This Spring, Dr. Khalid Kadir, will be teaching a new ACES course, Engineering 157AC / International and Area Studies 157AC: Engineering, The Environment, and Society at UC Berkeley. The course will challenge students to look beyond the technical elements of their work and recognize the deeply social and political nature of engineering questions. With help from Berkeley Ph.D. student and Chancellor's Public Fellow Lara Cushing, Dr. Kadir has established partnerships with local and regional African-American, Asian-American, and Latino community groups, through which students will have the opportunity to engage in multiple real-world projects affecting these diverse communities. Projects address a variety of environmental and social justice issues including contaminated drinking water, industrial pollution, and air pollution.
While both meeting the American Cultures requirement and as part of the ACES program, Engineering 157AC is set to become a signature course within the College of Engineering. As stated by Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion, College of Engineering Oscar Dubon, "The College of Engineering is delighted to offer E157AC. With this course the College has taken an important step forward in affirming that social justice should play a central role in the preparation of our engineering students. The course also signals the College's commitment to engage a diverse engineering student body that produces technology leaders and innovators who will tackle challenges faced by all communities in our society. Dr. Kadir is an outstanding instructor, and we are very fortunate to have him on board."
This course is part of the American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES) Program bringing the research interests of faculty and community partners together in the teaching of undergraduate courses. Further information and a listing of other ACES courses can be found on our ACES Courses page.