The Social Network

This is based on a talk given to the first SCEEP reunion.

In the College of Engineering we are unashamed seekers after excellence.  As students you are all here because you are, or will be, excellent.

To be an engineer in the 21st century you must start with a foundation of technical excellence.  But that is not enough: you must develop that technical excellence plus the abilities that will let you use that excellence to make an impact.  These other abilities include creativity and innovation, an entrepreneurial mindset, intercultural intelligence, a collaborative spirit, social and environmental responsibility, and effective communication.  Developing these broader abilities is important.

Notice that I say developing.  Intelligence is not a fixed quantity.  Your capabilities are not static, and your potential is not limited.  Your intelligence, your capabilities, your potential for impact, can all grow.  And your job here at the UM is in fact to grow.

You do this through your classes, of course, but you also do this through the other experiences in which you engage at the UM.   When will do you research?  When will you work on an engineering project team?   When will you go abroad?  All of these experiences are educational and all are key to allowing you to grow into more than you currently are.

As SCEEP students you share a special bond – your experiences during the summer on our campus give you a special perspective on engineering in the CoE, and give you a special perspective on each other.   Because of SCEEP you come into the College with practice in working on teams – with an understanding of how to work across and to take advantage of differences between individuals.  You have begun to learn how to take advantage of the strengths of others, and how to contribute your own strengths to their efforts.

This general pattern – taking advantage of the capabilities of others, and contributing your capabilities in turn – is a key skill for success.  The social network that you build will contribute as much to your success as will the intellectual capabilities you develop.  So as you make yourself smarter and more informed, remember that success in engineering will come not just from technical excellence, but from that host of other competencies as well.  And remember that success will come from connecting with as large a network of others as you can.

You will never know when or how you might take advantage of your network.  This is an exercise in capacity building – you must meet others and learn about them without knowing how that connection might later matter to either of you.  Have faith: the social capital you build when you connect with another will pay off for both of you.

While traveling in China this summer a colleague and I met a UM student who was studying there; I she was there because she knew another of our colleagues who was advocating for her to take this chance to go to China.  If she had not had that connection, I would likely never have met her.  And because of that meeting she has a really cool job working with other students who are interested in going abroad.  That chance connection occurred because she was open to meeting new people and to approaching every new situation with an open mind and positive attitude, combined with hard work.    Her network of connections lead to positive results that none of us designed or intended; it was her social network that facilitated the good outcome.

This SCEEP reunion is itself the result of that same trip to China.  Chance connections and conversations there led directly to this event.

This event is a chance to renew your connection to your colleagues from SCEEP, and to meet students from other SCEEP cohorts.   But you need to build beyond these cohorts as well.  I encourage you to connect with as much of the UM community as you can, and to keep your education in mind as you do so.  Those chance connections into our community will pay off.

So let me ask again: When will do you research?  When will you work on an engineering project team?   When will you go abroad?  And who will you meet when you do these things, and what amazing outcomes will result from your doing so?