Engineering a Better ASME — Lessons from da Vinci

The 2008 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, held earlier this month in Boston, explored the theme “Engineering a Better World” — which really says a lot about our challenges as a responsive and agile society of professionals, with a forward-looking commitment to the generations to come. ASME serves our profession well as a convener, a focus for collaboration and partnership, and an informed voice that encourages innovation and the next generation of engineers and leaders. My conversations with members there and throughout my travels have underscored the many opportunities that ASME enjoys and offers. In particular, ASME members share a great capacity to further learning, build a diverse community, and explore emerging technologies on a global scale. As we look forward to setting our priorities for upcoming years, I want to reinforce my strong beliefs in growth, empowerment, challenge, and recognition.

Thomas M. Barlow

Growth and empowerment rely on learning, which is a fundamental precept of ASME’s commitment to knowledge. ASME works on many levels to provide life-long learning, from efforts to encourage math and science development in pre-college students to continuing education opportunities to enhance engineering careers. Both distance learning opportunities and customized training for industries can help shape individualized paths through which engineers around the world can learn and grow in their problem-solving capabilities. This individualized and personalized approach to learning was recently discussed at the National Academy of Engineering, and it sets out a vision of education based on how we adapt to current communications technology and the openness and independence that will soon characterize our profession. I am most impressed with the way that it relies on our self-motivation in learning.

In this context, I’d like to commend to you the consummate mentor for the mechanical profession, an individual known for his curiosity, his independent thinking, his universal perspective, and his understanding of the physical world — and, incidentally, someone not primarily known as an educator but as artist, inventor, and engineer—and one of my early heroes: Leonardo da Vinci.

Da Vinci said that “Learning never exhausts the mind.” It is true that we face growing complexity in our world today. It is true that we face demands for greater technical knowledge, while expanding the soft skills in management and communications. It is also true that we face increasing demands to harmonize national standards with global standards, to find common languages and a shared understanding of processes. Despite all these challenges, we also know that learning is a true joy. It is energizing and fulfilling.

Leonardo da Vinci, though he is thought to have relied on patience, also said, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” This, in a nutshell, is why we are engineers, and this is, indeed, engineering. If we are to engineer a better world, there is no better time to start than now and no better place than this.

We, in ASME, must focus our resources to address several critical worldwide challenges — challenges that affect the lives of both the underserved and the prosperous. It will take innovation at its best to bring greater sustainability and greater dignity to all of the people on Earth. You’ve likely heard about these challenges before — energy, water management, sanitation, health systems, sustainable development, and the eradication of poverty. It’s not just that engineers have a voice in the solutions, but we also have a responsibility in how they are resolved, and how people understand their roles and relationships regarding the solutions. Many of us became engineers in the first place because we wanted to make a difference in the world. This is our opportunity: The time for action is now.

Next year is the 125th anniversary of ASME’s Codes and Standards, when we will be recognizing this vitally important and highly successful role of our Society. ASME’s focus on global and accessible standards development complements our vision for technical competence and innovation. It is responsive to the needs of industry and public safety, and the challenges, again, are immense. I commend the thousands of individuals who participate in the Codes and Standards work of ASME. Their commitment and expertise is the foundation for the exceptional quality of technical standards that have gained worldwide recognition.

Moving forward, I also believe that, in focusing ASME resources on the challenges before us, we must continue our efforts to be truly global. We must pursue the many benefits of diversity, both within the profession and in our own organization. We need to better understand our domestic and global markets as they continue to change and grow. With the help of our many volunteers and staff and the leadership of a global community, I’m sure we’ll find success in meeting these challenges.

My final point is about the importance of recognition. Recognition is fundamental to ASME’s commitment to community building. Over the course of the year, the Society bestows nearly 60 major awards and many other specific honors. These are our everyday mentors, the engineers who inspire, and the key to our achieving as a profession. Personally, I’d like to acknowledge the pleasure of working with a great team on the Board of Governors this year, and the support of Sam Zamrik and our other distinguished Past Presidents, our President-Nominee Amos Holt, and our Executive Director, Tom Loughlin, and his staff.

The Congress theme, “Engineering a Better World,” includes our vision of engineering a better ASME so that we can truly make a difference in the world. From da Vinci’s notebooks, we find him saying, “Those who are in love with practice without knowledge are like the sailor who gets into a ship without rudder or compass, and who never can be certain [where] he is going.” Putting aside that he is talking about art, I note that he adds, “Practice must always be founded on sound theory. Perspective is the guide and the gateway; and without this, nothing can be done well.”

ASME can be this gateway. We, through ASME, can take a vital world view, a love of learning, and a willingness to act. ASME has charted its learning path to include the leadership of a diverse and multidisciplinary network of engineers around the globe. ASME has charted a learning path that is informed and market driven to provide the best practices and the most appropriate products and services. It is this perspective that shapes our vision and mission as a Society. What it relies on is active leadership and participation. I welcome the opportunity to continue these conversations with you and with our peer societies around the world.

— Thomas M. Barlow
ASME President, 2008–2009

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