Can Engineers Without Borders Build the Bridge Between STEM and Social Awareness?

I meet Patricia Culligan, a professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics, in her sunny sixth floor office in Mudd. Fairly early into our conversation, she describes a real-life situation. She hones in on a particular spot on a Boston road that has grown notorious for its high number of deaths as a result of people attempting to cross the street. In her example, a team of bright and eager engineers tackle the problem with the perfect solution in mind: a pedestrian bridge. Construction materials, accessibility, environmental impact reports, and all the other factors it takes to design a safe, new bridge flood their drawing boards. But socially responsible engineers would take a different approach, Culligan asserts. She interrupts the scenario and invites me to consider the question, Well, why are people crossing the road?