By all accounts, the number of computer science graduates who take postdoctoral fellowships — also known as PostDocs — is quite small: just a few hundred per year. But thanks to the extended poor economic outlook, PostDocs are on the rise in academic circles, while the number of full-time academic positions is on the decline.

Knowing who managers hire and why is always helpful, but another — and perhaps superseding — issue is how you interact with a recruiter during the job search process, and how the wrong approach can unwittingly turn off the recruiter and hinder your campaign's progress.

The best way to find a job today is through a personal referral or what is commonly called networking. Passing information about a possible new role or pending vacancy between individuals who are connected to each other or have a mutual contact continues to be a rich source of new job leads. So, how do you get noticed?

Today, the NCEES continues to evolve in its efforts to advance licensure for engineers and surveyors. Find out how the organization has worked to meet its mission of advancing licensure over the years. Plus, a recap of the October 2011 Electrical and Computer PE exam results.

The electrified vehicle industry has received tremendous attention over the last few years and the great expectations continue. Looking at 2011 sales, however, expectations fell short compared to reality. So, how do suppliers, consumers and others industry stakeholders deal with this unprofitable situation and turn it around to get in the black?

The greatest among us are those who serve others. George McClure would never have been so bold to think of himself as great. He served his family, country and fellow IEEE members without concern for how it would benefit him.

Reforming today’s healthcare system is a daunting challenge, which is why we must “Break the China” by implementing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) value chain model that leverages 21st Century health information technology (HIT).

Some younger readers may not know who Hedy Lamarr was. Old-timers remember her as a popular Hollywood star of the mid-20th century. Unknown to her fans and many of her Hollywood colleagues was her creative side. They were unaware that when the cameras were not rolling, Ms. Lamarr might be at home at her drawing board, diligently working at some concept that might lead to a commercial product or a patentable invention.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

When things break and parties litigate, sometimes the person who has the most impact on the proceedings is not the plaintiff, the judge or an attorney — it's a forensic engineer. Forensic engineers investigate and reconstruct failures in a variety of systems, often determining the cause and liability of an event as it moves toward, or into, a courtroom setting. So, how does one go about becoming one?

Today's job search sometimes bears a striking resemblance to today's dating scene. Similar tools and tactics are employed in both endeavors to find a suitable match.

As an engineer, you already know how to keep trying different approaches, to keep on pushing, until you solve a technical problem. This ethos applies to engineering careers as well.

The Greeks had a word for it: Aristotle thought of flourishing as a synonym for happiness — eudaimonia, combining well-being or abundance and the control of individual destiny.

Don Christiansen reviews mixed bag of reactions to Lego's announcement that will be marketing a new line aimed at girls, and wonders if engineering may be becoming a gender-neutral profession?

Interest in STEM careers among U.S. high school students is declining, while unemployment among U.S. engineers remains high. And U.S. immigration policies continue to complicate matters. So, what can be done to ensure that STEM careers remain a viable option for U.S. students and to ultimately reverse these trends?

According to a recent report by the Partnership for Public Service, only 2.3 percent of U.S. science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) grads are considering post-graduation employment in the federal government. Starting salaries were cited as one of the primary reasons students would not pursue federal jobs.

The President's FY2013 budget proposal, as submitted to Congress, includes a $140.8 billion request for Federal R&D. If enacted, the R&D budget would increase by $2.0 billion or 1.4 percent over the 2012 level.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Engineers and scientists are the custodians of technological progress. So what is is technological vigilance, and why is it important?

Engineer Roger Boisjoly entered the public consciousness in 1986, with his unsuccessful effort to stop the fateful launch of the space shuttle Challenger. Boisjoly passed away in January, but his legacy as a champion of engineering ethics carries on.

Do you have a robot in your home or office yet? If not, you probably will soon. The robotics industry is in a major growth mode, not only in terms of sales, but also in size. At the same time, it is also creating growth around itself. According to a November 2011 report from the market research firm Metra Martech, the robotics industry will create one million new jobs over the next five years.

As in past years, Today's Engineer provides an outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

Many companies generate more inventions than they recognize, and each overlooked invention is a missed opportunity and potentially a wasted asset. Fortunately, capturing these assets through “invention mining” is easy and efficient. As an engineer, you are in an ideal position to help your company identify potential nuggets of patentable inventions.

IEEE Fellow and 2012 Draper Prize recipient Dr. George Heilmeier is most recently known for his role in developing LCD technology. But during his long career in the U.S. Department of Defense and DARPA, TI, Bellcore/Telcordia, and SAIC, Heilmeier made an indelible mark as an Research and Development manager, and for his famous checklist.

Networking is more of an art than a science, blending communication and interpersonal skills. If you weren't blessed with the networking gene, it’s a skill you can — and need to — develop.

American driving habits are based on a century of fossil fuel powered vehicles and gas tanks, which has created misunderstandings about electric vehicles (EVs). The gas-tank, with its run-until-empty and then fill-to-full-at-a-public-gas-station SOP, is not how EVs are used.

Extreme proponents of SOPA claimed the legislation would save hundreds of thousands of jobs and add between $50B and $250B to the U.S. economy per year, while detractors at the other extreme argued it would turn the U.S. into a police state and terminate the first and fourth amendments to the Constitution. As with many things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between.

The recent IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference featured a number of paper and panel sessions on electric vehicles. It offered a preview of what to expect at the upcoming IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Steeped in long traditions, Navies tend to be very conservative organizations. And yet, there are times when these organizations will exhibit a remarkable willingness to blaze new technological trails. Two examples, one from the history of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the other from the U.S. Navy (USN), offer striking examples of this boldness.

Fortunate are the individuals who have had mentors guiding them on their journey through life. Age catches up with all of us, and our mentors die with the torch being passed to the next generation.

Not everyone who gets an engineering degree or who starts their career as an engineer spends their whole life working as an engineer. But while those who move on may leave behind their hands-on daily exposure to semiconductors or energy systems or software, the education and experience these people received often remains valuable to them through the rest of their careers.

Do today's kids miss out on fun and learning that could propel them to engineering careers as they remain glued to iPads and computer games?

Internal sourcing and word-of-mouth referrals dominate how today's jobs are filled, meaning that job seekers can no longer rely solely on resume submissions to find a new job. Candidates who come recommended are more likely to become a new hire.

In mid-December, after more than three years of haggling, legislators agreed to a six-year extension of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, removing long-term uncertainty about the future of these programs.

Issues ranging from privacy, security, law enforcement powers, intellectual property and global competition are prodding Congress to enact legislation to clear the way for new legal and regulatory approaches.

After a busy 2011, Congress may be ready to move a significant immigration reform bill early this year. A number of pieces have fallen into place over the last few months which, if bundled together, could easily result in bipartisan legislation becoming law.

According to Georgia Tech's FutureMedia Outlook 2012, the coming years will bring increased personalization, innovation and flexibility in the media landscape. The report identifies six megatrends that will have a pervasive impact on how content is created, distributed and consumed.

In late October, participants from all over the world gathered at the inaugural IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference to present and discuss solutions for present and future humanitarian needs. George McClure recaps some of the conference highlights.

When companies create software, they create copyrighted works. Copyright law immediately protects is the innovative or creative expressions written in Python, C++, ASP, or any other coding language. But copyright protections can go much further: copyrights can also protect a company’s reputation.

James Howard has been an active IEEE volunteer for almost 25 years. Get to know a little bit more about the personal side of your 2012 IEEE-USA President.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

2012 looks like a banner year for anniversaries. Some we may have an opportunity to feature in this section over the course of the next 12 months, but others we may not, so let's start off the year with an overview.

If you thought that you were on a fast-moving roller-coaster in 2011; tighten up your seatbelt as all indications are that change, uncertainty and unpredictable events will continue through 2012 and well beyond.

Apps apps apps — that seems to be all that anyone is talking about these days. But while many of the most talked about apps may be simple or flashy games or programs for mobile devices, the real growth in the field is in serious business productivity or marketing applications. Meanwhile, the need for good app developers is growing at a record pace.

Anyone can give you helpful career advice, so Jim Anderson invites you to do something completely different — would you like to know how to screw-up your engineering career?

Comparing a resume with a holiday meal might seem far fetched. From a marketing perspective, there are fascinating parallels.

How does one answer when confronted with the question "How do you invent?" Don Christiansen offers the wisdom of Wilson Greenbatch, inventor of the implantable pacemaker, as a good place to start.

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more. The second installment of this three-part series looks at the issues policy-makers face on this complex issue.

The America Invents Act changed our patent system from "first to invent" to "first to file." But what does that really mean?

IEEE-USA annually sponsors three government fellowships, which afford U.S. IEEE members opportunities to spend a year in Washington, DC, serving as technical advisors to either the U.S. Congress or to key U.S. Department of State decision-makers.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

If machines and artificial intelligence are increasingly replacing humans in the workforce, how will engineers fare in the transition?

Henry Ford did more than any other individual to establish the modern automobile industry and, by perfecting mass production, he transformed the American and, ultimately, the world economy. But how many people realize that Henry Ford was “one of ours?”

Another year is drawing to a close. It would be easy to complain, blame others for the challenges that we face daily, and look to the future with despair. Every generation has its difficulties, and yet, when you stand back and look at the big picture, humanity continues to move forward in a positive way.

Are you an engineer who likes to think outside of the box, possesses leadership and communication skills, and thrives at improving the connections between greater parts of a whole? Then systems engineering might be a good next step for your career.

Cover letters don't need to be tricky. Keep the tone about being of service, and you'll get the audience's attention.

When competing in today's tight job market, job seekers must do their own planning, packaging, promoting, pricing and selling.

This article discusses how vulnerabilities, threats, weakness, defects and exploits greatly reduce the ability to ensure acceptable system behavior.

The traditional defined benefit pension served as the gold standard for retirement security, where the employer took the risk in delivering the promised benefit. But over the past two decades, many firms have turned the risk over to the employees.

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more.

On 5 October, Rep. Raul Labrador introduced a bill to change the process international students use to become U.S. citizens. The bill would dramatically reduce the time between students earning advanced degrees and getting a green card.

The United States must invest in infrastructure, accelerate entrepreneurship, increase competitiveness and focus on developing the professionals the economy will need in five to 10 years, says a new report from the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

NCEES is seeking engineering professionals to participate in a content review for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to help update the exam's test specifications.

On 22 October, IEEE-USA hosted a seminar to help those interested in the patent process better understand the America Invents Act and its potential impact. Video from the seminar is now available online.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

We all have questions about our salaries and benefits: Are we getting paid what we're worth? If we switch jobs or move to a new city, what should we expect to earn? Or if you're getting ready to hire an employee, how do you know if you're offering a competitive salary?

The production and protection of intellectual property (IP) in the electrical and computer engineering discipline is an area that often requires detailed experience and specialized expertise. Here is an overview of typical tasks and considerations that IP consulting engineers face in their practice.

The editor of traditional print media has clearly defined responsibilities. But the traditional methods of meeting these responsibilities are under stress, and are changing due largely to computer automation.

In the past, job searching best practices included preparing and submitting a strong, meticulously edited resume and waiting patiently to be called for an interview. All that has changed, and if you are still relying solely on your resume to open doors to new opportunities, you could get left behind. Here are a few pointers to help you be a more enlightened (and permanent) candidate.

Since the great recession of 2008, the rule with an iron fist approach is no longer effective. Employees aren’t motivated to stay at jobs where they feel little connection or value, so if you are team leader, you must find ways to lead effectively and retain your most valuable asset — your employees.

We live in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), which is increasing the dimensions of risk that organizations face in today’s competitive environment. However, when we respond rather than react to VUCA, we can capitalize on innovation opportunities that VUCA fosters.

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act makes major changes to the U.S. patent system. Among the changes, the United States will now award patent rights to the first entity to file for a patent — just one of the changes that will likely burden small businesses and individual inventors.

With Fiscal Year 2012 beginning on 1 October, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have completed work on proposed FY 2012 budgets for NASA, NSF and NIST. The result has overall funding levels declining at all three Science and Technology agencies, although there is an effort to minimize the impact on the research and development components of the agency budgets.

As of 26 September, the House of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Committee had completed work on FY 2012 appropriations for the Department of Defense and its science and technology programs. Both chambers are looking at similar Science and Technology cuts of over 4 percent, but with funds shifting to provide increases for basic research.

In 15 Sept. remarks to more than 1,000 Smart Grid leaders gathered in Washington for GridWeek 2011, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra challenged the Smart Grid community to innovate a “Green Button” that would empower consumers to better manage their energy usage.

There has perhaps never been a better time to be a power engineer in the United States. Salaries are strong, interest in renewable fuels is high and Smart Grid efforts promise to modernize the U.S. electric power system.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

The “clunk” you hear when you turn on a large CRT television or a computer monitor, and the electrical surge you can sometimes feel and hear near the screen, are modern reminders of an important World War II electrical technology which saved many lives. The sound is made by the degaussing coil, which — in television sets — is used to prevent the discoloration of the display which can occur if the beams of electrons triggering the different colored phosphorus cells are not correctly aimed by the magnetic field.

This concept of "hyperspecialization" is particularly relevant for today's knowledge worker. Projects and tasks previously done by one person will be divided into highly specialized small pieces, each completed by a highly skilled specialist; not necessarily a full-time employee of the company, but may be outsourced locally, nationally or internationally.

Taking those first steps into management can be difficult, and there are many questions you might ask before moving forward. Is going into management the right career path for you? Are you right for management? Do you need extra training or skills to become an effective manager? What if it doesn't work out for you? Are the best paths for career growth with your current employer, or must you switch companies before you can advance?

Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, publicly traded corporations must apply appropriate methods to ensure controls over the organization, one of which is enterprise risk management (ERM). Integrated ERM is a new concept, but without its adoption, other risk management types are either less likely to deliver maximum value or will fail to be sustained.

Many people know that IEEE-USA takes positions on important engineering, technical and career-related aspects of public policy that impact U.S. IEEE members. But maybe you’re also among the many people who don’t really know much about IEEE-USA’s positions and what they’re meant to do.

Having the right networking connections before you need job lead referrals shortens the duration of a job search and alleviates some of the stress associated with landing a new career challenge — especially in these recessionary times.

Unemployment in the United States is at its highest levels since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it in 1948. To aid unemployed IEEE members in finding jobs, Region 3 has set up a Jobs Board — a network of Employment Assistance Coordinators (EAC) — with the goal of establishing EACs in each of the Region’s 41 Sections.

Wondering if your 2- or 4-year university program is actually developing the desired knowledge, skills and abilities in graduates? If yours is an electrical or electronics engineering technology (or related) program, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Departments Heads Association has a tool that can help you.

A new national robotics competition from MIT, NASA and DARPA is letting high school students experience computing and engineering first hand by programming small space satellites to perform challenging tasks.

A brief overview of how NCEES scores the PE exam, as well as a recap of the April 2011 Electrical and Computer PE exam results.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Cyber crime is on the rise, threatening individuals' privacy, corporate coffers, government secrets, the security of financial institutions, the operation of national infrastructures, and much, much more. But with the rise of these threats also comes opportunities, as new careers are opening up for people to protect us from hackers, cyber criminals, organized crime, and even terrorists.

The need to reinvent one’s career is not new. In more than 50 years, this engineer has embarked on five or more careers. How he did it may be instructive to younger members.

Many veteran engineers say that taking things apart when they were young helped lead them to successful engineering careers. Do today’s kids have the same opportunities to experiment?

In this third installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with the conclusion of World War II through the 1987.

Recent events have highlighted the importance of risk-based decision making. Modern systems are becoming more complex and the economic, safety and other consequences of a system failure more serious. Ignoring risks because they are improbable and not worth analysis has proven to be highly risky in itself. Managing the risks of disruptive events is becoming a critical focus for business and society.

In June, Chris Anderson and Jane Wulf of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a non-profit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” declared in a blog post that email was getting out of hand for many people and issued a call for an Email Charter.

Here are more easy ways to access the right insiders at target employers to learn about potential new career opportunities before they are advertised so that you are one of the first to put your name forward for a position and participate in the hidden job market.

A look at some of the options available to help you complete a successful review so that you will improve your chances of passing the PE exam.

With engineers being drawn into unethical acts, shell companies with fake addresses being formed to behave much like the Mafia, IEEE Life Senior Member Marlin Ristenbatt believes we have entered a “swamp.”

Thanks to the internet, Americans now have much better access to information about Congress, pending legislation and their elected officials than ever before. You just need to know where to look.

Two recent hearings by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations explored the current state of air travel safety. The first hearing, held on 16 March, entitled, "TSA Oversight Part 1: Whole Body Imaging" examined issues associated with the use of imaging technology, including effectiveness, privacy concerns, and health risks. The second hearing, “Airport Perimeter Security,” on 13 July, investigated the security of U.S. airports’ physical boundaries.

According to the EPA, Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics every year, which are made from valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass. At a 20 July event held at a certified electronics recycling center in Austin, Texas, representatives from EPA, GSA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality joined with senior executives from Dell, Spring, and Sony Electronics to unveil a new “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship.”

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Today's passive, active and future job seekers must be self-reliant and manage both their connections and the steps required for their careers to move forward. Individuals must cultivate appropriate experiences and opportunities to increase their knowledge and value within the job market. But how do you find the right people at the right employers?

Many people share a common dislike for networking. However, you don't have to be a master at networking or have a "Type A" personality to succeed. All it takes is a little planning and some strategy, and after all, isn't that what engineers do best?

In this second installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with World War I through World War II (1917-1945).

Recessions may differ in depth and length, but a recent book by Carmen N. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff finds no significant difference in eight centuries of financial folly. In each case, however, those engaged were able to convince themselves that their situation was unique.

IEEE director Dr. William Tonti was recently honored for a milestone few inventors ever achieve — his 250th patent. His parents, Aldo and Catherine, made the day even more special by joining him for the ceremony at the IEEE Operations Center in Piscataway, N.J.

Some of world’s top international students earn their advanced high-tech college degrees in the United States, and many would like to remain here. But with an immigration system that makes them wait as long as 10 years for a chance to become permanent residents, many choose to return home or move to a country more welcoming.

To reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuel, the United States is considering applications for more nuclear power plants, but has not come up with a permanent solution for storage of spent nuclear fuel. And now, DOE has announced plans to scrap the Yucca Mountain disposal site, which had been slated to open for storage in 2020.

The 200 some engineering students from 16 colleges across North America who have been working diligently over the past three years to compete in the prestigious EcoCAR Challenge will have a leg up on the competition when they enter the job market.

Today, more and more companies are looking at enterprise-level risk. For most engineers, the application of risk management will be at the project level. In two of the most regulated markets — aerospace and medical — the FAA and FDA are levying requirements for the performance and documentation of risk management, including allocating risk down to the subcontractor/supplier level.

With gasoline prices continuing to increase, finding alternatives to petroleum-based fuel is urgent. Engineers and scientists are creating renewable and sustainable solutions from algae to meet this challenge.

Until very recently, no state required licensure of software engineers. But licensure for software engineers will become a practical reality within two years in 10 states, and it's likely that eventually all U.S. states and jurisdictions will adopt some form of professional licensure for software engineers in order to protect the public. But which software systems should this change affect?

There are many ways to share your views on important policy matters with Members of Congress. But the best way to influence an elected official, by far, is to meet with him or her directly.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Is power engineering a career in crisis, an industry on hold, or a field ripe for opportunity? Yes to all three. According to experts, the power engineering field is about to undergo a major 1-2-3 punch that will shake it up more than at any other point in its history.

Meet Jay Caspary, a working power engineer.

Do engineers and the muse of music share a special affinity? Put more prosaically, are the aptitudes and skills required by engineers similar to those of performers and composers of music?

When it comes to improving on technical competencies, engineers generally know where to go to hone their skills. But there are other subject areas engineers must also be good at, abilities that are equally (sometimes more) important, that aren’t always as easy for engineers to figure out on their own.

Company closings, staffing cutbacks, mergers, consolidations and other circumstances have decreased the number of jobs in certain industries, forcing individuals to seek employment in new industries, while other professionals must switch roles and emphasize different skills to find new positions in the same or different fields.

IEEE Senior Member Don Shafer discusses some of the most infamous engineering disasters in modern history and the responsibilities of the engineers who build, deliver and use technology.

In this first installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with the nation's independence up to World War I (1787-1917).

Cyber security receives plenty of attention in the industry through mandatory Critical Infrastructure Protection standards, says Dan Skaar, CEO of the Midwest Reliability Organization. But he wonders if it is getting the attention of all top utility executives.

In his new book, The New Cool, Neal Bascomb provides an inspiring account of Dos Pueblos High School’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team and their quest to win the 2009 FIRST competition.

The 2011 IEEE Green Technologies Conference was conceived on the pressing need to address one of the nation’s most complicated challenges: securing green and clean energy sources for the 21st century.

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) helps Members of Congress run their offices more efficiently. However, CMF also provides us with useful insights into how Congressional staff thinks.

The T.J. Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University has created one of the country’s first Bachelor of Science degrees in Engineering Education in an effort to educate teachers who can accurately introduce K-12 students to engineering and encourage them to enter the field.

According to a recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, U.S. university research funding is falling behind that of other industrialized nations.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Jim Leonard set out to find if he had Native American ancestry, but the former IEEE-USA president found out something entirely different — a link to early U.S. aviation history.

Claude Stanley Choules, considered to be the last known verified combat veteran of the First World War (1914-1918) died in Perth, Western Australia on 5 May 2011 at the age of 110.

Biomedical engineering is poised to be the fastest growing job of the decade. Does that mean there's a job for you in the field?

If you're one of those fortunate people whose life is in balance, you may wonder just what is the ‘big issue’ about work-life balance. If you're not one of those people, chances are you believe achieving this balance may not be possible. In either case, you should step back from time to time and evaluate your situation.

In our consumer culture, we too often value packaging over substance. In response to questions about age, career coach Elizabeth Lions always tell her clients: what you think about, you bring about.

The majority of today’s new hires find their jobs through personal connections rather than more traditional routes, but most job seekers continue to expend their energy on those old, familiar, less productive search methods — resulting in lengthy, stressful job search campaigns.

Conventional wisdom tells us that many women engineers leave their careers to devote time to their families. But a new study finds the engineering culture is more to blame.

A quick look at the demographics of the U.S. population (above) compared to the distribution in science and engineering occupations reveals that the science and engineering labor force is not representative of the U.S. population at all.

The World Engineering Convention (WEC), 4-8 Sept. 2011, will bring together engineers, policy-makers, researchers and industry leaders from around the globe to endorse a statement on behalf of the global engineering community to help inform national and international policy-making on energy and climate change.

A looks at the impact of selecting the Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering (BSSE) or the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) for students who might eventually want to be licensed as a Professional Engineer (P.E.).

A recent series of disasters and product safety issues involving the failure of engineered systems has prompted several engineering organizations to ask whether engineering licensure laws should be strengthened to better protect the public health and safety.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

The recent events in Egypt and the Middle East have intensified the debate over whether information and communication technologies — often referred to as ‘liberation technologies’ — assist popular movements, or are used even more effectively as a means of surveillance, monitoring, and controlling of dissident movements.

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Russian (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) became the first person leave the Earth and venture into space. The Vostok rocket, with Gagarin in a tiny capsule at the top, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Apple. Microsoft. Google. The list of huge companies that began as tiny entrepreneurial startups is legendary, long and varied. But are the same opportunities available for today's engineers? Is it a good time to hang out your shingle, or to work for a startup?

For 20 years, greater Boston and eastern New England tech entrepreneurs have had a local resource to turn to for training, ideas on how to run a lean, effective startup business, access to top VCs, and, most importantly, a sounding board of other startup founders.

In January, the President announced "Startup America," a public-private partnership to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship in the United States.

Many employers are feeling the double-edged sword of economic recovery — the exhilaration that the recession may be ending tempered by the stress of depleted inventories and resources, and the constant challenge of revenue growth. The changing landscape is prompting many bosses to examine their relationships with their employees.

Former Spectrum editor Donald Christiansen muses on the role and value of the craftsman in the engineering workplace. To him, the craftsman once was, and hopefully remains, an important adjunct to the engineer.

Tucked away from the front pages and politicians' speeches, a legal battle of sorts is being waged against innovation, however unintended it may be.

The financial press is reporting that consumer debt is down, based in part on Baby Boomers who have realized that they need to step up savings as retirement looms. The first wave of Baby Boomers reach age 65 this year. Over the next 18 years, 78 million of them will reach that age. The last wave still has time to tweak their retirement plans.

On 30 March, Rep. Smith introduced the House version of the America Invents Act (H.R. 1249), followed by a full committee hearing on the bill held on 31 March.

Electrical and computer engineers have choices when it comes to the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. They can either take the computer engineering or the electrical and electronics engineering exam. But which one should you take?

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Computers play an integral part in today's music industry. From recording and production to composition, many of today's popular artists use computers in their work. While it may evoke images of high-tech and sophisticated machinery, computer music and electronic music are not recent phenomena; electronic music has been produced for over a century, and music has been made using computers since before the era of rock and roll. While the widespread use of computers in recording and production may have only gained favor within the mainstream industry in the past 30 years, the genre has a very rich and deep history.

Supervisors who do not take the time to train their subordinates are frequently kept busy solving problems that would not have occurred had effective job instruction been delivered at the start.

Software engineering was recently dubbed the best job of 2011 by career site Career Cast, and magazines like Forbes and Fortune have also extolled the virtues and importance of the field. Heck, even toy company Mattel recently introduced Computer Engineer Barbie to help inspire young girls into the profession.

While a convenient tool, careless use of e-mail can wreak havoc in the workplace. The more e-mails we send, the easier it is to become overly confident in our mastery of the tool... and to make mistakes. Here are six common e-mail blunders that could cook your career.

With pressure building to bring the spiraling federal budget deficit under control and a change in political leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, Federal R&D spending has become a prime target for congressional budget-cutters.

In February, Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the President's plan to invest $53 billion in high-speed, intercity rail service over the next six years. The Administration calls the investment vital to U.S. competitiveness, but will a cost-conscious Congress think it's worth the price?

After six years, Congress is once again considering patent reform legislation in the form of the America Invents Act (S. 23). At the heart of the bill is a shift from a first-to-invent to first-inventor-to-file system. But there are many other issues that should also be of concern to technology professionals. What does this bill mean to all of us non-lawyers?

With four administrations of the restructured PE exam for electrical and computer engineers completed, NCEES has made available early results from the October exam. And in January, NCEES also began using a new standard for its education credentials evaluations for engineering licensure candidates.

On 31 January, President Obama announced the “Start-up America” campaign, a public-private partnership to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship through the United States.

Sending humans on an Interstellar flight to colonize far-away planets was a concept relegated to the realm of science fiction until DARPA and the NASA Ames Research Center announced that they were planning the first step in the next era of space exploration — the “100-Year Starship” — needed for a journey between the stars.

IEEE-USA has announced the dates for its Energy Fly-In and Career Fly-In this spring. These events give U.S. IEEE members structured opportunities to meet the new 112th Congress.

The just-published book, The Next Decade: Where We’ve Been…and Where We’re Going (2011), posits that the United States has evolved from a republic to an empire, not intentionally but through circumstances.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

In remarks delivered to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh discusses the National Science Foundation's role in helping to revitalize the nation's STEM pipeline.

Former IEEE president Charles Eldon reflects on EWeek, President Obama's comments on engineers and working together on the "Race to the Top" in education.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

U.S. IEEE members have the opportunity to meet the new 112th Congress on 6-7 April during Congressional Visits Day. During this event focused on federally funded R&D, a coalition of 30 science and engineering groups team up to remind Congress of the importance of basic research.

Scientific laboratories were radically transformed in the early decades of the 20th century by the coming of electrical and electronic technologies.

The United Nations Population Division predicts that in late 2011 — specifically on 26 August — the world’s population will reach seven billion people. Why should that concern us?

Employment Networks (also known as job clubs or job networks) are small groups of individuals who come together in face-to-face meetings or electronically to help each other’s employment search.

You just found out that the company you work for has been acquired. The steps you take following that news can have a significant impact on whether or not the forthcoming changes provide you with favorable opportunities.

The proliferation and popularity of social and professional networking sites are driving changes in the traditional résumé, from a single-page print or pdf document to a variety of new media incarnations. How can you spruce up your online image?

Is it beyond our expectations that computer-based products could be so reliable and user friendly that the tech support function would no longer be needed? Displaced tech support personnel might then find more creative employment as usability professionals.

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address to the 112th Congress outlined his Administration’s plans and priorities for the nation over the coming two years, and featured several science, technology, engineering and math themes.

Should product engineers strive to design their devices to be reparable? Is it always even possible? What benefits come from designing a product that can be fixed — or from building one that can't?

The House Science and Technology Committee starts 2011 with a new chair, a new name, a long list of new members, and a new focus on oversight, government efficiency and the space program.

Congress welcomes 110 new members this year, most of whom do not have backgrounds in engineering or the sciences. IEEE-USA is looking for volunteers to visit your new Legislator’s local office to discuss IEEE and engineering.

Late last year, representatives of industry, government, academia and professional societies (including the IEEE) met to galvanize support for a coordinated, national messaging campaign about engineering — incorporating the National Academy of Engineering’s core public-outreach messages.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

The decade beginning in 2001 was marked by a string of events that changed our lives and continue to shape our future. From the televised tragedy of 9/11, to the election of America's first African-American President — it was a remarkable ten years, with engineers playing an important role in many of the events.

As in past years, this annual survey will examine the outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor in 2011: technology, energy, climate change, workforce, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

Just before adjourning its post-election "lame duck" session, Congress reauthorized the America COMPETES Act, expiring legislation that aims to bolster U.S. economic and scientific leadership by supporting basic research, improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and fostering innovation.

Just how innovative are American companies? Until recently, it was impossible to answer that question quantitatively. But now, for the first time, a new study illustrates the innovation that exists throughout the U.S. economy, how many companies are innovating, and which industries are the most innovative.

In most parts of the country, software engineers aren't required to be licensed — despite the fact that they may be working on software embedded in systems that could pose a physical or financial risk to the public. However, that is likely to change soon, and IEEE-USA and the IEEE Computer Society are working together to make sure a path to licensure is available to software engineers who wish to pursue it.

IEEE-USA's 2010 Engineering & Diplomacy Fellow, Norman Lerner, P.E., recaps his year at the U.S. State Department, and answers some questions about the program — including why a successful professional in the private sector would even consider participating.

Candidates are rarely job-hunting experts. Even if you have the qualifications for the job you want, you must use the best strategy for success in today's highly competitive job market. Networking purposefully accelerates campaign progress.

With social networks becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives, Wole Akpose hopes to help make informed and savvy users out of readers by alerting them to potential threats, while also highlighting some of the opportunities that have eluded many users.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

The holiday season is ideal for reconnecting, making new contacts and strengthening relationships. The “right contacts” are relationships with hiring decision makers and good connectors. In just 12 days, start building your career nest egg.

When recruiters and job seekers aren’t communicating openly and honestly, the relationship is already at a disadvantage. In the spirit of openness, a former recruiter hopes to clear up some of the misconceptions about recruiters that stem from a lack of open communication.

Recently, Don Christiansen's preservation instincts were aroused when he learned of threats to three endangered electrical engineering- and technology-related sites.

IEEE member and Six Sigma-certified IT security specialist Wole Akpose provides a look at the history of the sometimes controversial business management strategy developed by Motorola in the 1980s.

To create jobs, should nations shift their energy workforce to biofuel industries, given the substantial growth potential and that biofuels require about 100 times more workers than fossil fuels to produce the same amount of energy?

Two books by author Jeffrey Pfeffer provide useful tips on management and career growth. The advice is wide-ranging, from traits that will help you climb the ladder of success to social interaction and posture.

Are American engineering students prepared for the workplace? Not always, according to a new report that says that U.S. schools are still producing top-notch engineers, but identifies several areas where we can improve how we get students ready for professional practice.

Love it or hate it, e-mail is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. It has been called the killer app of the Internet for good reason: it is the most widely used Internet application. Are you using e-mail effectively, or are your missives getting lost in the shuffle?

A recent industry survey by the Center for Energy Workforce Development found that 51 percent of engineers engaged in power generation or delivery for electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities could leave their jobs by 2015, owing to retirements and other attrition. So where will the next generation of power engineers come from?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a national Accessibility and Innovation Initiative during remarks at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Find out more about the IEEE-USA Fund and how you can help IEEE-USA fulfill its mission.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Have you ever thought about performing consulting work or thought about starting your own consulting company? As an electrical engineer, you possess skills that individuals and companies want, but there are several things you should consider before taking steps toward becoming a consultant.

You've probably heard the term forensic used in many contexts — especially with the number of TV programs featuring high-tech forensic methods to solve crimes. You may even know someone who has been involved in forensic engineering, and wondered what it would take to get into that line of work.

Find out how members feel, what they're saying and other feedback compiled from a recent survey conducted on current life and health insurance participants. Plus, learn about new improvements and service features designed to improve the program.

Congress' early election recess and the time constraints on the anticipated post-election "lame-duck" session raise serious doubts about the prospects for reauthorization of the landmark 2007 America COMPETES Act.

Taxes are in the news, with the presidential panel on debt reduction expected to issue its report in less than a month.

Good support is that gem of technical trivia that hits the bull's eye on the first shot—a precision-launched silver bullet that notches a perfect score and in slap-down style declares match over, what next.

For the Smart Grid to work as touted, a constant stream of online communications is necessary between customers' electric appliances and electric utilities. To increase the flow of information, more broadband spectrum will have to be allocated to the utilities.

Biofuels account for 1 to 2 percent of global transportation fuel and their share is projected to continue rising to about 5 or 6 percent by 2020. The growth of biofuel production has already had serious consequences for water resources and biodiversity. This article, the fifth in the series, provides a discussion on the impact of biofuel development on water usage and biodiversity.

After 20 years with its research components organized largely by scientific disciplines, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is realigning its laboratories according to a mission-based structure.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Tourism, Progress and Peace, edited by Omar Moufakkir and Ian Kelly, promotes the notion that tourism can be used as a strategy to contribute to world peace

Lest one think that the obsession with speed is only an Internet-era phenomenon, consider the great amount of effort and money spent in the19th century to move vital data across the Atlantic Ocean.

That’s the question we often ask when roaming across and delving into the Internet. But now we must be aware that even textbooks that are ostensibly the work of one author may have been amended and rewritten by several others without the knowledge of the original author.

How does your salary compare to others in your industry? Are you making enough, or too little, or maybe bringing home a bit more bacon than your peers? What about other compensation? How do your benefits stand up compared to the rest of the industry? And what about your technical field — is it offering you all of the compensation that you deserve? You can find the answers to these questions — and many more — in the 2010 IEEE-USA Salary & Fringe Benefits Survey.

Most people know someone who is or was recently in the job market. Today’s recruiting practices have veered 180 degrees from where they were just five short years ago. Social media have revolutionized the way candidate pools are selected and refined, and internet job boards are no longer the only game in town. The mediums have changed, but the basics remain the same: having a purposeful network is the smart way to prepare in advance for a faster, more effective job search campaign.

For many years home ownership was seen as a sign of stability. Owners tended to stay in their homes longer than renters did, had an incentive for home improvements, and developed community networks. In the past decade, the “Ownership Society” was touted as a goal for the United States.

Substantially increased funding is needed for the United States to maintain its global leadership in biomedical engineering, according to the head of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS).

With the start of the new school year, there was a concerned effort in mid-September to focus national attention on the challenges and opportunities for enhancing K-12 science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States.

What happens when you combine the best minds in STEM education with best practices in entrepreneurship? One striking result is the forthcoming USA Science & Engineering Festival, whose special events will blanket the country in October and culminate in a two-day exhibition bash on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

The 8-hour, 180-question Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is about to undergo some major changes. NCEES is set to begin the process of converting FE and Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exams from paper and pencil to computer-based testing (CBT).

Career connections are increasingly made via online social networking sites, eclipsing the traditional face-to-face events. Be prepared to share your information in a short and persuasive card format that will give new contacts some important information about you, and directs them to where they can learn more about you.

In October 2007, the world began experiencing a financial market collapse. The Financial Times estimates that since the beginning of the 2009 U.S. stimulus program, about 400,000 public service jobs have been added to the economy, but about 2.7 million private-sector jobs were lost. As a result, the U.S. unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high. What can we do to reverse the trend?

One of the most important innovations in graduate science education is now well under way at American universities: the professional science master's degree (PSM). At last count, and following remarkably rapid growth over the past two years, more than 200 of these innovative graduate degrees are now available at close to 100 North American universities.

Americans are convinced that math and science skills are crucial for the future, with strong majorities who say there will be more jobs and college opportunities for students with those skills, according to a new Public Agenda survey. But while there's broad support from parents and the general public for K-12 national standards, more than half of parents say the math and science their child is getting in school is "fine as it is."

NCEES published an article in its August 2010 Licensure Exchange that reveals interesting — and perhaps surprising — results for the FE Other Disciplines module from 2005-2010.

Whether you're a student, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

With approximately eight weeks left until the General Election, the next two months should be among the most active of the year in Washington as lawmakers rush to finish work on priorities in time to tell their voters.

As advocates for the engineering profession and believers in the power and creativity of engineering, WGBH decided to create the Engineer’s Pledge — a call for engineers, supporters, students, teachers and counselors to uphold the reputation of engineering and help support the livelihood of the field.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE Day is a global event planned for 7 October 2010, in recognition of IEEE members — past, present and future.

In mid-August, a federal task force outlined a plan to overcome barriers to widespread, cost-effective deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies within 10 years.

If an engineering project is very large and/or complex, was costly to produce and deploy, is expensive to maintain, and has been operating successfully without failure, does it follow that, inevitabley, something bad will happen? In the case of the BP oil rig disaster, it did.

Software engineer Ed Joyce takes a humorous look at the computer interfaces that have evolved from a simple flashing cursor into a maybe-it’s-on/maybe-it’s-off cacophony of video and audio, touch screens, and voice commands, among other interactive media. Computer geeks may gush giddy over these rich interfaces, but the final products often leave end users feeling exhausted and emotionally drained.

If you haven't taken the time to discuss and find out what your manager and other upper-level superiors consider important or the performance required for a promotion, you could be wasting a lot of time and energy.

Many engineers obtain their professional engineer (P.E.) license because it is a specific job requirement. Many others choose not to obtain a P.E. license because it is not a direct job requirement. Meanwhile, there are compelling considerations for becoming a licensed professional engineer that are larger than the immediate minimal requirements of a current job.

Leadership skills include planning projects, managing time, motivating individuals, giving feedback and building teams. Many employers consider these skills — often termed soft skills — more important than experience or college education in defining successful business leaders.

Whether you're a student, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

According to a recent interim report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), local networks of experts can show communities how to bring more women and minorities to careers in science and engineering.

Many had hoped that the Supreme Court's Bilski decision would clarify exactly what is and is not patentable. However, the Court's decision left much unresolved.

Even before the first wave of electric vehicles rolls out of dealers' showrooms, a great deal of work is already under way to make it possible for roads — and the electric grid — to handle them.

Mounting reports of sudden, unintended vehicle acceleration have generated national media attention and attracted congressional scrutiny. One of the questions emerging from this exposure is the adequacy of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) technical capabilities.

IEEE-USA has been a partner in the Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science (DBIS) program since 2005.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during late June and July 2010.

When facing a job change, it’s easy to get caught up thinking there is only one way to find work — by applying online. However, studies have shown that when it comes to achieving results, online job shopping isn’t as effective as other strategies.

Do you feel underpaid and deserving of a higher salary? Are you thinking about asking for a raise, but unsure how to go about it? Do you cringe at the thought of approaching your boss? This article provides guidelines for making the task less intimidating — and hopefully getting you the raise you want and deserve.

Since the last business peak, 8.4 million jobs have been lost in the United States. In May, there were 15 million unemployed. The official unemployment rate ignores workers who have given up looking for work, those with part-time jobs who can’t find full-time jobs, and workers who settled for work they found outside their skill set. The numbers are discouraging, but are we headed in the right direction?

Many people are leery of the science behind things like childhood vaccinations, global warming and the safety of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository. Perhaps, though, if scientists and engineers better understood the public and how its views are shaped by, among other things, ideology, values, priorities, misinformation, and yes, a poor understanding of science, the public would be more accepting of generally sound scientific data and theories.

In his latest book, The Essential Engineer: Why Science Alone Will Not Solve Our Global Problems, Petroski eloquently challenges a fundamental and profound bias in our society — the relegation of engineers and engineering to second-class status among professions.

IEEE-USA continues to push Congress to pass the Engineering Education Act of 2010, or E2 bill, before Congress adjourns later this year.  The Act is supported by a broad coalition of engineering societies, businesses, universities and other groups, all of which see value in teaching American students basic engineering design concepts.

In the United States, innovation has become almost synonymous with economic competitiveness. But will our economy be able to flourish if our companies just specialize in innovation, but produce overseas? NYU Research Professor Ralph Gomory argues that we need to do more than produce exciting new ideas; we must also be able to compete in large productive industries.

Professor Karen Panetta's Nerd Girls education program (long supported by IEEE) is about to get a huge boost. MPH Entertainment, the producers of the popular "Dog Whisperer" TV show, are currently casting a Nerd Girls reality show developed from Panetta's curriculum.

The Second Annual IEEE Green Technologies Conference, held in picturesque Grapevine, Texas, presented some ingenious research on sustainable engineering.

In a 90-minute debate on 21 June, telecommunications policy experts argued the resolution that: That the United States is lagging seriously behind other countries on broadband access and this is due primarily to a failure of U.S. telecom regulation.

Whether you're a student trying to select a focus, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during late May and June 2010.

Technical Presentations – Book 1: Strategy – Preparation & Planning, is a new release from IEEE-USA E-Books, and the first in a four-part series that will help readers to prepare, write and effectively deliver technical presentations.

Faced with a design challenge, whether it be to refine an existing product or system or to meet some ambitious new demand, the usual procedure is to itemize the desired new design features—that is, the “needs” and the “wants.”

Significant and consistent levels of federal funding for university-based research are necessary in order to help bolster U.S. global competitiveness and long-term economic health, according to a report released on 11 May by the Science Coalition.

In a bit of political drama in three acts, the U.S. House of Representatives successfully passed the once bi-partisan American COMPETES Act before departing Washington for its Memorial Day break.

How does biomass production impact food prices, and how does the value of bioproducts impact the decision making of organizations as they weigh options of commercial profit or societal well-being?

Over the past decade or so, a number of professional engineering societies have become increasingly concerned about the amount of education received at the Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree level for engineers entering the workplace and beginning the path to professional licensure. What changes can the engineer of 2020 expect?

Today's job seekers must employ different strategies and more actively engage employers if they want to stay ahead of the competition and improve their chances for success. When a job search stalls, getting back on track requires looking beyond what's on your résumé and the channels you're using to distribute it.

Social Networking is the new fad of the twenty first century, and Facebook has become the face of social networking globally, with more than 400 million users. A casual look at most Facebook profile often yield a wide net of information — a treasure trove for all sorts of people, including identity thieves.

The United States and other countries are pursuing a very broad range of technology options to mitigate potential climate change impacts. Do we run the risk of expending our financial and R&D capital on options that will not be available in a timely manner? The Scorecard is a simple, qualitative approach that can provide guidance for answering this question.

The problem with industrial policy is strategic — some agency must direct the policy, and it is not always clear that the best direction has been chosen. While the United States lacks an official industrial policy, government actions in the past have achieved some goals akin to industrial policy, usually motivated by defense concerns.

NASA's manned space shuttle program may be about to end, but that doesn't mean that the space agency is done getting young people to look to the stars. In fact, the agency has a multi-faceted education program that helps students from Kindergarten through college, as well as teachers at all levels.

Whether you're a student trying to select a focus, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during May 2010.

Job market experts, including members of IEEE-USA’s Career and Workforce Policy Committee (CWPC), say they are cautiously optimistic about signs of recovery in American engineering labor markets, rebounding from the severe recession that has plagued the U.S. and world economies over the past two years.

With all the knowledge available at the click of a mouse, the internet can really help accelerate your career. But beware, not-so-private information from your past posted on social networking sites and elsewhere online could be an instant career killer. Explore some of the dos and don’ts about putting your private and professional information on the internet.

Free trade agreements (FTAs) have proven to have an advantage in increasing exports from the United States. Today, the United States has FTAs with 14 countries. In 2006, six new FTAs were implemented: with Bahrain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Morocco, and Nicaragua. Last year, trade with countries that the United States has FTAs was significantly greater than their relative share of the global economy.

On 21 April, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced a federal initiative designed to gather public input and review the nexus between privacy policy and innovation in the Internet economy.

In this in-depth interview, Tierney discusses R&D in counterterrorism technologies, his role as a Fellow at the Department of State, and his affiliation with the IEEE, as well as the intriguing junctures among all three.

Technology export controls continue to be vital to U.S. security and competitiveness, but also challenge the ability of industry, laboratories and academia to interact internationally. Industry, academia and the government are calling for reforms to the system of licensing technology exports to enhance U.S. national security while allowing key U.S. industries to remain competitive in global markets.

Where will the next big, innovative idea come from? What will it be? Will it be a cell phone with gadgets galore, made in Japan and priced high for early adopters? Or will it be a functional yet inexpensive netbook, designed and built in India for all of the world to use?

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during April 2010.

Whether you're a student trying to select a focus, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

Mike Anderson believes that for the United States to continue to foster S&T innovation, we need to to convince pre-college students that STEM-related subjects are interesting and important, and that there is a future in STEM-related careers.

Get to know a IEEE-USA's President Evelyn Hirt.

As a student, young professional or IEEE member elsewhere on the career spectrum, what does IEEE-USA do for you and how can you use this to your advantage?

Some think the cover letter is the place to list all the reasons why they are a good fit for a position. Others are so overwhelmed by the task that after looking at a blank screen for hours, they end up rewriting a summary of their resume. Here are some tips that can help you when it comes time to draft this important piece of the job search puzzle.

Mathematics is a very broad area of knowledge and is the foundation not just for engineering (and the long list of engineering fields is growing), but is essential to other scientific fields, including physics and chemistry. But math's influence doesn’t stop there.

Don Christiansen recently received the news that he has been waiting for: It turns out that when technology goes bad, it may not be the fault of engineers after all — or even of technology’s users.

Senate bill S.515, a patent reform bill, is poised to change the United States from a "first-to-invent" patent system to a "first-to-file" system. What could this mean for engineers and companies whose lifeblood is their intellectual property?

Interest in engineering among high-school students is on the rise, but are these students being prepared for an undergraduate engineering curriculum? Getting students excited about engineering was why educators in Hoover, Ala., started The Engineering Academy at Hoover High School in 2004. However, if all they accomplished was generating enthusiasm without adequately preparing students for the next stage of their engineering education, “success” would be short-lived.

Since the licensing of professional engineers began in 1907, every state in the union has developed some sort of licensure process to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens by verifying the competency of those who wish to practice engineering. While many areas of engineering — including civil, mechanical and electrical, to name a few — have been recognized and included in the licensure paradigm since its inception, software engineering as a distinct area of engineering practice is relatively new.

One way to accomplish the goals of health care IT adoption is to give the patients/health care consumers more control over their health care and wellness by enabling them to own and manage a Personal Health Record (PHR). What are PHRs and how can we, as consumers, use them to help manage our health care as well as that of our loved ones?

The leadership of IEEE-USA has applauded the National Broadband Plan (NBP) recently introduced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), aimed at providing access to very high-speed broadband Internet service for all American homes and businesses.

Job searching today poses many complex hurdles for the rare, perfect candidate, and is far more challenging a marketing project for almost everyone. There is a way around these barriers and also avoiding them in the future by focusing your job search on the unadvertised or hidden job market and maintaining a rich network.

It’s easy to appreciate how science and fundamental research advance engineering. What’s less obvious, however, is that the opposite is also true; engineering and innovation advance scientific research. Nowhere is that more clear than in the development of what will be one of the world’s most powerful and sophisticated scientific instruments, the aptly named Thirty Meter Telescope.

Leveraging the recent release of a proposed National Broadband Plan by the Federal Communications Commission, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has invited public comment on a possible national initiative to inspire student-driven innovation in new broadband applications.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during March 2010.

Accepting a job offer frequently entails negotiating the terms of employment. However, if you prepare yourself in advance, you can spare yourself some last-minute angst.

The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for electrical and computer engineers assumed a new structure in the spring of 2009. With two exam administrations completed, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) has provided early results from the October 2009 administration of the three Electrical and Computer PE Examinations.

Organizations representing self-employed independent contractors are gearing up for another battle in a long and contentious war in Congress over the “common law test” that the Internal Revenue Service uses to decide whether workers should be classified as employees or as independent contractors for Federal tax purposes.

Times are tight and traditional electrical engineering jobs are becoming scarcer. But some specialties are doing better than others, and one area you might consider to maximize your future job potential is environmental engineering.

IEEE has recently initiated several projects designed to bring together a “broad array of resources to provide expertise and guidance for those involved in Smart Grid worldwide.”

Key members of Congress, as well as the U.S. aerospace engineering community, are expressing strong concerns over the Obama-Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 NASA budget, which proposes to make major changes in human space flight programs, including halting of the Constellation program.

As IEEE member Edward Joyce was blasting through a couple of screenfuls of unread e-mail, trying to set a new record for speed reading, he came upon it: SCIENCE FAIR JUDGES NEEDED.

Engineers Week, one of the foremost annual events spotlighting engineering’s vast and vital role in everyday life, unfolded this year from February 14 to 20 with a memorable lineup of activities and programs aimed at young audiences.

Many small and mid-sized manufacturers, engineering design firms, and other businesses do not know that as part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Congress extended existing tax incentives and introduced new ones for all businesses. One of the more popular tax incentives, the research and experimentation tax credit, has been extended again and has a chance to become permanent. Is your company taking full advantage of this lucrative tax credit?

IEEE member Curtis Lu shares some of his favorite sites — for both diversion and productivity.

IEEE member Pete Pollak teaches electrical engineering at Northern Virginia Community College, but for two consecutive weeks last summer, he and five other faculty members reached a much younger audience.

In January, twenty-five teams of seventh-and eighth-grade students from across the New York City metropolitan region arrived at the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, excited to present the “future cities” that they toiled over for five long months, starting in September 2009.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies.

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.” So goes the popular paraphrase of John Whitcomb Riley's classic quotation. But what was very likely true in days of yore is not necessarily the case in the oxymoronic world of virtual reality.

In today’s tightly contested job market, personal recommendations can play a critical role in determining who gets the job offers. What do you do if asked to provide one?

When contemplating professional licensure, the central question for many electrical, computer and software engineers is: How will licensure benefit me?

IEEE member Kristi Brooks is a busy mom, volunteer and electrical engineer. In this month's Five Sites, she shares some of her favorite sites — for both diversion and productivity.

“Don’t follow in my footsteps.” These days, seemingly every conversation about the future of engineering includes an apocryphal story about an engineer who advises his children to find another line of work because engineering has no future. Yet until a recent set of surveys and analyses, we knew little about who stays in engineering, why people leave the field, and what happens to them after they leave.

IEEE-USA has developed model legislation to help guide Congress when it takes up educational and employment-based immigration reform.

Two female engineering professors often find that people do a double take when they tell them what they do.

Reauthorizing the landmark America COMPETES Act will be the top priority this year for the House Science and Technology Committee, according to Chairman Bart Gordon, D-Tenn.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies.

Still waiting by the phone, hoping a recruiter will call? Don't bother; your job search will be better served by taking and active approach — and staying on top of both your job leads, and the people who are helping you to find them.

For engineers working in the private sector, adding P.E. to your title may be the ticket to greater job security, more career opportunities and a higher salary. What must one do to earn a P.E. license?

Faculty from the University of Wyoming's ECE department respond to a challenge issued in a February 2008 Today’s Engineer article that called on U.S. institutions of higher learning to provide embedded systems design programs. The authors outline their program in embedded systems development, including coursework in microcontrollers, digital signal processors, programmable logic controllers, and embedded systems design.

As in past years, this annual survey examines the outlook in eight areas of significant import to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

On 9 November 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Bilski v. Kappos, a case that could — and most likely will — have an impact on all IEEE members. Just how important is this case?

The third in the series on biofuel and biomass energy provides a discourse on an exceptionally important concern of biofuel and biomass production — that of land availability, conversion and deforestation.

The recent push to computerize healthcare has resulted in a confusing set of acronyms that even health IT professionals sometimes have trouble understanding. The transition from paper medical records to electronic records has resulted in a proliferation of terms. The following is an attempt to sort out the “alphabet soup” of healthcare IT and expand some of the common acronyms that you may encounter.

IEEE-USA and a coalition of engineering groups has drafted legislation that will be introduced into Congress to help states make engineering and technology a formal part of their standard science curriculums.

Today's Engineer's Terrance Malkinson review's Joseph Fiksel's book on environmental sustainability and its ties to economic growth and revitalization and continuity of our global economy.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies.

It's five o'clock and you're wondering: where did the day go? Today's Engineer's Abby Vogel looks at ten of the biggest time traps that can pass the time... but not always productively.

Anyone who uses Twitter has run up against a vexing fact: it won’t let you send messages of more than 140 characters. How quickly that number gets eaten up – unless you’re ready to prune from the start. So goes the double-edged nature of Twitter: It’s a time saver; it’s a time sink.

If you just joined Twitter, you need to know the top techies worth following. We thought we'd help by providing a list of technology thought leaders who post useful information, including links, news, tips, inside information and perspectives on current events.

Traditionally, the holiday season is the most active networking time of year with lots of social gatherings, printed greetings and gift exchanges. The explosion of social media has dramatically impacted how we network year-round. Take the opportunity now to expand your connections using the variety of social networking platforms that enable you to keep up with your existing contacts and establish new relationships on a continuous basis.

Don Christiansen peruses some of the popular "A-Lists" in search of renowned engineers and innovators. While some are represented, you might be surprised at some of the notable omissions.

Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to start your own company and be an entrepreneur. How do you get started, and what does it take to be successful?

The PE examination consists of 80 independent multiple choice questions and each has to be written by a registered professional engineer. If you are a registered professional engineer, find out how you can write a question for future exams.

A new series of e-books, Doing Innovation: Creating Economic Value, offers advice on how to be an innovative thinker, how to inspire innovation within an organization, understanding the process of innovation, and more.

The overall favorable plan experience is the primary reason New York Life cited for being able to reduce rates for the currently marketed IEEE-Sponsored Group Term Life Insurance Plan.

An exciting "new age" in fusion energy research and development is now beckoning, including important advances expected to be achieved at the ITER international experimental reactor in France, fusion experts have testified before a congressional panel.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education reform will be a priority in Washington next year. Both Congress and the White House plan to focus on ways to improve the way that these vital subjects are taught in the nation’s elementary and secondary schools.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies.

A valuable, but little known, resource tracing the development of electronics for defense, space and other applications is located near the Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport and the BWI Rail station.

An NAE study initiated in 2006 concluded that “offshoring appears to have contributed to the competitive advantage of U-S.-based firms in a variety of industries, and the negative impacts of offshoring on U.S. engineering appear to have been relatively modest to date.” However, the study did note severe impacts in some industry sectors and for some jobs.

Due to high unemployment and hundreds of e-mails daily for an open position, hiring managers and recruiters are going online to investigate possible candidates — before the interview process even begins.