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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

“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.

“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.

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

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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 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.

When Wendy Hansen first began her Mass Media Fellowship at the Los Angeles Times, she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Ten short weeks later, she had found here calling.

Planning to refight the last war has been an often-repeated mistake. But the U.S. Navy is getting out front with the development of a new ship class capable of modular reconfiguration to cope with various threats. The new ship is called the Littoral Combat Ship. At least fifty-five of these ships are planned, expected to be 17 percent of the total future fleet.

Government regulations are planned to dictate a corporate average fuel economy standard of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years sooner than Congress decreed in the 2007 energy law. How will manufacturers manage to meet the new standard without compromising safety?

It is increasingly common to hear people referring to the nanotechnology industry, just like the software or mobile phone industries, but will such a thing ever exist?

A look at the challenges of total fuel-cycle emissions of biofuel pathways, and developing adequate transport, distribution and infrastructure systems for biofuel processing and delivery.

More than 1,000 nanotechnology-enabled products are already available to consumers around the world. Yet much remains remains unknown about nanotechnologies' environmental, health and safety impact. Some experts contend that NNI's EHS research needs to be strengthened through adoption of a “top-level, top-down” strategy.

The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in In re Bilski has drawn much commentary from those who debate the patentability of “business methods.” However, many have overlooked a part of the Bilski decision that may unwittingly sanction the patentability of items and methods in virtual worlds.

Today's Engineer's Students Voice Editor Sarah Rovito shares some of her favorite sites.

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.

For three weeks in October, the U.S. Department of Energy hosted the fourth biennial Solar Decathlon competition. More than 100,000 visitors toured the "solar village" located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

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.

Developing a Workable Innovation Process is the second in a series of e-books by Gerard “Gus” Gaynor, a retired 3M Director of Engineering, on Doing Innovation: Creating Economic Value.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies during October 2009.

Engineers and high school teachers both impact many people on a daily basis. Unfortunately, for most engineers and teachers, that impact isn’t always tangible. The BEST Robotics competition offers an opportunity for teachers and IEEE members to help young people experience that "light bulb" moment in an exciting and fulfilling way.

Autumn is a great time to plan ahead for what you're going to do be doing this winter, and next summer, and how IEEE-USA could play into those plans.

Today’s Engineer recently held a Q&A session with NCEES Director of Examination Services Tim Miller, P.E., who is responsible for preparing and scoring the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice (PE) examinations used by U.S. licensing boards to license professional engineers.

For your reading pleasure, and to serve as proof that there is intelligent life on the Internet, Today's Engineer is profiling interesting and useful Web sites for your edification. This month, IEEE-USA President Gordon Day shares some of his favorite sites.

Mechanical engineering student Samantha Caldwell says that winning the IEEE-USA 2008-09 student video competition was one of her most rewarding and exciting experiences.

Because disability coverage is medically underwritten, your application must be approved by the insurance company before benefits can be put in force. Here are a few things you can do to help the underwriter review process run as smoothly as possible.

What is the future of precollege engineering education in the United States? What learning opportunities do engineering curricula provide to students? How can policy-makers bring meaningful changes to this country's educational programs? These are just a few of the questions addressed in the new NAE report, Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects.

The U.S. rail network today, at 94,942 miles, is less than half of the mileage in 1970. However, sharply higher fuel prices have highlighted the economic value of railroads, and the industry seems poised to enjoy a renaissance of sorts.

In passing the PE exam at age 43, Dave Cotton's route to licensure wasn't the path most traveled, but he's glad he made the trip.

Executive talent agents and headhunters may appear to produce the same outcome, but there is an unmistakable distinction — the two professions are paid by, loyal to and represent parties that may have disparate priorities and contrary interests related to the same recruiting transaction.

The U.S. human spaceflight program currently appears to be on an “unsustainable trajectory,” according to a report by a 10-member expert panel chaired by Norman R. Augustine, retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp.

The high unemployment rate has created a false confidence among company hiring managers — from small business owners to Fortune 500 companies — because large pools of applicants are available. Rather than be fearful of making a hiring mistake, here are some ways to ensure you make a good, profitable hire the first time.

The Best of Today’s Engineer on Career Survival is not a new release, but given the state of unemployment in this economic downturn, IEEE-USA E-Books is highlighting this e-book to help engineers who need assistance searching for a new job, getting in the front door, maintaining their competitiveness, and managing their finances while they search.

IEEE-USA has joined forces with a coalition of engineering and science associations to provide training for engineers interested in running for public office.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies during September 2009.

“Buy American” is making a comeback in response to the nation's foundering economy, and in light of "Buy American" provisions within the current administration’s stimulus program. But is it the best thing for America?

Manel Martinez started programming early in life — at age seven — when he received his first computer as a Christmas present. Little did he know then that that same Amstrad CPC would be instrumental in his team winning the 2006 IEEEXtreme 24 Hour Programming Challenge.

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) has been serving as chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology since the start of the 110th Congress. He recently shared his thoughts with Today's Engineer on a number of important issues.

IEEE-USA President Gordon Day reflects on his precollege engineering education, and says that, "Putting the “E” in K-12 STEM shouldn’t be limited to the classroom."

On 9 November 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in perhaps the most important patent case in decades: Bilski v. Kappos. On 1 September, IEEE-USA joined with Lee Hollaar in submitting an amicus curiae brief on this landmark case.

A look at the origins of the glowing puck and the Yellow Line.

When most people talk about having “enough” insurance, they’re usually referring to life insurance. But if your family relies on your paycheck to make ends meet, your loved ones could find themselves in a worse financial situation if you become disabled than if you were to die.

What makes the difference between those engineers who succeed and those who fall short of their potential? The answer lies in the “soft skills” that make individuals stand apart from the pack.

The House of Representatives is ready to debate their $1 trillion bill after the August recess, but the Senate Finance Committee has not revealed the details of their $900 billion version yet. A look at the issues Congress will be embroiled in this Fall.

On 24 August, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released its Report to the President on U.S. Preparations for 2009- H1N1 Influenza. Did PCAST miss opportunities to foster greater impact by not addressing this issue through the interoperability lens?

You've been offered a promotion. Should you accept it or turn it down? It's easy to say “yes”; knowing the right way to say “no” can be just as important to your career.

NCEES recently approved development of a PE exam for software engineering. IEEE-USA will serve as the lead technical society sponsoring the examination with cooperative agreements from other organizations, including the IEEE Computer Society and NSPE.

Today's ECE students might equate the term “digital systems” only to modern electronic digital systems based on binary integrated circuits. (So might many veteran engineers!) Historically, of course, digital systems in the broadest sense included a variety of items having information represented in discrete states.

Congress and the Department of Energy are focusing intensified attention on the energy-water nexus, particularly in the context of efforts to develop advanced technologies which promise to substantially reduce water withdrawals and consumption by electric power plants.

Select government documents and reports are provided through the IEEE-USA e-book catalog as an information service to IEEE members. The catalog has been recently updated to include the three new titles.

No matter how old you are, September has a way of sending you back in time to memories of school. For Larry Nelson, a consultant in microprocessor design, September still prompts him to go back to classrooms – these days as a professional engineer who loves talking to kids about his work.

These 10 shows demonstrate how science and engineering can be used to solve problems — and can be a lot of fun.

There is a direct relationship between the knowledge base of ham radio and the science, math and geography taught to our children.

A Brief Summary of the issues and complexities of Bilski v. Doll, now pending review before the United States Supreme Court. At issue is nothing less than what is patentable?

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported by research universities and government agencies during August 2009.

When you’re unemployed, you can feel trapped in an endless cycle of hopping online, looking for jobs, applying electronically… and repeating the process day in and day out (all while hoping for a speedy end to the entire ordeal). So how do you break the cycle?

NASA's human space flight program is in limbo at a time when its space shuttle and space station are approaching the end of their projected operational life-spans.

The Waxman-Markey bill, promoting energy efficiency and reduction in pollutants thought to be responsible for climate change, narrowly passed the House in June, 219 to 212. What happens next?

Defenders of proper English are concerned about the effects of communicating via the Internet. Some decry the attempts to “squeeze a short novel” into 140 characters through the use of mashed grammar, creative misspelling, and a plethora of awkward abbreviations. But a glance into history yields some interesting precursors to the tweeting phenomenon.

Debate over biofuel usage is heating up. This article, the first in a series of six articles on the most contentious issues surrounding biofuels, provides an introduction to the basics of the major biofuels.

News and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Congress missed a 30 July deadline for reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) loan program and the similar Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, but agreed to continue the programs until at least 30 September.

In recent years, Congress has introduced legislation to overhaul the U.S. patent system. Each effort failed. And it appears that the 111th Congress may not fare any better.

Today’s job market remains extremely tight. Executive talent agent Debra Feldman offers practical advice to job seekers looking for new career opportunities that will be satisfying and hold promise for future growth and advancement. For those looking for a new career challenge today, it's not just what you know or even who you know, but who knows what you know.

Kristine L. Svinicki, a commissioner of the U.S. NRC, recently observed that “in the United States — and globally — there has been much discussion in recent years of a so-called ‘Nuclear Renaissance.’ Where does IEEE-USA stand?

For your reading pleasure, and to serve as proof that there is intelligent life out there on the Internet, Today's Engineer is profiling interesting and useful Web sites for your edification. What's in your bookmark list?

The outlook for the $280 million request by the Department of Energy for the establishment of Energy Innovation Hubs is in the hands of the all-important conference committee.

Purchasing a new automobile can be a tough decision. Hybrid vehicles are coming down in price, and a number of incentives — including reduced auto insurance rates — are boosting their appeal.

IEEE-USA held its first annual Energy Fly-In to help stress to legislators the importance of formulating energy policy that bolsters economic activity, better protects the environment and promotes national security.

IEEE Fellow Dr. James Gover examines the pros and cons of requiring engineering students to take more coursework in the humanities.

Key members of Congress along with high-tech industry executives are voicing qualified support for President Barack Obama’s cybersecurity initiatives, particularly his decision to establish a new White House office headed by a so-called “Cybersecurity Czar.”

Whether your career is on hold, hurtling along full steam ahead, or just creeping along at a snail's pace, now is a good time to step back and think seriously about what it is you want from that large portion of your life that you invest in work.

IEEE-USA's latest e-book is the first in a series of four written to provide the basics for gaining an understanding of what innovation involves, what it takes to be an innovator, and what it takes to develop a culture where innovation can thrive.

Every year in the United States, vehicle accidents result in more than 42,000 fatalities. This statistic has remained about constant over the past decade, even though the vehicle miles traveled has grown by 21 percent, to more than three trillion in 2006. Advances in intelligent transportation systems have the potential to ease congestion and improve safety on the nation's highways.

When more than 10,000 students gathered in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome in April to compete in a robotics championship, the stands were filled with cheering teachers, parents, coaches and mentors — many of whom are IEEE members.

With an economy in crisis and a work force at risk, educating the nation's future engineers and scientists and advancing technological literacy are more important than ever. The Boston Museum of Science hopes to introduce engineering and technology to schools and at least one science center or informal education organization in every state by 2015.

A recap of new and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during May 2009.

A new National Research Council report says the United States should establish clear national policy on resorting to cyberattack, while at the same time continuing to develop cyberwarfare capabilities in this sensitive area.

Never before has IEEE held a conference with a singular focus on green technology, sustainability, and/or renewable energy. While many IEEE conferences have included sections on sustainability, the IEEE Green Technology Conference is special in that it fills a need within IEEE for sustainability-oriented conferences and study.

Computer engineering seniors aren't deterred from taking the FE examination because of a fear of failure, but rather because they do not see the benefits of becoming a registered EIT.

The nation’s tough economic times have left countless people unemployed and looking for work. For many , rejoining the work force may seem like one of the most difficult transitions in life. However, if you are re-entering the job market, by preparing appropriately and attacking the search smartly, it doesn't have to be as intimidating as you might think.

Knowledge has been described as the only source of sustainable competitive advantage in an information economy. Since knowledge is the primary product of knowledge workers, it is also the primary source of their employability.

It seems that everyone born with a computer in his or her crib (“digital natives” or DNs) differs from those of us who were not (“digital immigrants” or DIs). Their brains develop in a different way. The way they learn is different. The jury is still out as to whether this is good or bad.

With challenges posed by today's travel demands, it is more important than ever to be prepared and to be physically fit prior to and maintain your exercise regime while traveling. With effective planning and some creativity, exercise can easily be incorporated into your travel routine.

You might think Generation Y (GenY) professionals would be the least equipped to weather a recession, let alone be the solution to a company’s survival during a recession. But are you underestimating their potential?

It is widely accepted that a highly trained work force, capital investment and technology innovation are important inputs to international economic growth. However, what is not well understood is the most effective role for federal, state and local governments to fill in promoting each of these inputs to the global economic system.

On 27 April, President Obama delivered a major address on science, innovation and education at the National Academy. In his remarks, the president offered no new Kennedy-esque Moon challenge, but he did signal a strong commitment to S&T funding and STEM education in forthcoming budgets, as well as to renewable energy technology.

IEEE-USA’s efforts to advocate greater use of modern IT in America’s health care system are in substantial alignment with initiatives being mapped out by the Obama Administration, which is aiming to computerize the country’s health records within five years.

A recap of new and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during April 2009.

Plans for upgrading the electric grid and adding renewable energy resources got a boost with the stimulus package, which includes $4.5 billion for low voltage smart grid pilot projects and $6.5 billion for existing wiring repair and maintenance — a total of $11 billion.

America’s economy is in crisis. But the financial crisis might prove to be an opportunity for America — if we respond by taking steps to once again lead the world by creating new, innovative industries, businesses and products. To do that, we must put science, engineering and innovation back in their rightful place in our economy.

At most institutions the number of faculty members who hold a P.E. license is relatively small. Should faculty serve as examples for students who will be working in an engineering field in the future and may need licensure?

Creative inspiration comes in many forms. For Don Christiansen, ideas often spring forth from his "parts box" of clippings, articles and partially written columns. Do you have a parts box? And what do you keep in it?

President Barack Obama’s appointees to key science and technology positions, along with his issuance of an official memorandum directing that the integrity of federal S&T activities be carefully safeguarded, have been drawing strong praise from the policy community, including IEEE-USA leaders.

Anthropologist Brian Fagan’s treatise on climate change looks at the rise and fall of great civilizations during the Medieval Warming Period (800 – 1300 AD) in The Great Warming. And environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg's takes issue with carbon emission alarmists in Cool It.

Engineering program accreditation in the United States is conducted by ABET with the help of volunteers from its member societies — including IEEE. Currently, IEEE is responsible for evaluating more programs than any other ABET member society. Program evaluators from industry and government are needed.

Are engineers really less interested in supporting their local communities than scientists? The last Harris interactive poll on the public’s perception of engineers and scientists says “yes.” But is it true? Today's Engineer suspects that the public is suffering from yet another misconception of engineers.

A recap of new and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during March 2009.

After the economic freefall of 2008, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fund plummeted 39.8 percent, and American family wealth fell by 18 percent, many professionals are looking to rebuild their 401(k) plans and IRAs, perhaps also altering their retirement plans.

Excerpts from a compelling commentary from Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders in the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway annual report. Buffett's letter not only describes the performance of Berkshire Hathaway affiliated companies, but includes the author's commentary on what went wrong and why in U.S. and global financial markets between 1998 and 2008.

For easy access, IEEE-USA has now made available select published government reports to IEEE members through the IEEE-USA E-Book Catalog. Members can currently download six government documents for free.

IEEE’s volunteer leaders depend on e-mail communications to carry out their work. Unfortunately, this powerful tool in today’s high-tech society is a two-edged sword. This article provides practical tips on using e-mail to eliminate or mitigate many of the problems that high-volume e-mail users endure.

Today’s Engineer recently sat down for a Q&A with IEEE member and IEEE-USA Licensure & Registration Committee member David Whitman, Ph.D, P.E., who was recently elected to be next year’s president of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) – the organization that develops, scores and administers the U.S. engineering licensure examinations.

Job hunting has become a contact sport. Be prepared for some rough and tumble times. This job market is all about relationships. Your network, and not just what you know, is the key to finding a new opportunity — the more people who know what you know, the faster the path to a new job.

It seems like that question is answered by the patent statute, which since 1793 has indicated that “statutory subject matter” — what can be patented — is “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” But when it comes to new technology patents, things aren't always so simple.

Today, energy is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. The issue dominates political, economic and social debate—garnering the kind of attention not seen since the energy crises of the 1970s. The economic emergence of China, Brazil, Russia and other large players in world markets have pushed energy prices to unprecedented levels, having widespread impact on global economies, and forcing governments to take action.

John Meredith’s e-Book, the fourth in the GOLD Series, entitled Launching Your Career: Lifelong Learning — Your Key to An Enjoyable and Rewarding Career, is a guide for engineering students who are preparing to start their career, as well as engineers who are in the early phases of their careers.

With the growing understanding of the benefits of wellness, lengthening life span, and the increasing cost of health care, the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle is transforming the lives of many citizens.

The talent pool of STEM workers across the United States is insufficient to properly support the American economy through the next decade, according to a new book, Winning the Global Talent Showdown: How Businesses and Communities Can Partner to Rebuild the Jobs Pipeline.

The symbolism of engineering has evolved as engineering design has gotten more complex and abstract.

As anxiety and uneasiness continue into the second quarter of 2009, companies are looking for ways to trim spending and improve their bottom line. Even though technology often encompasses a small percentage of a company’s cost expenditures, executives inevitably turn their attention to technology budgets. But cutting back on technology may not be the answer to today's economic woes.

In today’s challenging economic environment, job eliminations and hiring freezes are commonplace. Human resource decisions are made that are beyond our control. However, you can control your preparations for an economic downturn — and your response, should you experience a layoff.

There are at least 70 million Millennials in the United States, and they constitute 21 percent of our work force — 32 million workers. How should management approach working with today's young engineers?

In November 2008, hundreds of engineers, economists, public policy experts, and citizens gathered in Atlanta for the IEEE Energy2030 Conference on Global Sustainable Energy Infrastructure.

Engineering graduates — and those already in the workforce — face uncertain times in today’s chilling economic climate.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during February 2009.

Sarah Rovito, our new Student's Voice editor, recalls how a WISE internship two summers ago helped lead to her current work, and how it whetted her appetite for using her engineering expertise to influence public policy decisions.

The growth of high-density commercial wireless systems has increased harmful interference to 700-800 MHz public safety communication systems (such as police, fire and emergency rescue). To cope with this, the FCC in July 2004 adopted a comprehensive plan to reconfigure the band, using digital television (DTV) to increase both capacity and quality.

Expert witnesses, including two IEEE members, testified before the House Science and Technology Committee to voice support for draft legislation to assist federal efforts aimed at scoping out and devising strategies for dealing with serious challenges posed by e-waste.

A newly released National Academies report, prepared by a high-powered ad hoc study committee, contends that America’s Cold War-era systems of national security export controls and visa restrictions on foreign scientists and engineers are broken and need to be substantially revamped.

Succession management has been bandied about as a topic of interest in companies and technology departments for years. Recently, succession management has enjoyed increased interest, as the need for skilled talent becomes more critical.

IEEE-USA's 2009 president discusses his path to becoming an engineer, his family, his hobbies, and what he's looking forward to accomplishing on behalf of the IEEE's U.S. members during his term.

Considering the devastating impact the current economy is having on U.S. workers, the current economic climate could certainly be considered the worst of times, or it could be viewed more optimistically as the best of times, if you are able to take advantage of some of the once-in-a-lifetime “bargains” that are likely available in the stock market.

Can the fruits of engineers’ labors be considered art? What of those of electrical engineers in particular?

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during January 2009.

Margaux is a typical nine-year-old girl, and proud to be a Geek Girl. She shares her refreshing perspective as a youngster who loves, of all things, math and science.

Launching Your Career: A Practitioners Guide to Leadership is the third e-Book in the IEEE-USA GOLD series. This leadership guide is a thought-provoking, inspiring self-reflection, and provides practical examples of how to move forward as a leader in the workplace, your volunteer organization, and even at home.

Why did the leaders of the IEEE Engineering Technology Student Chapter at Texas A&M University decide not to attend a host of classes one day last October? Did they suddenly become slackers? Not at all. They skipped classes to attend a 23 October symposium, “Engineering Career Skills for the Future: Energy in Transition.”

Does blogging on your own time put you in any risk from your day job? Can it damage your career, or could it help? And if you decide to blog, what steps should you take to protect yourself?

Each year, an average of 1.5 million young adults will leave the relative comfort of college and enter the uncertainty of a new job. If you are one of these recent graduates, these tips can help ease your transition.

The public is asking for the modern presidency to tap into the potential of all Americans by means of searchable online databases of government information, full-scale interactivity, and the distributed problem solving that comes with social networks, to become more accessible, more transparent, and more effective.

Stocks, bonds, annuities, mutual funds, 401(k)s, pensions, CDs…they all make up a well-balanced and diversified portfolio to make sure your assets are protected from market risks. But what about your long-term health risks? Learn more about your long-term health risks, including five myths, and a solution to help protect your assets from them.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during November 2008.

IEEE-USA editor for technology policy George McClure looks at the prospects for technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy in the new year.

To be competitive, senior level executives returning to the job market have some unique challenges, not the least of which is the gap in their employment history.

The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for electrical and computer engineers is assuming a new structure in the spring of 2009.

Market volatility is often referred to as a normal market occurrence. However, when it involves your money, it takes on a new perspective. There is no guaranteed solution to managing market volatility and the stock market, but the following tips can help.

IEEE-USA has released three new career-related e-books. Two of the books kick off the "Launching Your Career" GOLD e-book series, which is dedicated to helping graduating students, recent graduates and young engineers on important career topics. The third e-book provides an overview of the Management of Technology (MOT) discipline.

n theory, globalization is supposed to equalize global wages and raise the global standard of living. Everyone is supposed to benefit. So, what's the problem?

While Congress prepares a renewed focus on government programs to assist science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, several major American corporations are pumping sizeable amounts of money into schools around the country to provide further support for initiatives to strengthen STEM education.

Can the United States continue to lead the world in innovation, asks the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). NAE suggests the answer may depend on how well the public understands engineering.

John G. Shulman, President and CEO of the negotiation consulting and training firm, Alignor, has written two informative e-books on Engineering the Art of Negotiation.

At Carnegie Mellon University, the new interdisciplinary Masters program in Engineering and Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) is designed for engineers who are passionate about creating value from technological innovation.

Businesses stand to lose a great deal when they don’t practice succession management — like management continuity and their best engineering pros.

Sarah Rovito writes about the summer of 2007, which she spent in Washington, D.C., as one of three IEEE-sponsored WISE interns.

More than 300 IEEE delegates convened at the triennial Sections Congress in Quebec City to learn, and to arrive at their own recommendations to bring forward to the IEEE Board of Directors to guide future directions.

Smart grid will bring tremendous energy, efficiency and environmental benefits … but consumers are not yet onboard.

Stocks, bonds, annuities, mutual funds, 401(k)s, pensions, CDs…they all make up a well-balanced and diversified portfolio to make sure your assets are protected from market risks. But what about your long-term health risks? Learn more about your long-term health risks, including five myths, and a solution to help protect your assets from them.

Over the next few years, the United States will face tough questions regarding the future of telecommunications, including spectrum sharing, broadband Internet, delivering services to rural areas, and the impact of peer-to-peer networks. One man helping to answer these and other questions is an IEEE member: Prof. Jon M. Peha, the FCC's new chief technologist.

The November / December 2008 issue of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine which will focus on protecting the health care & public health critical infrastructure.

As oil nudged $140 per barrel, there was a ground swell of interest in more offshore drilling. But other options — including smart grid and nuclear power — warrant consideration when it comes to ensuring the nation's future energy supply and independence from foreign oil.

In August, the IEEE Central Indiana Section hosted “Biofuels in Indiana: Technology, Public Policy and Future Direction,” a day-long conference which examined and assessed Indiana's biofuels progress, as well as the future of renewable energy sources.

An academic expert on DARPA — the gang that brought us the Internet, the laser and the PC — says that while the agency continues to be a target of concern and criticism, it still may be premature to evaluate its overall performance since Dr. Tony Tether took charge in 2001.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during October 2008.

Maddalena Jackson spent last summer as a science reporter for two reasons. The first was to test a hypothesis she had formulated about applying the engineering mentality to non-engineering problems. The second reason was because she found herself at a loss for words at cruising altitude somewhere over Texas on her way home from Los Angeles.

Back in 2005, at the end of her IEEE-USA Fellowship to the U.S. State Department, Emily Sopensky ended her final report with: For me, the Fellowship has been life-changing… I have met some exceedingly bright, energetic and fascinating people. I have learned a little of the mystery…

Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama each have different views on the future of technology. Sometimes those views overlap, sometimes they don't. But each has a chance at influencing the careers of many IEEE members and others working in technology.

Smart grid initiatives are almost entirely industry-driven. People based in academia will be hard-pressed to find an institution from which they can learn all there is to learn about smart grid in one single helping.

The history of initiatives to conserve energy use is as long as the history of energy use itself. Humans have always attempted to do more with less. But it was not until the energy crises of the 1970s that the desire to conserve became great enough to infiltrate federal-level policy. Where do we stand today, and what can we do in our own homes to help?

To the average citizen, bootlegging conjures up visions of Prohibition-era Chicago, hidden stills in the mountains of Tennessee, and fast boats delivering illicit spirits at dusk to numerous ports on the North Shore of Long Island. More recently, bootlegging refers to the practice of selling someone else’s intellectual property without permission or compensation.

Most everyone has been there at one time or another, working under a tyrant who somehow manages to survive in this world without people skills. If you haven’t had a boss like this, you should consider buying a lottery ticket — and soon. You are that lucky.

Over the past 15 years, inventors and manufacturers have become increasingly wary of a new type of patent owner: the patent troll. The road to riches for patent trolls may be getting a little bumpier, thanks to some recent court decisions and pending legislation.

Meet IEEE-USA's VP of Career and Member Services.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during August and September 2008.

An organization's ability to be competitive at what is does rests on acquiring the right talent, deploying it properly, and continually evolving to meet changing needs and situations. In today's rapidly changing world, how can you be part of the best team?

What happens when you apply for IEEE-sponsored life, health, disability or accident insurance?

When a person loses a job, he or she experiences shock, anger, disappointment, fear and the feeling of loss. We eventually dust ourselves off and begin to rebuild by searching for another job. Through networking, submitting résumés, interviewing and selling ourselves to perspective employers, we eventually land a new job.

When it comes to retirement, it’s not just what you have that matters, but how you re-invent yourself so that you retire with a sense of meaningfulness and significance. Continuous learning is one of three key ways to do that, according to the research findings tracking retiree and retirement trends since 1993.

Intellectual property is rarely on the minds of today’s young engineers — but it should be. Some may be familiar with patents, which grant an exclusive monopoly to the patent holder for a period of 20 years, but fewer are familiar with copyrights.

The engineer’s work environment is not what it used to be. Many who began their careers in the mid-20th century did not work from a cubicle and none had a computer workstation. If they had a desk, it was often shared. In the case of U.S. engineers, they had little or no contact with the vendors, customers or other engineers outside the United States.

In recent years, the engineering profession’s employment landscape has been dramatically reshaped as a result of growing job dissatisfaction, downsizing, outsourcing, layoffs, and early retirements, to name but a few of the contributing factors. Many engineers have moved from salaried positions to independent consulting practices.

Are you looking for a "green" job in an environmental field? How about a job where you put your skills to work doing some good for the world? Or maybe you're just looking for a job that will challenge you. In any of these cases, a career in oceanic engineering could offer exactly what you are looking for.

In mid-August, IEEE-USA President Russell Lefevre joined with more 250 other national science and technology leaders who converged on the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to participate in the first National Science and Technology Summit.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during July and August 2008.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during Jun and July 2008.

While many intellectual property experts are receptive to the idea and purpose of copyright education, some of them fault the available initiatives for their style and content. How young is too young to understand the subtlety and nuance of copyrights?

We don’t all retire the same. We each have our own interests, needs and aspirations. Some of us make an easy transition to retirement, while others find retirement unaffordable, unexciting, unfulfilling, and maybe even lonely. By planning early in and continuously throughout your life and career, you may be able to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling retirement.

A Perfect Storm described the confluence of three storm systems in the north Atlantic. In demographics and retirement security, we have another perfect storm, with the third element being greater longevity in retirement.

Traveling overseas for work or on a family vacation can be the opportunity of a lifetime, but there can also be health and safety risks. Knowing how to stay healthy and safe, including getting the proper vaccinations and taking precautions, could make the difference between a good trip and a miserable one.

From rechargeable batteries to window coatings to high-capacity electrical wires, nanotechnology is increasingly being employed to make a wide array of products more energy efficient.

Electrical engineers, computer scientists and other technology professionals need years of education to qualify for jobs in their fields. And yet, even with all of this training, many of these same people working in high-tech fields find themselves held back in the workplace because they lack business-critical interpersonal, writing and presentation skills.

His name was Nipper. He was — and still is — known as the RCA dog. Not a talking dog nor a singing dog, his fame came from listening. Yes, he was a real dog!

Smart grid initiatives are almost entirely industry-driven. People based in academia will be hard-pressed to find an institution from which they can learn all there is to learn about smart grid in one single helping.

The 2008 IEEE-USA Annual Meeting served as proof of engineers’ commitment to the environment. Held in April, the meeting included sustainability-focused presentations on green businesses, green engineering, green IEEE Sections, as well as numerous presentations on innovation, grassroots and activities designed to promote action at the ground-level.

Backscatter author Donald Christiansen has compiled some of his earliest, thought- provoking columns in a new IEEE-USA e-book, , The Best of Backscatter from Today’s Engineer – Volume1. Here's a brief review.

Today’s Engineer sits down for a Q&A with Richard Schwarz, P.E., chair of IEEE-USA's Licensure & Registration Committee, to talk about recent changes to the requirements for becoming a licensed engineer.

Experiences from the IEEE Central Indiana Section, and lessons for greening your Section from IEEE members working at the heart of the issue.

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) is at the forefront of diversity issues. Although the primary goal of WIE is to build a community of women and men supporting the advancement of women at all stages of their careers, WIE has become the diversity arm of IEEE.

Because it is so important to continuing business success, and because opportunities for innovation are everywhere, innovation can be a vital ingredient for career success for every engineer.

Many are rising in their versatile specialty, others have moved into related technical fields. At last count, women made up only 8 percent of the EE work force. Women of color account for just a fraction of those, but it’s a vibrant fraction.

Are there the makings of a "perfect storm" scenario for meeting future workforce needs in the electric power and energy industries? Many people, both casual observers and passionate participants alike, have strongly answered “yes” to this question. Why?

The Banneker Institute serves as a catalyst in the pursuit of increased African-American participation in STEM careers. In 2007, it declared “The Decade of Blacks in Science,” a national effort to promote STEM outreach activities at the local level.

Students, warm up your video cameras! It's almost time to enter IEEE-USA's second annual "How Engineers Make a World of Difference" online video competition for the chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during May and June 2008.

There are many reasons for attending industry-related meetings and joining organizations, like the IEEE, or community groups.

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation in Congress that will dramatically change America’s skill-based immigration system. Her bills will make it significantly easier for non-Americans with advanced education and skilled to become citizens.

During this time of “No Child Left Behind” and meeting educational standards, students have little time for hands-on projects. For Ronald Rodgers, an elementary school teacher in Indiana, receiving an IEEE-USA Precollege Education Committee (PEC) Teacher Reward/Grant last school year had impacts beyond his expectations.

As the 21st century gets underway, the U.S. engineering profession finds itself facing major challenges, including the impact globalization and offshoring of U.S. engineering jobs are having on the engineering workforce and profession.

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, you can write a question for future exams. Find out how.

Before you have retired, you should be able to answer without hesitation: “What do you do?” You might say, “I do a lot of things,” and then (assuming your questioner is interested in more than what you can do to help him or her), launch into your laundry list of new activities in retirement.

Don Christiansen wonders about young engineers' knowledge of the history of our own profession. Consider the once ubiquitous vacuum tube. How many under-40 engineers are aware of the origins of the thermionic vacuum tube or of its importance during its halcyon years?

IEEE members are at the vortex of America’s global economic status in the 21st century. In order to help American business remain competitive, it is vital that IEEE members understand sustainable business operations.

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during May 2008.

With all the concerns of rising gas prices, home foreclosures, rising health care costs, and bills, bills, bills, it is ironic that many people have not given thought to the financial security of their loved one or themselves when either one dies.

People tend to get very complacent once they land a new job. After months (sometimes years) of searching, many people think their work is over once they step through their new employer's door. Unfortunately, sitting back at this juncture might lead to outcomes that are far less favorable than a person hoped for in a new employment situation.

In a slowing economy, where are the opportunities? The Semiconductor Industry Association’s (SIA) survey of its member companies looks at degrees, technical skills and positions the companies are having difficulty filling.

The only specific right the U.S. Constitution grants to citizens is ownership of their intellectual property (Article I, Section 8, Clause 8). But employees now working for technical companies, academic institutions and government likely signed a contract that pre-assigned their intellectual property to their employers.

How do you get green consumers — and later, the majority — to embrace green technologies? By following a familiar theory regarding the diffusion of innovations.

Are you protecting your intellectual capital? A primer on the most common types of intellectual property: trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, copyrights and patents.

RFID has been a rapidly-adopted technology, largely on the basis of its potential for saving costs and improving productivity in distribution and consumer transactions. The market is estimated at $5 billion now, growing to over $25 billion by 2017.

For more than a century, science-fiction authors have played a major role in helping to shape technology innovations. What can we learn from writers of science fiction that will allow us to be more innovative in the real world?

Attitudes and values differ around the globe, and an unintentional mistake can not only reflect badly on you, but could also submarine your business deals abroad. Terry Malkinson reviews Terry Morrison and Wayne Conway's cultural guide to Latin America.

The nation's elderly are wealthier, healthier and more numerous than ever before. However, the positive population and financial trends among the elderly population are contrasted by negative trends in the their transportation options.

A recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government during April-May 2008.

With a global push to find viable alternatives to coveted — and finite — fossil fuel reserves, renewable and sustainable resources, such as solar energy, are enjoying a resurgence of interest from the engineering and political communities.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Broadcast Flag regulation — beyond the MPAA’s influence, the disregard for fair use, and muzzled innovations — was the way the FCC overreached its authority. Despite its repeal, the regulation has had long-lasting consequences.

Plug-in-Hybrids: Accelerating Progress Symposium — Part 1 is now available as IEEE-USA’s latest e-book. Bill Williams, a senior IEEE-USA legislative representative on the IEEE-USA Government Relations staff, compiled “Part I: Electrification, Fuel Economy and the Environment” from an exciting IEEE-USA co-sponsored symposium held in the Fall of 2007.