identify problems, work within constraints and find efficient ways to address them. These are precisely the skills that position engineers to be socially responsible public servants.

This semester a group of students participating in the Seidel Engineering Leadership Institute are embarking on campus community garden project under the direction of Emeritus Professor Kenny Stevens, who has spent his career serving the public interest and engaging students in the same calling. The garden, a 4,500 square-foot plot near south campus housing will address food-insecurity, provide a place for community engagement and an opportunity for people to learn about gardening.

An essential component of the Seidel Engineering Leadership Institute is to promote recognition of the importance of public service in engineering. Students in this two-year program participate in various activities to gain leadership and interpersonal skills. They, along with all of our graduating engineers will take the Oath of the Engineer, and pledge to the following: “…to place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other consideration.”