Creative Engineering for 2020

The United States National Academy of Engineering's seminal work, The Engineer of 2020 – Visions of Engineering in the New Century, was written to prepare industrial, governmental, and academic institutions for the future of engineering. The authors of the report state, “Emphasis on the creative process will allow more effective leadership in the development and application of next-generation technologies to problems of the future.” In 2011, 2012, and 2013, engineering undergraduates from the Valparaiso University College of Engineering (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA) participated in a four-day off-site course focused on creativity, innovation, teamwork, and leading the creative process. The course was taught by members of the engineering faculty and included sessions and on-location tours (near Orlando, Florida) that were led by instructors from an external training organization. Preand postcourse surveys identify a significant improvement in the students' understanding of the roles of creativity, innovation, and the roles of leadership, communication, and teamwork in the creative process.