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Addressing the gap between engineers' technical skills and public policy understanding to optimize economic, social, and ecological factors. Enhancing communication between decision-makers and scientists/engineers, aiming to produce holistic and integrative thinkers for effective policy formulation. Offering a master's program that equips graduates with leadership and management skills to tackle pressing societal issues. Research areas include air and water quality, energy alternatives, and transportation impacts. Providing internship opportunities for industry and government engagement.
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Statement of Societal Need • Engineers and scientists that serve as key advisors to decision makers in both the public and private sectors, are generally poorly trained in public policy formulation. • Engineers need more than extensive technical skills; they need an enhanced understanding of the public policy process and the imperative to aim for economic, social and ecological optimization
Recognize the Discourse Disconnection • The policy maker asks: • “What is the value we place on this matter?” • “What is acceptable risk?” • “Why should we take action at this time, and how should we allocate which resources to what purposes?”
The scientist or engineer asks: • “How does the world work?” • “What is the cause effect relationship in the phenomenon observed”.
Communication breakdown between scientists/ engineers, and policy makers
Understanding “what is” is clearly different from exploring and responding to the questions of • “Should we take action at this time?” • “What do we value?” or • “What are our priorities for investment?”
Misunderstanding… irritation… frustration • Reasonable probability that to the engineer/ scientist, the policy maker’s question will seem trivial, oversimplified and missing the point. • Reasonable probability that the engineer/ scientist’s answers to the policy maker’s question, can appear to the policy maker to be ambiguous, overly complex and also missing the point.
Masters of Engineering and Public Policy Our vision is…. …to educate world-class leaders who are equipped to become public policy decision-makers on a local, provincial, national and international level. to educate world-class engineers who can communicate effectively with public policy decision-makers for sustainable 21st century solutions.
Mission of EPP • Create a nexus for excellence in public policy formulation based on the human influence on technological, social and ecological systems. • Teach graduate students the management, communication and leadership skills they need to • clarify poorly defined problems, • work effectively within a team environment, • assess system impacts, • negotiate mutually beneficial solutions, and • clearly convey policy implications to decision-makers in the public and private sectors.
MEPP Outcomes • Engineers and scientists trained in public policy who are holistic and integrative thinkers, finding the right balance between competing societal needs • Graduates that are well equipped to provide inspired leadership in the public policy area within business, governments and non-governmental organizations
Overview of our Research • Air and Water Quality • Waster reduction and innovation • Energy futures and alternatives • Pharmaceuticals and PCPs • Land use and livable cities • Transportation impacts on human and ecosystem health • IT and Privacy • Chemicals of emerging concern • Third world policy applications
EPP Inquiry/Thesis Students’ policy skills are enhanced through the practice of question-driven inquiry focused on a problem at the interface of engineering and public policy. • Emphasis is placed on experiential learning with opportunities provided to our students to frame their inquiry around solutions for local, regional, or international collaborators. This is linked with the Booth School’s Innovation Studio, where students from all programs (entrepreneurship, design and public policy) interact with community members from Hamilton for team projects that are multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional.
Internship Opportunities: Helping our Students Succeed • Provide students the opportunity to interact with the private and public sectors. • Research for managers, policy makers and community leaders to help shape sustainable policy for societal well being. • Opportunity to innovate industry and government practice. • Foster’s the sponsoring organization’s ability to recruit new young leaders.
Student Research (sample) • Development and Implementation of an Effective International Agreement to Mitigate Global Climate Change • The State of Green Buildings and Campus Development • Determining Bicycle Infrastructure Suitability on Auto-Oriented Commercial Roadways • Improving the use of Science to Inform Policy, the Role of the Media • Energy futures for the Great Lakes region • Nuclear Potential for Energy Mix of the Future • Constraints/Opportunities for Greening Hospitals • Disaster Mitigation and Response Policies • Using mobile phones for environmental protection in Africa: The Equatorial Africa Deposition Network case study • Sustainable Development through Eco-Industrial Parks
Thank You. Questions? krantz@mcmaster.ca http://wbooth.mcmaster.ca/epp/
Gail Krantzberg • Director of EPP since July 05 • M.Sc. and Ph.D. in ecotoxicology, University of Toronto. • Director of Great Lakes Regional Office of the International Joint Commission 2001 to 2005. • Scientist, Coordinator of Great Lakes Programs, Senior Policy Advisor on Great Lakes at MOE 1987- 2001 . • Committed to environmental excellence and sustainable society through thorough science, advancement of innovative technology and sound and equitable public policy. • Author of more than 140 scientific and policy articles and 6 books on issues pertaining to ecosystem quality.
