The University of Houston is expanding its Cullen College of Engineering in Katy, with plans for new programs in addition to a proposed new building. The expansion is part of a larger plan to strengthen the school’s position as a leader in engineering education in the Houston region. More than 40 new classes were launched in fall 2025, with a projected 130 percent increase in enrollment, according to the university’s website.

One of those classes – taught by David L. Crawley, professor of practice for the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering - Technology Division – is designed to support Katy as a community of productive ingenuity and innovation. Crawley’s past experience includes work with Frito Lay in establishing their product line in the USSR, and for the world-renowned advertising agency Young & Rubicam as well as with PepsiCo.

“We've evolved the discussion about innovation from an esoteric opinion related to an outcome to a systematic tradecraft for developing and leading innovation as a professional proficiency that can be taught,” Crawley told the Katy Times. This spring marks the second semester of bringing the program to Katy, Crawley said.

“We introduced the course at UH at Katy campus last fall, and this semester the program will be refreshed to support the community beyond students,” Crawley said. “The program transcends teaching to focus on mentoring students and professionals in the cognitive disciplines of thinking. These skills come together to form the resilient bedrock to discern, discover, design, and deliver consistent competency of meaningfully unique progress. In addition to the course, the program also offers industry recognized certifications complemented with tools and processes, including AI, that enhance a community's culture of innovation. The skills taught are critical thinking, lateral thinking, systems thinking, logic modeling, reasoning, and communications.”

The intent of the course is to provide insight into the methodology and practice for learning and applying innovation as cognitive skills of thinking, according to the UH Libraries website. The course is the gateway class for The University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering’s Technology Leadership and Innovation Management (TLIM) multi-course Applied Innovation curricula.

A new book about the class was published in October 2026, by UH Libraries, titled “Engineering Ingenuity: A Pathway Overview and Playbook for Innovation Principles.” The book may be viewed at https://uhlibraries.pressbooks.pub/engineeringingenuity/.

“We will also be opening the innovation program for workshops and certifications for people and companies in the area. Our approach to focus on training and competently deploy cognitive skills as an engineering process for developing innovation is unique and productive,” Crawley said. “For communities who seek to inspire and compete in the emerging economy, it's important to

remember: You cannot dig a new hole by digging the same one deeper. Our focus is to champion new generations and industry resources to pioneer and lead the potential for something greater than today.”