Dean Vanderlick Welcomes Freshmen, Appeals to Problem Solvers

08/31/2016

If you’re a natural problem-solver who’s fascinated by the people and the world around you, then you may very well be an engineer.

So said SEAS Dean T. Kyle Vanderlick in her annual welcome to incoming freshmen Tuesday. Speaking to more than 150 students at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall, Vanderlick offered her explanation of what it means to be an engineering student at Yale. 

The word “engineer” gets bandied about a lot, she said, but there’s not a lot of discussion about what it really means. It goes well beyond the notion of someone who tinkers and takes things apartAt its most specific, Vanderlick told the freshmen, “engineering equals science plus math.”

“It’s that simple,” she said. “And the common denominator is math. If calculus was a religious experience for you, then you will love being an engineer.”

From a broader perspective, it means using those skills to solve problems. At Yale, engineering students think big and want to solve big problems – for instance, poverty and cancer and providing clean water to those who need it.

“It’s in your genes to think of yourself as a problem solver, and to solve big problems means being part of a team and working with other people.” 

In particular, that means working people from other disciplines. That’s why preparing for that level of problem-solving as an engineer is best within the context of a liberal arts experience.

“Engineering is taking the principles of science and using those principles to advance the human condition,” she said. “So you have to care about the human condition. You have to know a little bit of history and ethics relating to the human condition, and you have to be able to talk about the human condition.”

And some practical advice: if you’re thinking about majoring in engineering, you should get on the track early on. If you wait too long, you may not have the time to take all the required courses. On the other hand, if you start early and decide to switch to something else later, you’ll already have the prerequisites for just about any other major.

Vanderlick also acknowledged engineering students work harder than their non-engineering counterparts, but stressed that they’ll still have time for extracurricular activities. Those activities are crucial to developing the ideal Yale engineering students, who mix technical skills with broader ones.

“We truly believe that this is the liberal arts education for the 21st century,” Vanderlick said. “It’s an education that allows you to bring all your intellectual skills to bear on the most important problems of our time.”