The Futures of STS in Engineering and Polytechnic Universities

Missouri University Of Science And Technology, Rolla MO

Investigators

Abstract

Teaching and conducting research in Science and Technology Studies within engineering and polytechnic universities poses significant challenges and offers substantial opportunities. This workshop explores these challenges and opportunities by drawing together STS researchers who work in these contexts from across the nation at Missouri University of Science & Technology's new Center for Science, Technology, and Society. The group will discuss big ideas for advancing Science and Technology Studies in engineering schools, strategies for developing Science and Technology Studies communities, cohorts, and research centers in these contexts, and ideas for increasing impacts in engineering environments. Workshop outcomes will include a set of archived and curated workshop sessions, a research report, articles in a leading Science and Technology Studies journals, and the creation of a national community of Science and Technology Studies scholars interested in these issues. This workshop will bring together a diverse group of researchers in Science and Technology Studies to discuss the appropriate role of Science and Technology Studies in engineering and polytechnical universities, and to develop collective strategies for overcoming the potential challenges of working in these environments and for capitalizing on the potential benefits of doing so. The workshop structure will be informed by recent scholarly reviews of the state-of-the-field within Science and Technology Studies, and by the experiences of Science and Technology Studies researchers who have worked in engineering and polytechnical universities. The workshop will result in strategic plans for advancing the place and impact of Science and Technology Studies in technical universities, the creation of a community of Science and Technology Researchers interested in these issues, and in research reports and scholarly articles. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.