“Forensic” is nearly a household word today, thanks to a nightly splatter of courtroom, crime lab and police shows on TV. Despite being synonymous with gruesome investigations, forensics — derived from the word forum — actually refers to any juncture where specialized professional knowledge is brought to bear in a legal setting. How do engineers figure into the process?

Every engineer is familiar with the feelings that can creep in during the few moments before you are called into a job interview. But instead of being overly concerned with the notion that the employer would want your skill set, why not try something different and interview your prospective next boss?

Last fall, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) launched a program to identify best practices for improving the retention and success of freshman and sophomore EE students. More than 40 schools applied for program grants, five of which were awarded $20,000 grants each to fund their programs. More than 400 students were affected, with all of the schools are reporting positive results.

Stakeholders including manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and environmental organizations, whose views are presented in a recently released Commerce Department report, “agreed that a uniform national system of electronics recycling is preferable to a patchwork of differing state systems.”

Becoming a guru in all things lean can definitely boost your standing with the boss. But here’s something pivotal to keep in mind as you read about lean, or participate in formal lean training: lean success does not come just from what you know. Rather, it’s what you do with that knowledge that is of value to you and your employer.

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IEEE membership grants you access to subject matter experts and services that can assist you in your personal lives. More than ever, the IEEE is committed to helping engineering professionals obtain information, decision making tools and a choice of solutions to meet some of the most significant life needs, such as portable benefits in the areas of health care, education, financial planning, small business and retirement.

A flow of information between engineers and policy-makers exists, but in many cases the information flows from engineers in “engineer-speak” and is received by policy-makers who are accustomed only to “political-speak.” This absence of a common lexicon can result in differing interpretations. How can we engineer a solution?

According to a recent Harris Interactive Poll, Americans count engineers among the top 10 most admired professionals. Not bad, considering all of the professions out there. But in his latest column, IEEE-USA President Ralph Wyndrum explains why it would be even better if more people remembered that the doctors, nurses, scientists and military officers who garnered the most admiration would be hard-pressed without the instruments engineers conceived and designed.