CANCELLATION NOTICE: The lecture on Friday, Jan. 30, is canceled due to winter weather and will be rescheduled at a later date.
Engineering for Wicked Problems: Reimagining Curriculum Through Care and Systems Thinking
Dr. Guru Madhavan
Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and Senior Director of Programs
National Academy of Engineering
Dr. Karan Watson
Interim Director of the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation
Texas A&M University
POSTPONED
This lecture is part of the Jonsson School’s 2025-26 Distinguished Lecture Series, Catalysts for Change: Visionaries in Engineering and Computing Education.
Abstract:
Guru Madhavan and Karan Watson explore how engineering and computer science education must evolve to address wicked problems — challenges that blur technical, social and cultural boundaries and resist tidy solutions. Drawing on Madhavan’s Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World (W.W. Norton, 2024), the conversation frames engineering as a cultural choice rooted in care rather than mere control. It examines distinctions among complicated, complex and wicked systems, introduces the “hard–soft–messy” dimensions — from mathematical modeling to behavioral dynamics and societal context — and argues for solutions that are provisional, adaptive and ethically grounded. The dialogue calls for bold curricular reform: embedding systems thinking, resilience and stakeholder engagement; integrating technical rigor with ethics and social responsibility; and creating signature experiences that prepare graduates to navigate uncertainty and design for long-term stewardship. This is an invitation to challenge assumptions and imagine transformative pathways for the next generation of engineers.
Biographies:
Dr. Guru Madhavan
Dr. Guru Madhavan is the Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs of the National Academy of Engineering. He has served as a technical advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the European Union Malaria Fund. Previously, in the medical device industry, he contributed to the research and development of surgical catheters for cardiac ablation and neuromuscular stimulators to improve blood circulation. A systems engineer, he received his MS and PhD in biomedical engineering, as well as an MBA, from the State University of New York. The university awarded him the Edward Weisband Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service or Contribution to Public Affairs.
His recent awards include: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Henry Laurence Gantt Medal for business leadership; Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Laufman-Greatbatch Award for contributions to health technology; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Norbert Weiner Award for Social and Professional Responsibility; the IEEE Alfred Goldsmith Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Communication; the IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions Furthering Public Understanding and the Advancement of the Engineering Profession; the George F. McClure Citation of Honor for engineering leadership; and an honorary doctorate from SUNY Polytechnic Institute. He is an elected fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and ASME, as well as a companion of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and an honorary fellow of the U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering. His books include Applied Minds: How Engineers Think and Wicked Problems: How to Engineer a Better World.
Dr. Karan Watson
Dr. Karan L. Watson, P.E., currently serves as interim director of the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation (IEEI) at Texas A&M University. She is a distinguished former faculty member at Texas A&M University, where she advanced to Regents Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and held senior leadership roles, including provost and executive vice president of the University.
Dr. Watson brings more than 44 years of experience in higher education and consulting, with service as a faculty member, dean, provost, mentor, facilitator and evaluator. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Her national leadership includes elected roles such as president of ABET, president of the IEEE Education Society, chair of the ASEE ECE Division, and treasurer of WEPAN. Her honors include the U.S. President’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Minorities and Women in Science and Technology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentoring Award, the IEEE International Undergraduate Teaching Medal and the ASEE Lifetime Achievement Award in Engineering Education.
A trained mediator, Watson’s consulting expertise spans conflict management, organizational and cultural change, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, accreditation and program evaluation, strategic management, difficult dialogues, and research methods and funding.
