E-Briefing Feb. 11, 2000 Dilbert Alert! Engineers Get the Last Laugh This Month National Engineers Week will be celebrated Feb. 20-26 this year, and the engineers who take so much abuse from coworkers and comics are ready to celebrate. For one week each year, the spotlight shines on their many accomplishments and innovations that make our lives safer, healthier, more productive, and even, a lot more fun. In this week's University of Cincinnati e-briefing, we examine engineering's impact, career opportunities, and problems yet to be solved. Table of contents 1. Presidential connections a. Father of Our Country and American Engineering? b. Thanks from President Clinton 2. On the job with engineers a. High demand brings inflation-proof salaries b. Beyond pocket protectors: what engineers really do c. Dr. Dilbert? Engineering a healthier future 3. Trends in education a. Keeping pace with new technology b. The importance of modern labs c. Opportunities from cooperative education d. Overseas experience launches aerospace career 1. PRESIDENTIAL CONNECTIONS A. FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY AND AMERICAN ENGINEERING? While the entire country celebrates President's Day and George Washington's birthday, engineers celebrate our first president's contributions to technological advancement. As a military strategist, Washington was the first to approve the use of submarines to bomb enemy ships. He also pioneered the establishment of the U.S. Army units which became today's Army Corps of Engineers. As president, Washington encouraged engineering efforts from road construction to canal-building and mining which helped to open the western frontiers. And as a private farmer, Washington energetically adopted the latest agricultural technology including the then-novel concept of crop rotation. contact: National Engineers Week Headquarters, 703- 684-2852 or e-mail: eweek@nspe.org B. THANKS FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON National Engineers Week also drew attention from the current U.S. President, Bill Clinton, who congratulated engineers for their role in building a better society. "As we begin a new century, it is an ideal time to recognize and give thanks for the many contributions America's engineers have made to the life of our nation. From putting men on the moon to developing our interstate highway system, from cleaning our air and water to prolonging our health, engineers have been involved in many of our century's most extraordinary and enduring accomplishments." Details: http://www.eweek.org/2000/News/Features/clinton.html 2. ON THE JOB WITH ENGINEERS A. HIGH DEMAND BRINGS INFLATION-PROOF SALARIES Two national reports both indicate that engineers not only start their careers making high salaries, but those salaries remain virtually inflation-proof over the years. The National Society of Professional Engineers reported in its 1999 Salary Survey that median annual income rose more than twice as fast as the inflation rate to $72,842. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that computer engineers, computer scientists, and systems analysts are the three fastest growing occupations -- growth that is expected to continue for at least the next five years. http://www.eweek.org/2000/News/ http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ooh.table1.htm B. BEYOND POCKET PROTECTORS: WHAT ENGINEERS REALLY DO For many children, the word "engineer" still conjures up storybook images of a burly man keeping a smoky train on track and on time. For adults, engineers are often derided as the office "geek." However, Stephen Kowel, dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering, says the nearly 2 million engineers at work in the U.S. today have an incredible hidden impact on our daily life. Whether it's the material in your unbreakable dishes, the tiny computer inside your fuel-efficient car, or the digital movies and music you enjoy on the weekend, engineers are the ones who move new ideas from labs to store shelves. contact: Dean Stephen Kowel, 513-556-2933 C. DR. DILBERT? ENGINEERING A HEALTHIER FUTURE "The career opportunities in biomedical engineering are very strong across a broad spectrum of areas," reports David Butler, professor of engineering mechanics at the University of Cincinnati and a founding member of the American Institute for Biomedical Engineering. "The prospects for students who puruse biomedical engineering appear to be very bright for the next couple of decades." Butler also predicted that the combined expertise of engineers and biologists will lead to improved medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and not only a longer life, but an improved quality of life for the nation's elderly. contact: David Butler, professor of engineering mechanics, 513-556-4167 3. TRENDS IN EDUCATION A. KEEPING PACE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY Among the challenges ahead for engineers is the education of future engineers. New technology requires new laboratories and new computers, and engineering educators struggle to keep pace. "A computer, after three or four years, doesn't have much life left in it. That's put a big burden on us," admits Roy Eckart, associate dean of engineering at the University of Cincinnati. "It's a tremendous part of our budget, but that's our lifeblood in engineering." Corporate partnerships are helping to ease the burden. Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corporation has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in new lab equipment and support to eight engineering schools recently, including UC. "A huge number of corporations have this technology, but many engineers are not trained to use it," said Duane Crockrom, human resources and development manager at Parker Hannifin, explaining the company's investment in engineering education. contacts: Roy Eckart, associate dean of engineering in the University of Cincinnati, 513-556-2739. Duane Crockrom, Parker Hannifin, 216-896-2384 C. OPPORTUNITIES FROM COOPERATIVE EDUCATION Rita Hessley, dean of the College of Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, says cooperative education can be one of the most cost-effective ways to supplement traditional curriculum and to train students on the latest technology. "It is expensive to provide up-to-date equipment and instrumentation for a high quality technological education," said Hessley. "Co-op can be of assistance in this regard. Co-op experiences sometimes carry over into joint projects the student (and faculty mentor) continues collaborating on after returning from the co-op experience." contact: Rita Hessley, dean of UC's College of Applied Science, 513-556-6556 D. OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES AEROSPACE CAREER Paul Zomkowski, an aerospace engineering student, got a jump start on his career with his first overseas trip -- a six-month, international co-op assignment with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace in Munich, Germany. Zomkowski was able to work on a project involving a new Eurofighter aircraft which will be a critical component of the European Union's military defenses. "It was a great experience," summed up Zomkowski. "I was right in the middle of what's changing." The University of Cincinnati International Engineering Program provides intense training in a country's language and culture before students head overseas. Zomkowski will graduate in June, 2000, and expects to easily find work or a spot in graduate school. contact: Paul Zomkowski, 513-961-3922 Click here to return to UC e-briefings menu. Click here to return to most recent UC e-briefing. E-mail reillymb@email.uc.edu if you would like to become a regular recipient of UC's e-briefings. Please provide your name, media affiliation, snail-mail address, e-mail address, phone and fax number.