Bridge Linking Engineering and Society
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Summer 2016 ISSUES AT THE TECHNOLOGY/ POLICY INTERFACE The BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY In Plain View: A Transparent Systems Approach for Enhancing Health Policy Decisions Guru Madhavan, Charles E. Phelps, Rita R. Colwell, Rino Rappuoli, and Harvey V. Fineberg Thinking Big to Address Major Challenges: Design and Problem-Solving Patterns for High- Impact Innovation Joseph V. Sinfield and Freddy Solis The Corrosion Crisis in Flint, Michigan: A Call for Improvements in Technology Stewardship John R. Scully NACE International’s IMPACT Study Breaks New Ground in Corrosion Management Research and Practice Gretchen A. Jacobson Charging Mechanisms for Road Use: An Interface between Engineering and Public Policy Bismark R. Agbelie, Samuel Labi, and Kumares C. Sinha Leveraging Technology in the Coteaching Model for STEM Education Kelly J. Grillo, Jane Bowser, and Tanya Moorehead Cooley Electric Power and DC’s Renaissance Lionel O. Barthold and Dennis A. Woodford The mission of the National Academy of Engineering is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The BRIDGE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Charles O. Holliday, Jr., Chair C. D. Mote, Jr., President Corale L. Brierley, Vice President Thomas F. Budinger, Home Secretary Ruth A. David, Foreign Secretary Martin B. Sherwin, Treasurer Editor in Chief: Ronald M. Latanision Managing Editor: Cameron H. Fletcher Production Assistant: Penelope Gibbs The Bridge (ISSN 0737-6278) is published quarterly by the National Aca d emy of Engineering, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC. Vol. 46, No. 2, Summer 2016 Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bridge, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418. Papers are presented in The Bridge on the basis of general interest and time- liness. They reflect the views of the authors and not necessarily the position of the National Academy of Engineering. The Bridge is printed on recycled paper. C © 2016 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. A complete copy of The Bridge is available in PDF format at www.nae.edu/TheBridge. Some of the articles in this issue are also avail- able as HTML documents and may contain links to related sources of information, multimedia files, or other content. The Volume 46, Number 2 • Summer 2016 BRIDGE LINKING ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY Editor’s Note 3 Issues at the Technology/Policy Interface Ronald M. Latanision Features 5 In Plain View: A Transparent Systems Approach for Enhancing Health Policy Decisions Guru Madhavan, Charles E. Phelps, Rita R. Colwell, Rino Rappuoli, and Harvey V. Fineberg We describe a systems-based platform that can facilitate discussion among stakeholders and promote convergence and transparency in policy decisions. 11 Thinking Big to Address Major Challenges: Design and Problem-Solving Patterns for High-Impact Innovation Joseph V. Sinfield and Freddy Solis High-impact innovation to address major challenges requires ideas that achieve broad reach, comprehensive significance, paradigm change, and longevity. 19 The Corrosion Crisis in Flint, Michigan: A Call for Improvements in Technology Stewardship John R. Scully The situation in Flint underscores the need for change in the handling of complex technological problems with high risk. 30 NACE International’s IMPACT Study Breaks New Ground in Corrosion Management Research and Practice Gretchen A. Jacobson The IMPACT study presents corrosion control strategies that could save hundreds of billions of dollars per year. 39 Charging Mechanisms for Road Use: An Interface between Engineering and Public Policy Bismark R. Agbelie, Samuel Labi, and Kumares C. Sinha Transition to a direct charging mechanism for highway use can help to ensure a stable revenue stream. 47 Leveraging Technology in the Coteaching Model for STEM Education Kelly J. Grillo, Jane Bowser, and Tanya Moorehead Cooley The coteaching model, complemented by assistive technology, allows students identified with learning disabilities to master STEM learning outcomes. (continued on next page) The BRIDGE 53 Electric Power and DC’s Renaissance Lionel O. Barthold and Dennis A. Woodford DC power, largely abandoned by 1890, is now making a remarkable comeback in generation, distribution, storage, and use. 61 Op-Ed: The Symbiosis of Science and Technological Innovation Jonathan D. Linton and Daniel Berg 63 An Interview with . Sandra Magnus NAE News and Notes 71 NAE Newsmakers 73 NAE Honors 2016 Draper Prize Winner 74 Acceptance Remarks by Andrew J. Viterbi 75 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education 76 Acceptance Remarks by Diran Apelian 77 2016 National Meeting 78 Chair, Home Secretary, and Councillors Elected 79 2016 Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship in Aerospace Engineering 79 NAE Regional Meeting Hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory: “Innovation in Our Energy System” 80 “Earned Optimism”: MIT Hosts NAE Regional Meeting 81 In Memoriam 83 Calendar of Meetings and Events 83 Publications of Interest The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an emy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongov- Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to ernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objec- The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 tive analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected Academies also encourage education and research, recognize out- by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. standing contributions to knowledge, and increase public understand- Mote, Jr., is president. ing in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Acad- and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. FALL 2006 3 Editor’s Note system framework as well as financial tools and other strategies for corrosion management. At this year’s NACE conference, CORROSION 2016, the keynote speaker, television journalist Steve Kroft, appealed to NACE members to take action and help communicate to leaders and policymakers that the cost to fix or prevent infrastructure degradation Ronald M. Latanision (NAE) is is less than the cost of infrastructure failures. senior fellow, Exponent Failure Together the Scully and Jacobson articles empha- Analysis Associates. size the critical need for attention to this country’s infrastructure, which is aging and, as in Flint, abused. There are both political and technical issues associ- Issues at the Technology/Policy ated with the state of the infrastructure in the United States. There seems to be nonpartisan agreement on Interface the need for inspection, maintenance, and improve- I am pleased to present in the following pages articles ment, but there is a very clear partisan divide on how that address an array of matters involving both technol- to pay for them. ogy and public policy. • Bismark Agbelie, Samuel Labi, and Kumares Sinha • Guru Madhavan and colleagues write on a subject (NAE) write about the need to recognize the funding of interest to all Americans, health policy decisions. shortfall for the maintenance of part of this nation’s They describe a systems-based tool that can enhance infrastructure, roads and bridges. They make the case transparency in health policy decisions and be adapt- for transitioning from the current fuel tax–based ed in other policy areas. I am particularly pleased that indirect funding mechanism to a direct user charg- former NAM president Harvey Fineberg and Rita ing approach. The policy implications are clear and Colwell (NAS), former NSF director, are among the important. authors of this article. • Kelly Grillo, Jane Bowser, and Tanya Moorehead • Joseph Sinfield and Freddy Solis propose high-impact describe tools and strategies that can be used in the innovation for addressing large-scale sociotechni- classroom to help K–12 students identified with cal challenges, using problem-solving methods that learning disabilities succeed in STEM courses, there- integrate contributions from a multiplicity of fields. by encouraging them to pursue further education and They point out that innovation efforts have typically careers in these fields. focused on the novelty and differentiation of an idea, • Lionel Barthold (NAE) and Dennis Woodford pro- rather than its impact. vide an update on DC power, largely abandoned more • John Scully analyzes the water crisis in Flint, explains than a century ago and now making a comeback in the fundamentals of lead corrosion in potable water, generation, distribution, storage, and use. As the