Engineering managers must have a strong working knowledge of the laws that affect their work. Students in the Engineering Management and Systems Engineering (EMSE) Department have the opportunity to learn how to navigate the complex engineering and design legal landscape through classes such as Engineering Law.
Adjunct Professor Cynthia Gayton taught Engineering Law in 2001 using the 6th edition of the textbook, “Legal Aspects of Engineering, Design and Innovation.” Gayton then co-authored the book’s next edition with Richard C. Vaughn before taking over and becoming the sole author. She recently published its 11th edition with publisher Kendall Hunt!
The newest edition of the “Legal Aspects of Engineering, Design and Innovation” textbook incorporates new legal issues and expands on topics such as environmental law, intellectual property, and product liability to provide a broad overview of the engineering and design legal landscape. It also places an emphasis on encouraging discussion in the classroom to pull in topics outside of black-letter law that address the ethical challenges engineers and design professionals face in today’s workplace.
Gayton uses the textbook for several of the EMSE classes she teaches and also uses chapters to supplement her other courses. She expanded the “For Discussion” section of this edition in hopes it will help students in her classroom and others not only find answers to common legal problems in the book but also consider how to improve the legal landscape in which they work.
“My favorite part about writing and publishing is that I am able to design and create a book that I want to use to teach! It is a reflection of what I wanted as a resource for myself, and it’s nice that it is also useful to others,” said Gayton. “I find it to be useful for just about anyone interested in contracts and contract management, intellectual property, torts, etc. If I say so myself, it is a good legal reference whether or not you are an engineering student or design professional.”