What I learned from teaching Innovation Engineering

During my career at McNeese State University, I spent most of my teaching time in the Burton College of Business. But in 2012, I was asked to instruct a class called Innovation Engineering. While my first thought was “what do I know about engineering?” I quickly realized the value this concept can have! Essentially, Innovation Engineering requires searching for the best solution in the world, then creating something even better than that.

I learned as much from teaching this class as my students did taking it, so I decided to apply the concept to an ongoing issue in Southwest Louisiana: drainage.

The Problem

In Southwest Louisiana, drainage is always at the top of our priority lists. But it seems like we’re forever playing catch-up, doesn’t it? On average, Calcasieu Parish gets nearly 60 inches of rain per year. And that doesn’t account for anomalies like the May 2021 floods or a hurricane.

Some of the factors that contribute to drainage issues are out of our control – such as hurricanes. Others are totally preventable, like litter clogging drains. To apply the concepts of Innovation Engineering, though, we need to first look at other areas with similar issues. And that includes areas throughout the world, not just our state or country!

The Solution

Do you know who has the biggest drainage problem in the world? The Netherlands! One-third of the country is below sea level, and the remainder is vulnerable to flooding due to the country’s location in a delta formed by three rivers. For hundreds of years, the country’s top engineers have created a complicated, impressive flood control system to keep the water out.

Of course, what works for the Dutch won’t necessarily work in Southwest Louisiana. But it provides a great starting point as we seek creative, effective solutions for our drainage issues. And this was exactly the process used by our CRS Consulting team on behalf of Calcasieu Parish. This is where the concept of retention ponds came into play.

The more ground we cover with concrete, the less we have to absorb rainfall. Retention ponds provide a place for the water to drain and – when done correctly – look like beautiful water features and provide a habitat for wildlife. You may be familiar with the pond near the Imperial Calcasieu Surgical Center on Nelson Road, complete with a water feature. The best example I’ve seen in Calcasieu Parish is the ponds and lakes in the Graywood subdivision. Take a ride out there and see!

What I Learned

1. Learn from others’ successes. Many times, we forget to look beyond our comfort zones. The world is full of different people with different insights, ideas and knowledge. We can learn greatly from seeing what did and did not work and applying those lessons locally.

2. The answer is always out there. Innovation Engineering is about finding the absolute best possible solution to a problem. In this post I’ve explained how we approached the drainage problem, but similar examples exist with regard to roads, traffic management, emergency preparedness and more.

I’ve said before I want to ensure District 8 has a voice on the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, and not just mine! As your police juror, I won’t assume I have all the answers or the best ideas. But I will keep an eye on the future, look for the best and vote to ensure Southwest Louisiana becomes the best!