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03.11

Engineers Week: So?

By Charles A. (Bud) Eldon

President Obama, like his predecessors, declared February 20-27 “Engineers Week.”  Rick Mueller, the mayor of my town, Sierra Vista, Ariz., also signed a formal Proclamation to initiate local recognition; he read that Proclamation at our annual Engineers of the Year awards luncheon at Fort Huachuca.  Sponsored by local engineering societies, this event presents awards to outstanding contributions by engineers working at or for Fort Huachuca or our city; but there are also displays of Future Engineers’ projects.

As a member of the engineering society planning the program, I recalled a few personal experiences pertinent to the current engineering employment and supply situation in our country, and thus the reason for Engineers Week.

Watching and listening to the recent Obama and Hu (China’s president) press conference, I was surprised, but encouraged, by a clause in one of Obama’s statements.  He said:  “…we need more engineers and fewer attorneys…”  That was an appropriate compliment to Hu, because every single one of the top nine leaders of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is an engineer of some sort by training.  But it was a shock to hear our president, a professional lawyer, make that assertion as a requirement for the future well-being of our country.  Yet I agree with him!

And it’s my belief that the PRC government concluded that it’s essential for them, too.  I know from personal experiences, specifically those I had in 1981, when I spent a few weeks touring universities, technical facilities and government institutions in China as one of small group of official  representatives of IEEE, the world’s largest professional engineering society (now more than 400,000 members in more than 160 countries). We were giving technical lectures, looking at manufacturing operations and talking about IEEE publications, conferences and strategies. (As President of IEEE 4 years later I had the privilege of opening the first branch of IEEE in China.)  We gave talks and had discussions at universities and research labs and toured several manufacturing facilities.  Even 30 years ago, it was obvious that China was focusing on science and engineering as the basis for the country’s economic development.  Clearly that strategy worked:  my Trip Report’s conclusion was expressed in 2 words:   WATCH OUT.  

Ever since those experiences in China — and the “education” by visiting 68  foreign countries, and associating with many outstanding engineers there — I have tried to share my concerns about the declining development of engineers and physical scientists in the United States.  For decades our graduate schools of engineering and physical science have been awarding more than half of PhDs to foreign students;  and a decreasing number of American college students have been interested in those kinds of education.  Nor have most U.S. high schools prepared students well — if at all — for college programs in engineering or the physical sciences.

The result:  during the past three decades, American companies have moved their manufacturing “offshore”; and their engineering and R&D followed.  The job losses finally have become obvious to everyone — even our president and Congress.

But the situation is different here in Sierra Vista:  IEEE has had vigorous interest in area middle schools for our “Future Cities” program;  the annual YES Fair receives impressive participation by students at all levels;  and at Buena, the new Project Lead The Way (pre-engineering) program, NERDS (robot competition), and related STEM activities enjoy broad participation.

Please join us engineering societies in this area in recognizing, celebrating and supporting technology activities essential to Fort Huachuca responsibilities and to the entire success, even survival, of our U.S. economy not just during Engineers Week, but year-round.  And let’s work together towards the Government’s “Race to the Top” in education — specifically STEM education.  We have the environment to do it successfully!

Charles Eldon served as IEEE President in 1985. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, and was awarded the IEEE Centennial Medal, the IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism, and the Region Six Committee Service Award.

Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.