Skip to content ↓

Norm Augustine: The Mysterious Field of Engineering Systems



Engineering Systems Division
International Engineering Systems Symposium

One of the nation’s revered technology leaders dispenses anecdotes and wisdom on the slippery subject of engineering systems (or systems engineering). Norm Augustine just can’t get a handle on the discipline: “No one agrees on what it is, or what it does.” After years in industries like Lockheed Martin, Augustine has come up with “Norm’s Rules,” and can at least define "system" as “having two or more elements that interact,” and "engineering" as “creating the means for performing useful functions.” But these definitions don’t get you too far in the real world. (From MIT World)
“I am an engineer. I’m one of those people who designed your computer so that when you want to shut it off you click on 'start'.” --Norm Augustine

Related Links

Related Topics

More MIT News

Headshot of Catherine Wolfram

A delicate dance

Professor of applied economics Catherine Wolfram balances global energy demands and the pressing need for decarbonization.

Read full story