Building Your Future in Engineering 2013

October 2013

tAbLe of COntents Career Pathways ~ Engineering the Future 6 Licensed Professional Engineer or Fool & Rascal 8 Technical College System of Georgia: It’s College that Works 11 Engineering the Future 13 ‘Engineering’ Our Past and Our Future 14 Invent the Future? Who, you? 15 Public-Private Partnerships ~ A trend or a thing of the past? 18 Mathcounts ~ It Really Does! 20 What Matters Most in Your Future of Engineering 22 Mercer Engineering Research Center 24 Still Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future through Energy and Water Conservation 26 Cultivating the Next Generation of Engineers: Spelman’s STEM Outreach Initiatives 28 Future City: Better Mobility Solutions for our Future 30 Auburn University 32 Building a Bright Future in Engineering 36 North Georgia Technical College 38 Georgia Institute of Technology 40 Engineering Ethics & You 42 Mercer University 44 School of Engineering Graduation 47 Southern Polytechnic State University 48 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College 50 2013 Salary Survey of NE & South Atlantic Engineering Firms Vanderbilt University 54 Clemson University 56 University of Georgia 58 Georgia Southern University 60

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Georgia Engineer magazine

Publisher : A4 Inc. | 1154 Lower Birmingham Road | Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 521-8877 | e-mail: thegeorgiaengineer@a4inc.com Managing Editor: Roland Petersen-Frey e-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com

Associate Editor Daniel J. Simmons e-mail: d.simmons@a4inc.com

Art Direction/Design Pamela S. Petersen-Frey e-mail: pfrey@a4inc.com

ACEC Georgia American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia www.ACECGA.org ASCE/GA American Society of Civil Engineers www.ascega.org ASHE/GA American Society of Highway Engineers www.ashega.org GEF Georgia Engineering Foundation www.gefinc.org GMCEA Georgia Minority Consulting Engineers Association www.gmcea.org GSPE Georgia Society of Professional Engineers www.gspe.org ITE/GA Institute of Transportation Engineers www.gaite.org ITS/GA Intelligent Transportation Society www.itsga.org SEAOG Structural Engineers Association of Georgia www.seaog.org WTS Women Transportation Seminar www.wtsinternational.org

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October 2013

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Career Pathways engineering the Future

By Dr. John Barge | State School Superintendent

Employers demand it and students beg for it: relevant, experiential learning based on an area of interest that prepares each student for the world of work, whether or not they choose to attend college.

At a time when many college graduates are struggling to find jobs, employers in many fields are struggling to find capable workers. That’s why Georgia created the Career Path ways/Clusters initiative, which aligns our academic offerings with high-demand areas and rewards graduates with the skills they need to get high-paying jobs. We are linking rigorous academic learning with the skills required for post-secondary success and infusing our stellar Career and Technical Education content with the academic classes needed for students to succeed no matter what they do after graduation.

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October 2013

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hrough Career Pathways/Clusters, students are once again finding relevance in the classroom as we help them pursue their passions. Parents will notice their children have a sense of direction, focus, and eagerness to attend school. Making classwork relevant again will help keep students in school and on a path to graduation. The result will be a graduate ready for college, career, and a successful life.

Starting this fall, we are offering career awareness for our elementary students, career exploration for our middle school students, and career development for our high school students. Students can choose from nearly 100 pathways housed within our 17 Career Clusters identified by leaders from business, industry, government, and education across the state. Our state legislature adopted the 16 National Career Clusters and, at the advice of business leaders, we added the energy systems cluster to train students in traditional and alternative energy fields. We also are offering pathways in advanced academics, fine arts, and world languages.

The clusters are: • agriculture, food & natural resources • architecture & construction • arts, audio/video technology & communications • business management & administration • education & training • energy systems • finance • government & public administration • health science • hospitality & tourism • human services • information technology • law & public safety • corrections & security • manufacturing • marketing • transportation, distribution & logistics • science, technology, engineering & mathematics Each pathway will include rigorous content, exit points for completion, industry credentialing, and transitioning into post-secondary education. For example, we formed a key partnership with Microsoft to offer IT academies at high schools throughout the state. Students now have access to coursework that can lead to industry credentials in Microsoft Word™, PowerPoint™, Excel™, and other programs. These

Building Your Future in Engineering

credentials could help lead directly into work after high school or will translate into skills needed to excel in college.

Some high schools are already doing this great work, but we want every high school student in Georgia to have these opportunities. One great example is Ware County High School in Waycross, where students who want to go into health care careers are learning about cardiology and pulmonology by using technology that syncs a stethoscope in their classroom with a machine at a hospital across the state. In Forsyth County, high school students are training at a Siemens manufacturing lab, a German engineering company with a large plant in nearby Alpharetta. That academic program includes German-language instruction and handson training for students who are interested in engineering, electronics, and math, among other STEM areas.

With the help of the state’s Science, Technology, Math and Engineering (STEM) initiatives, teachers across the state are infusing STEM instruction with inquiry-based or problem-based learning, which will strengthen students’ understanding of complex concepts and prepare them for college or careers in STEM fields. Our middle school engineering and technology exploratory courses introduce these STEM concepts to our students before they ever reach high school.

We recognized the importance of working directly with business and industry, as well as the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia, to establish these Career Pathways/Clusters. With today’s advanced economies, innovation-driven industries and high-growth jobs are requiring more highly educated workers. Business and higher education leaders told us that our coursework must incorporate not just academic and technical skills, but also must instill executive functioning skills (also called soft skills), problem-solving abilities, and a strong work ethic in every student. Every pathway now includes training and coursework in all of these skills to ensure that our graduates will be successful in college and careers, no matter their post-secondary plans.

In America, roughly one million students leave high school without a diploma each year. Many drop out because they struggle academically, but a large number say they quit school because they found it unrelentingly boring. They didn’t believe school was relevant or provided a pathway to achieving their dreams. It’s time we provide students with a clear, transparent connection between what they are studying and what they want to do after high school. We must all join together to make education work for all Georgia’s students.v 7

Licensed Professional Engineer or Fool & Rascal

By Michael S. Fletcher, P.E. | Chairman | Georgia Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

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n an October Sunday in 1871 the great Chicago fire ignited and burned over three square miles of the city, killing hundreds. That great conflagration, popularly blamed on Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, was to a large measure the inevitable consequence of decades of poorly regulated growth and construction, often carried out with no design and by builders with precious little education or competence.

Just about anybody could build whatever they wanted or could afford, and the consequences of how such a built environment might influence the overall health and safety of the public was not high on the agenda of most state and local authorities. Fortunately for posterity, during the building boom that followed the fire the Illinois legislature recognized the need to regulate new construction to keep the ‘fools and rascals’ as they then labeled them, from continuing to build unsafe structures.

So in 1887 Illinois enacted the first architectural licensing act. That was soon followed in 1907 by a law licensing engineers in Wyoming and in 1915 by a structural licensing act in Illinois, which recognized the wisdom in requiring some level of engineering competence in the design of Chicago’s increasingly tall and complex buildings. Today all 50 states and all U.S. territories have statutes which require licensure for engineers, architects, and land surveyors.

The unanimous reason for those laws is to institute and regulate at least a minimum level of competence in engineers and others who design and build the world we live in, all for the purpose of better protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public, something Chicago and many other places hadn’t worried much about before 1871.

In Georgia, the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors was created in 1937. Our board has the power to adopt rules, set standards for licensure, adopt mandatory standards of professional conduct and ethics, and investigate and discipline unauthorized, negligent, unethical or incompetent practice. We review applications, assign appropriate examinations, license qualified applicants, and regulate the professional practice of licensees throughout the state. There are over 20,000 pro-

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fessional engineers and 1300 land surveyors licensed in Georgia, and another 14,000 Engineers in training (EIT’s).

So how did all those engineers and surveyors become licensed? How do engineering boards determine who has the adequate skill and knowledge to carry out designs which competently protect the public?

Think of it as a three legged stool, or the three ‘E’s. First is education, a four year degree from an accredited engineering school is the best beginning. Georgia has colleges which offer a great variety of accredited engineering degrees and surveying programs. Engineering education is rich in math, technology, and the sciences, and all of it is vital in developing the fundamentals skills that an engineer must possess. In reviewing professional engineer applications the boards look favorably on engineering degrees accredited

by ABET, though other educational paths to licensure are available.

The second leg is experience.

Licensing laws require at least four years of progressive engineering experience, supervised and mentored by one or more licensed professional engineers. There is much more to the profession of engineering or surveying than book knowledge. A good mentor can ground an aspiring engineer in ethics, good office and economic practice, building codes, state regulations, graphic presentation of work, and a multitude of other common issues associated with the actual practice of engineering. Some credit for experience can be given by the board for engineering degrees beyond a bachelor’s degree.

The final ‘E’ is an exam. With education and experience in hand an engineering candidate must pass an eight or 16 hour principles and practice (P&P) exam specific to that candidate’s engineering dis-

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cipline. Most P&P exams are administered and scored by NCEES, a national organization subscribed to by most state boards for that purpose. But the exams are written by practicing professional engineers, and the questions are always custom assembled across a broad base of theory, building codes, and real life examples of design and practice situations. There is also a Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and a Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam which test a candidate’s basic knowledge of math, the sciences, and related subjects. The FE and FS exams are typically academic and are made available to senior engineering and surveying students. Once a candidate passes the exam, they can become certified by the state as an EIT. The computer based test is administered by NCEES and generally must be passed before a candidate can sit for the P&P exam.

Portability of engineering and surveying licensure, called reciprocity or comity, is generally available across state lines but is not automatic in every case. Not all state licensure laws are the same. Each state, including Georgia, has particular nuances in their law which must be considered by a licensing board when reviewing comity applications.

So the process of becoming a licensed professional can be rigorous. It doesn’t happen overnight and it demands an in-

Building Your Future in Engineering

vestment of time, effort, and study to demonstrate competence. Competence in engineering or surveying is vital. Without it the health, safety, and welfare of the public is not protected. Licensing boards like ours in Georgia have the duty and legal responsibility, through professional licensing, to insist on a minimum level of competence in our engineers and surveyors and enforce the laws which foster competent and ethical professional practice. Without those laws, the public may once again fall victim to the fools and rascals. v

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AROUND THE CORNER. AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

Your future is right around the corner, and so is Southern Polytechnic. SPSU students get hands-on experience with leading-edge technology, preparing them to work in careers that will change the way we all live and work.

For more information and a complete list of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, call 678-915-SPSU or visit us today at spsu.edu.

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1100 South Marietta Pkwy | Marietta, GA 30060

678.915.SPSU | spsu.edu A member of the University System of Georgia.

October 2011

Technical College System of Georgia: It’s College that Works

By Ron Jackson | Commissioner | Technical College System of Georgia | www.tcsg.edu

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n today’s highly-competitive job market, employers want people who are trained in the latest technology, can think critically, and possess the soft skills that are essential to a successful, world-class workforce.

Companies have job openings and a large pool of people looking for work, but only a limited number of those applicants are qualified and capable of performing the highly technical, job-specific skills that those positions require. From the board rooms of big corporations to the back rooms of small start-ups, there are serious questions being raised about closing what has become known as the national skills gap.

For part of that answer, look no further than the Technical College System of Georgia.

The TCSG is where people of all ages can obtain affordable, high-tech training that leads to great careers in many of today’s in-demand fields. In fact, the 24 TCSG colleges are widely-recognized as first-class institutions offering some of the best technical education programs in the nation. Even better, TCSG graduates earn a premium salary because they know their roles and responsibilities in job positions that companies need in order to profit and grow.

The TCSG colleges offer more than 600 certificate, diploma, and degree programs that have been developed in close collaboration with some of the world’s best companies.

Last year, more than 150,000 TCSG students took advantage of easy access to affordable training in a wide variety of programs involving some of the latest technologies. The colleges’ close partnerships with their area businesses and industries mean that many of those students are on the fast-track from the classroom to the company.

The TCSG places special focus on developing a skilled workforce for the strategic industries that are keys to keeping Georgia’s economy viable and strong. This includes program areas like aerospace, healthcare, logistics and transportation, energy and the environment, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and fields that support engineering. To help meet the demand for workers in those industries, Georgia’s leaders have invested almost $700 million in capital outlay for the TCSG colleges over the last seven years, including $400 million in new building construction.

More traditional trades, like the electrician, plumber, welder, and heavy equipment repair programs, also remain a significant part of the technical college course offerings.

However, those fields are ‘traditional’ in name only, since the

Building Your Future in Engineering

technology being taught and used today is many times far different than it was even just a few years ago.

The TCSG is so confident in the quality of instruction at our colleges that we offer an education guarantee that remains in place for two years after graduation. We pledge that if any of our graduates is employed by a company and found to be deficient in a competency as defined in a standard program, then the TCSG college will retrain that employee at no cost to the graduate or the company. In 2011 (data is tracked for two years), only 33 of the more than 35,000 TCSG students who graduated that year returned to be retrained under that warranty.

Tuition at the TCSG colleges is one of the most affordable among all of the two-year colleges in the southeastern states. The cost is even lower when coupled with Georgia's HOPE Grant, which is available to Georgians who enroll at any TCSG college to earn a certificate or diploma, regardless of high school graduation date, GPA upon graduation, or age. The HOPE Grant makes a quality higher education a reality for tens of thousands of Georgians who attend the TCSG colleges.

Even high school juniors and seniors can look ahead and jump-start their college education and careers through the dual enrollment programs offered at the TCSG colleges. They can attend high school and college at the same time, and the credits that they earn count toward both their high school diploma and a college degree. Best of all, state funds usually pay for most of the cost of the college dual enrollment classes.

The TCSG is also dedicated to being a part of a better and more seamless system of higher education in Georgia.

Working closely with the University System of Georgia and other private colleges and universities, the TCSG is opening new pathways for student success by creating and expanding new articulation agreements that allow for the easier transfer of college credits. Together, we are committed to providing avenues for life-long learning for everyone.

I frequently tell people that today’s TCSG colleges are not ‘your daddy’s old trade school.’ Today, we’re college that works and we’re helping people achieve their dreams of good-paying careers.

It’s a fact. The 24 TCSG colleges teach the right skills for the right price, and are doing it right now when the need for specialized training is at a premium. v 11

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October 2013

Engineering the Future

By Michael “Sully” Sullivan | President & CEO American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (ACEC Georgia) “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” ~ Arthur C. Clarke

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But more importantly, will you play a part in creating it?

No matter what part of the future interests you, there is an engineering discipline that will be responsible for creating that future. Environmental engineers will find new ways to create a more sustainable future. Transportation engineers will design the transportation systems that will provide our future mobility. Land planning engineers will design the way our future communities will look, and structural engineers will design the buildings within those communities in which our future selves will live, work, and play.

Energy sector engineers will find new ways to power our world and all of the gizmos the computer engineers can think up.

am not an engineer, but as President of ACEC Georgia, I work for engineers and the business of engineering every day. Prior to joining ACEC Georgia, I was an attorney and my practice required me to work alongside engineers and to closely observe the work that they did for our mutual clients.

Those experiences have led me to the conclusion that engineers perform magic. At its essence, engineering is taking ideas and turning them into reality. They take thoughts, abstract goals or unsolved problems and apply their specialized knowlWouldn’t it be cool if it was your job to create edge of the physical laws and properties the future? which govern the universe and turn all of that into the built environment in which we live and into the machines and technology Engineering is a profession that takes an that make modern life possible. idea and then applies science to create a deThe range of what engineers do is sign plan for something that ultimately gets stunning and truly no aspect of our modconstructed or manufactured. To turn an ern world would be possible without engiMichael Sullivan idea into something real seems like magic neers. Their work ranges from the glory of to those of us who don’t know how it’s designing the machines that took men from the Earth to done, but to engineers, it’s just another day at the office. the moon and safely back to the much less glamorous (but Georgia has some of the best engineering schools in the far more important) work of designing the buildings, roadways, bridges ,and water and sewer facilities to which we world and many of what are the most in-demand jobs of rarely even give a second thought. When you turn the today and tomorrow are in STEM fields (STEM = Science, faucet, flip a light switch, start your car, turn on your iPad, Technology, Engineering & Math). As a result of that high use GPS, check your Twitter feed or send a text to your demand, graduates with STEM related degrees have excepfriend, you are benefiting from the work of engineers from tionally high employment placement rates after graduation dozens of different engineering disciplines. and enjoy the high salaries that you would expect for such inWhen I think about the advances in technology that we demand professions. have seen over the past ten or 20 years I like to think forward But perhaps more important than job placement and and imagine how much more amazing the advances of the pay is the opportunity to build the future; to play a part in next ten or 20 years will be. With a typical smartphone, you creating a world which would seem amazing to us today but hold more computing power in your hands than the most state of the art personal computer had less than 20 years ago which will surely exist and which will only exist because of and far more computing power than those machines that took the ‘magic’ of the dedicated and talented engineers who will men to the moon. What will be created in the next 20 years have designed it all for us. that will make today’s smartphones and tablet computers seem As an engineer, it could be your job to create the future. v as obsolete then as a cassette player seems to us today?

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‘Engineering’ Our Past and Our Future

By Blake Ashbee | Executive Director | Governor’s Office of Workforce Development ll across the great state of Georgia the importance and longevity of engineering is undeniable. But, hiding behind the beauty of our tallest skyscrapers or seamlessly functioning water systems, are the masters of blueprints— engineers. Equipped with the skills and creativity to turn our dreams into physical realities, engineers are here for the long haul.

“The engineering industry has a far-reaching impact on our state’s economy,” Governor Deal said. “Georgia’s skilled workforce, unique logistics infrastructure, and businessfriendly environment have allowed this industry to expand here and remain competitive.”

Georgia is the 33rd largest economy in the world, and keeping our top industries competitive and our workforce ready is critical to the future of our state—and, in this case, our everyday lives.

Just because you don’t work in a skyscraper, doesn’t mean you don’t rely on the products of engineering to maneuver through your daily routine. Imagine: you get up to go to work but there are no highways; you try to eat left-overs for lunch but there are no microwaves; you take your elderly mother to dinner but there are no elevators for her wheelchair. The comfortable world we work, learn, and play in is undoubtedly ‘steered’ by professionals in this critical industry.

While it’s easy to look at the Atlanta skyline and see the legacy of engineering, data-driven decisions clearly illustrate the importance of the industry for future generations, and might play to the math-minded future engineers.

It is projected that Georgia will have 2,526 overall engineering positions to fill by 2020. With this job growth, it is necessary that Georgia’s young workforce is equipped with the skills to take over in-demand positions in the industry.

Along with the immeasurable pride that stems from playing artist to an entire city or town, engineers in Georgia are provided with a growing infrastructure and top training programs for success—success for our state and for individuals.

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This field is fulfilling and financially rewarding. In 2012 the average salary for a civil engineer was $85,820. Civil engineers are one of the top ten trades currently promoted by Go Build Georgia, a skilled labor initiative spearheaded by Governor Deal and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development.

Right here in our state, Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering is the largest in the country and ranks in the Top five of Engineering colleges, according to US News and World Report. This college is just one of the many in Georgia offering education to students exploring engineering. From big-name public universities, like the University of Georgia, to private schools, such as Berry College, our state endeavors to offer the best in education for students embarking on this important

career path. As part of the skilled trades sector, some engineering positions are also attainable through paths other than a four-year degree, such as training programs in technical colleges.

Engineers are the missing puzzle piece for the implementation of our plans. With the stable demand and possible impact of the industry in Georgia, it is imperative that we continue reaching out and raising up the next generation of skilled professionals. Georgia has the resources for citizens to become the creators of tomorrow, starting right here in Georgia today. v

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Invent the Future? Who, you?

By Gary S. May | Dean | College of Engineering | Georgia Institute of Technology The landing of the Curiosity spacecraft on Mars is another remarkable example. From 35 million miles away, NASA engineers determined a way to slow down a craft traveling 13,000 miles per hour; deploy the largest parachute ~ Albert Einstein ever made; fire rockets to slow the craft’s final descent; and lower a wheeled vehicle by tether to the bottom of a crater bsolutely—if you pursue a career in engineer- —all without colliding into an adjacent mountain that ing. stands four miles tall.

Think about the world’s Here at home, it will be up to engineers biggest challenges, like: Havto continue to find new solutions for the ing enough safe water to problems we face today. Who will create a drink, finding clean energy fuel cell that can replace gasoline? Who will that will power our lives but won’t ruin our design a sturdy, inexpensive material that planet, or treating diseases that kill. can be used to build houses in the world’s You could find the answers to these poorest countries? Who will secure our challenges and change the future. It all computer systems against terrorists? Engistarts with engineering. neers will.

Some people think engineers are scienThe National Academy of Engineering tists or mathematicians. That’s only half the has made a list of 14 of the most important, story. Engineers use math and science, but most challenging problems facing our world our most important tool is imagination.

—problems that need an engineering soluGary S. May We are really more like innovators. tion. You can read the list at www.engineerWe look at what the world needs and create solutions. Still, ingchallenges.org. Imagine how different the world would engineers can’t be lost in a fantasy world. A great engineer be if someone solved even one of these challenges—and needs to be firmly rooted in reality, because a solution is only imagine how you’d feel if that someone was you. well-engineered if it is practical and affordable.

At Georgia Tech, we want our students to know that Can engineers really change the world? You bet. Engi- engineering makes a difference in people’s everyday lives. neers invented and designed TVs, cars, washing machines, Whether our graduates go on to work in national defense, a dams, canals, bridges, skyscrapers, the X-ray machine, arti- global corporation, or a research laboratory, they will be ficial hands, and the cell phone—all things that change the making new discoveries, creating new products, and inventway we live. ing the future.

Many of the things we take for granted require all kinds When you’re thinking about college and a career, you of engineering. Consider the clothes you’re wearing right don’t think just about the world’s future. You want to make now. Engineers designed the factory where they were pro- sure your own future is taken care of too. That’s why you duced, the machines that cut and sewed them, the ships that should know that as an engineer, you’ll be rewarded very well carried them across the ocean, and even the air conditioning for your ingenuity and knowledge, starting with your very system in the store where you bought them. Just about first job. everything you use in a typical day involved an engineer.

How do you know if you could be the kind of engineer Sometimes engineers improve a product that already ex- who changes the world? Here are a few traits we at Georgia ists - like making cars more fuel-efficient, or designing build- Tech see in the best engineers: ings that can survive an earthquake. Sometimes we dream • Curiosity. Engineers like to know how things work, so up brand new ideas and bring them to life, like inventing a they can imagine how things could be made to work nanometer-sized robot that can travel through the human better. Kids who take things apart and put them back body and find cancer. together are practicing engineering skills.

“Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which never has been.”

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Attention to detail. Whether they’re reviewing the results of an experiment, or drawing up plans for a design, engineers have to take note of all the little details, then put the information together in a way that makes sense and leads to new innovation.

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Perseverance. When you work in the world of ideas that have never been tried, success rarely comes quickly. Engineers have to be willing to stick with their passion through lots of experiments, learning from each failure until they finally find a workable solution.

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Team play. Great discoveries are almost never made by one person working alone. Thomas Edison had 200 people working in his lab. It takes many minds together to generate ideas, explore them, experiment with them, and refine them.

Engineers share some traits, but don’t think that all engineers are alike. We have many different individual interests and styles. Luckily, there are many different fields of engineering that appeal to different people. When you get an engineering degree, you might choose any of these areas: •

Aerospace engineering—designing anything that moves through the air, from golf balls to airplanes, missiles, and rockets

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Biomedical engineering—improving human health by developing new instruments to detect disease, or treatments like artificial limbs or organs

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Chemical engineering—designing, constructin,g and operating machines and plants that perform chemical reactions to make useful products

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Civil engineering—creating better roads, bridges, energy systems or stadiums

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Electrical engineering—working with anything that uses electricity, as small as a microchip or as large as the power grid

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Environmental engineering—finding ways to keep the environment healthy, perhaps by reducing pollution or restoring wetlands

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Materials engineering—creating new materials that can

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save energy and save lives, such as a new medicine or a stronger building material •

Mechanical engineering—designing devices that move, from an automobile engine to a robot

Even if you don’t make engineering your lifelong career, a degree in engineering is proof that you know how to think, explore, and create. Businesses of all kinds respect the intelligence and hard work required to earn an engineering degree. Being a great problem solver will be a valuable asset in any career you pursue.

If you’d like to shape the future as an engineer, you can get a head start today. While you’re in high school, challenge yourself in math and science classes such as algebra, calculus, chemistry, and physics. Then, as you approach graduation, start looking at colleges that have high-quality engineering programs.

If you live in Georgia, you have a big advantage: Keep your grades up, and you could earn a HOPE Scholarship to Georgia Tech. Our College of Engineering is consistently ranked as one of the top five engineering schools in the country.

With smarts, determination, creativity, and an engineering degree, you can change the world—a world that needs changing. Who will accept that challenge and invent the future? You will! v

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Building Your Future in Engineering

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Public-Private Partnerships A trend or a thing of the past?

By Kevin Wills, CCM, LEED AP & Charles Bolyard Jr., PSP, CFCC ublic Private Partnerships, also referred to as PPPs or P3s, have been in use for many decades after first gaining wide acceptance and use in the United States in the early 1990s. These partnerships were established through states’ legislative actions as an alternative method to finance public capital improvement projects during times when public debt was increasing rapidly. Primarily for use in transportation, infrastructure, and educational facility programs and projects, PPPs offer a vehicle for state and local government agencies to obtain needed infrastructure for the public good without leveraging their bond ratings or taking on increased fiscal risk. The processes and procedures for these partnerships are specific to each jurisdiction that has enacted legislation enabling the use of PPPs, and while similarities exist from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, legislation often contains provisions specific to each public owner. While the Commonwealth of Virginia has been at the forefront in the application of PPPs in the United States, this approach to project development and construction has been applied internationally to leverage private resources to fund and build a comprehensive range of projects, including transportation infrastructure, environmental, higher education and research facilities, K-12 schools, wastewater treatment plants, and telecommunications infrastructure essentially any type of public project.

This process, once authorized by legislation and adopted by public agencies, entities, municipalities, counties, or cities, is a relatively simple one which complies with the transparency required of public sector procurements, but also increases the opportunity for the owner to receive the best possible goods from the marketplace to serve the public’s needs at the best value. In simple terms, PPPs typically involve a proposal (which may be solicited or unsolicited depending upon what each governmental agency’s legislation allows) from a private vendor to design, construct, and provide some form of financing for a project which serves the public good, and would typically otherwise be financed and constructed by a public owner through more traditional procurement processes. In some circumstances, PPPs may include an alternative approach that involves governmental agencies transferring public assets to private concessionaires to operate in the public interest (such as existing toll roads

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that have been transitioned in Virginia, Indiana, and other locations). Most important to the PPP process is the review, negotiation, and the development of financing, design, and construction parameters that establish the business arrangement between the vendor/developer/design builder and owner prior to entering into a contract based on the PPP procurement process.

In a traditional public project procurement, whether utilizing design-bid-build, design-build, or another method of project delivery, the Owner would hire a designer to develop plans and specifications, then arrange public funding sources, and once approved for procurement, would publicly advertise the project for bidding or receipt of proposals. The resulting lowest responsive bidder would then be

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responsible for constructing the project. Change order costs in the more traditional type of project delivery are largely the responsibility of the Owner, as are the costs for designer errors and omissions.

The PPP process, on the other hand, encourages the allocation of risk and reaches into the marketplace to bring the innovative thinking and vision from the private sector to public projects. PPPs provide the opportunity for the owner and the project developer to act in concert, as a team, and use all available expertise, specialization, knowledge, and financing options as a team to the benefit of the project and in the greater interest of the public. The PPP vendor, selected following evaluation of proposals received by the Owner, will work in concert with the Owner to achieve expectations and address the public need, while providing the Owner the level of confidence in successful completion of the program or project. Many times, through the PPP process, the Owner is able to leverage more of the potential for enhancing a project than would otherwise been achievable if it had been a project procured under a more traditional procurement method. PPPs combine talents across the public and private sectors and bring those talents and innovations to the table to achieve the greatest benefit to the public.

The PPP process can also speed the time for completion of the project as the expediencies inherent in the delivery process eliminate the traditional need for extensive review by local, state or federal agencies once the parameters for the project are established.

More traditional contracts for design and construction are an Owner’s way of dispersing risk, and PPPs are no exception. Depending upon the Owner’s risk management profile—a PPP can be an integral component of an Owner’s risk management program. Allocation of risk is an important consideration since there is a cost to transfer risk from the Owner to the vendor. In the customary design-bid-build project delivery vehicle—the Owner holds contracts with both the designer(s) and contractor(s), and takes responsibility and the risk for unforeseen costs that may be encountered. In a PPP procurement, the Owner holds one contract with the PPP team. The PPP team holds the responsibility for design costs and issues and may also hold responsibility for site conditions, integration with utilities, and interface with public agencies other than the Owner, which are elements of the agreement with the Owner and included in the contract price. Opportunities for funding of the project through tolls, tax financing, lease agreements, and numerous other options are additional ways through which the Owner is able to reduce its risk profile related to a project, as these options may be more readily available under a PPP project delivery as compared to more traditional project de-

Building Your Future in Engineering

livery approaches. Essential projects that would be deferred by the Owner due to a lack of available funding are able to proceed under the PPP approach when project funding is a component of the vendor’s scope. PPPs are increasingly showing that the more traditional project delivery methods based on low bid contracting do not always result in the lowest completed project cost. PPPs have been found to be lower, or at least comparable to traditional delivery approaches, in overall costs if the characteristics of the project are compatible with the use of a PPP based procurement.

Based on the breadth of our experience with state and local jurisdictional agencies that have enacted varying forms of PPP legislation, MBP has a longstanding history of assisting project Owners throughout the PPP process. Our firm provides Owners with an expert review and analysis of PPP proposals including cost, schedule, and constructibility review in support of the Owner’s evaluation of proposals and during negotiations to conclude the procurement process.

We also provide comprehensive program or project agency construction management services to further assist an Owner during the actual design, construction, and commissioning phases of a project. As the agent of the Owner, MBP offers the Owner a higher level of independent scrutiny during procurement and performance by the PPP, further enhancing the results of the Owner’s risk management program.

For PPP teams, MBP provides assistance during the proposal development and procurement process. During actual design and construction performance, we can provide quality control and assurance program development, implementation of inspections and testing, and expert scheduling services.

In the political, financial, and economic climate of today, Owners are quickly seeing the benefits in the application of the Public Private Partnership delivery approach for programs and projects. The need, both nationally and internationally, to upgrade and replace current infrastructure under tremendous budgetary limitations has led to this innovative delivery method being utilized more frequently than before. As public revenue streams have diminished, the collaboration of the private and public sectors is being recognized as a cost competitive, quick-to-the-marketplace process that is often superior to the traditional methods of project delivery. States across the nation, as well as the federal government, have instituted PPPs as a viable and preferred method to obtain high quality and innovative projects, and we expect that this trend will continue for many years to come. v 19

MATHCOUNTS!

It Really Does!

Sound the alarm!

There is a crucial problem that will impact America’s future.

What is it you ask? MATH! Why will this impact America’s future? If America is not strong in Math, it will cause a decline in competitiveness and job growth. This means MATHCOUNTS can help shape the future.

What is MATHCOUNTS? MATHCOUNTS is a national competition that strives to engage students of all ability and interest levels in fun, challenging Math programs, in order to expand their academic and professional opportunities. Middle school students exist at a critical juncture in which their love for mathematics must be nurtured, or their fear of mathematics must be overcome. MATHCOUNTS provides students with the kinds of experiences that foster growth and transcend fear to lay a foundation for future success.

Why is America facing a Math problem? The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States National Academies, an influential advisory organization, issued a blue-ribbon report in 2005, called “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,”

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warning that America was losing critical ground in Math and Science skills—“the scientific and technical building blocks of our economy.” Everyone in the world has heard of Apple.

Apple and other American companies want to bring jobs back from overseas to the United States, producing the most popular American consumer items through American labor. This new trend, called ‘in-sourcing,’ promises to bring back hundreds of thousands of new jobs where they are needed most.

There is just one problem: Americans do not have the skills these companies need in order to bring these jobs back home again. Consumer electronics companies like Apple in particular need workers with strong Math skills.

How can MATHCOUNTS strengthen American Math Skills?

MATHCOUNTS cultivates talent in the nation's brightest young minds through the MATHCOUNTS Competition Series. The program brings together students from all 50 states in a series of in-person contests—the only competition program of its kind.

October 2013

MATHCOUNTS inspires curiosity and builds confidence in students of all levels through The National Math Club.

The program helps create a space where learning math is fun, social, and supportive, so that every student becomes a lifelong math learner.

MATHCOUNTS engages students in team-based learning that is innovative, creative, and collaborative through the Math Video Challenge. The program enables students to connect and apply math to their own lives, and teach others in the process.

Does Georgia have a MATHCOUNTS Program? Yes, as a matter of fact, Georgia is one of the initial states that launched the MATHCOUNTS program thirty years ago. The Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (GSPE) hosts the MATHCOUNTS program in Georgia. The Atlanta Metro Chapter of GSPE has been recognized in the past for having the largest MATHCOUNTS competition in the nation with over 500 middle school students participating.

How can you get involved in MATHCOUNTS? Visit the national MATHCOUNTS Web site (www.mathcounts.org) to register for the program. Your information will be forwarded to the local chapter and state coordinators in Georgia. Georgia has thirteen local chapter competitions that are held from January through February. The local chapters advance their top Mathletes to the state competition. The

Building Your Future in Engineering

Georgia MATHCOUNTS Competition is held the third week of March at the Georgia Tech Student Center. The 2014 Georgia MATHCOUNTS Competition is scheduled for Monday, March 17th. The event starts at 8:00 AM with registration, then testing. After the testing period, it is time for the Mathletes to have lunch and fun on the college campus in the TechRec Center. After scoring is completed, everyone gathers together for the Awards Program and the infamous CountDown Round. The top ten scoring Mathletes compete on stage in a game show style format answering Math questions. At the close of the event, Georgia’s top four Mathletes are named forming the Georgia MATHCOUNTS Team that will compete at the National MATHCOUNTS Competition. The National Competition rotates between Orlando, Florida and Washington, D.C. Help shape tomorrow’s future with MATH! Make sure you are participating or volunteering for the Georgia MATHCOUNTS Program. For additional information on this dynamic competition, contact Carolyn Jones at the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers at 404-840-2542 or via email at cjones@gspe.org.

Team MATHCOUNTS! v

21

What Matters Most in Your Future of engineering

By Dr. Ruth Middleton House & Wes House

O

ver time, your perception of what matters most in engineering is likely to change.

If you’re in high school, you’re probably seeing yourself in the running against your peers for acceptance at the college you want to attend. You’re paying close attention to your numbers. You want to make 100 percent on that test when everyone else gets an 85percent. You want the highest GPA ranking, the highest SAT scores.

If you’re in college, you see yourself competing against your peers for the best jobs with the best companies. You want to keep that 4.0 so you maintain your Presidential Scholarship. You want your senior capstone to win first place because of its cutting edge, humanitarian, world-hungerending design: ten out of ten judges voted for it.

On your first engineering job you take great pride in your engineering prowess. In the beginning, you complete that complicated calculation before the deadline. Later you provide a better design to a client and save them big dollars with a more efficient pipe routing solution. Eventually you streamline several processes at work and greatly increase the company’s monthly output.

As time passes you begin to see that it’s not only the technical knowledge and ability that matters. As the years go by, you realize that what’s really important is not that you can memorize and recite every equation from the

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handbook. What’s really important is that you can take that knowledge and explain it to other engineers in a way that they can understand. You are open to what they have to say, too; and you apply what you learn from them to your own projects. Your success now depends less on competing against your peers and more on working with your peers (and others).

You move up through the ranks: engineer, senior engineer, project lead, supervisor, project manager, company executive. Your good interpersonal and communication skills pave the way for each move.

• Your ability to work well across groups enables you to minimize the cost to your clients by reducing rework, callbacks, outages, and failures.

•

Your ability to work well with individuals enables you to avoid the cost of unwanted turnover and delays due to unresolved conflicts internally or with the client.

•

Your ability to work well with all levels of the organization helps you increase revenue by accelerating implementation time and, as a result, improving customer relations.

Your technical skills still matter. Those remain necessary; but they are not the only skills you should rely on. More

October 2013

and more it is your ability to work with people that distinguishes you and adds growing value to what you do.

• You understand how the complex relationships between people can impact both design and execution.

• You see how conflict can short-circuit the best-laid intentions and plans.

•

You see the importance of pulling people together through a shared purpose and shared goals—not only a standardized, step-by-step operating procedure.

What can you do now to get ready for future success? Sure, study and build your base of technical skill and knowledge.

At the same time: • Network. Avoid the temptation to isolate yourself with the books. Keep getting out and interacting with people.

•

Listen for details. This is harder than you think. Suppose someone were to ask you for this calculation: Start with eight. Divide by one-half. Then add 10. What did you get? [Check the end of this article for the answer.}

•

Confirm what you hear with your partner in communication. Get this confirmation before you take action.

•

If you sense that emotion is coming into play, feedback the emotional content of the conversation as well as the emotional content: “Sounds like you feel…because….”

•

Express your own opinion only after you have gotten confirmation of what you have heard from the other person. Exercise care in how you do it. Sort out feelings from fact and take responsibility for your own feelings: I am concerned because…; I’m not clear about…; I’m feeling uneasy about….

ENGINEERS’ CREED As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare.

I pledge: • To give the utmost of performance; • To participate in none but honest enterprise; • To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional conduct; • To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations.

In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.

Adopted by National Society of Professional Engineers June,1954

Between now and your future success in engineering, you have a lot of technical study to do. Technical knowledge and skills alone won’t develop that picture of success. You’ll need to build interpersonal and communication skills too. You’ll need to network, listen for details, confirm what you hear, deal with emotions, and express your own opinion clearly but with care.

The answer to that calculation problem we posed earlier? 26. If you answered 14 you missed a detail in the wording of the problem. The problem asked you to divide eight by one-half not divide eight in half. See what we mean?v

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Mercer Engineering Research Center www.merc-mercer.org/#Home “Where Real Problems Meet Real Solutions.�

M

ercer Engineering Research Center (MERC) is the non-profit applied research operating unit of Mercer University and has been in Warner Robins, Georgia for more than 25 years. We have customers across the United States and in Canada. We perform full-spectrum engineering for our government and commercial customers.

Our modern facility has 113,000 sq. ft. with individual offices, conference rooms, a prototype shop, specialty program orientated laboratories, and a high bay area populated with a broad range of associated equipment. Also in the facility are two data visualization labs where working groups of up to 20 people (customers and MERC staff ) can simultaneously view, compare, analyze, brainstorm, and discuss up to 40 complex data displays. Our offices and labs are linked by a state-of-the-art network hosting a comprehensive set of aerospace, mechanical, electrical, industrial, and software engineering development tools for design, modeling, and analysis.

With the talent of 150+ engineers and supporting staff, we keep fixed and rotary wing aircraft flying longer and safer; insert technology into multiple ground and airborne systems; provide hardware and associated software updates when systems’ technologies become outdated; perform ergonomic analysis to identify means to eliminate the stress

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and strain on the human body and other structures; develop Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models of ground and airborne systems; reverse engineer mechanical and electronic systems when no data is available; develop advanced radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) signal algorithms; create data bases for the manipulation of large data sets; and perform technical studies and analyses. Our staff is made up of engineering interns, logisticians, physicists, ergonomist, mathematicians, and aerospace, mechanical, structural, biomedical, electrical, electronics, software, industrial, and computer engineers. These scientists and engineers have degrees up to, and including, PhDs. After receiving their degrees, many of our engineering interns start their careers at MERC, other Georgia companies, or with the government. Mercer University is very proud to be identified as the largest supplier of entry-level engineers for WR-ALC/Robins AFB. MERC also provides highly responsive, cost effective technical support to customers in analysis, design, and development of tools to increase productivity, systems to enhance their work experience, and software applications to turn data into decisional information. The engineering staff seldom works in just one discipline. We believe a wellrounded engineer, one exposed to multiple disciplines, is more of an asset to MERC and its customers. We have engineers that focus on one specialty, but they too recognize the need to diversify.

MERC is a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3 appraised organization for Electronic and Software Systems Engineering. By this time next year, all of

October 2013

MERC will be CMMI Level III appraised. CMMI benefits the organization by providing a common, integrated vision of improvement and standard, well-documented work processes. The ultimate benefit is improved performance that means decreased costs, improved on-time delivery, improved productivity, improved quality, and improved customer satisfaction.

With the downturn of the defense budget, MERC is diversifying its business base. We will continue to service our current customers as well as pursue new opportunities in training, energy, materials, web-based applications, commercial aviation, algorithm development for unmanned and autonomous systems, and composites. Creating partnerships with other businesses is another way we provide our staff with meaningful and challenging work projects. International business is something of interest, but we are moving out very slowly in that pursuit because of the restrictions associated with providing technology to foreign countries.

Our goal is to take our current capabilities and services and

Building Your Future in Engineering

cross-pollinate them into the marketplaces noted above.

MERC recently purchased an additional five-acres attached to our property in preparation for growth when the economy turns around. MERC will be ready to meet the requirements of our current and future customers—government and commercial—by ensuring we have the facilities, personnel resources, and capabilities to address their unique problems. v

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Still Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future through Energy and Water Conservation

By JoAnn Macrina | Commissioner | City of Atlanta | Department of Watershed Management

DWM water quality specialist Bryan McDermott shares water samples with students from Grady High School who visited the Water Quality Laboratory at the Utoy Water Reclamation Center earlier this year to learn more about the treatment process. he city of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) has its sights on becoming a net-zero energy consumer by 2025 and reducing the city’s total water consumption 20 percent by the year 2020. This goal may seem ambitious, but when considering the feats the organization has already reached and the impact of current sustainability and conservation projects, the aggressive approach works well with Mayor Kasim Reed’s goal to be a top-tier sustainable city.

As participants in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings and the Atlanta Better Building Challenge, DWM implemented changes to reduce

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energy usage and promote water conservation.

A lighting retrofit at the Hemphill and Chattahoochee Water Treatment Plants (WTP) and the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center replaced more than 4,300 inefficient fixtures with high-efficiency fluorescent and LED fixtures and is projected to save the city more than $400,000 annually in energy and maintenance costs. The EPA recognized Hemphill as one of the nation’s most energy-efficient buildings among its 3,000 Battle of the Buildings competitors for reducing energy usage by 40.6 percent and preventing 11,190 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of a year.

“EPA’s ENERGY STAR National Building Competition helped us save energy, cut our utility bills, and protect

October 2013

the climate,” said DWM Commissioner Jo Ann Macrina.

“We are excited by the enthusiasm and commitment of our team at Hemphill and look forward to seeing more savings in the future from our efforts.”

Hemphill also placed as a top performer in the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge; decommissioning its original pump station built in 1876 and replacing it with new energy-efficient equipment helped the WTP realize a 48-percent energy reduction.

“Creating a more sustainable city is a top priority of my administration, and I am thrilled that a city of Atlanta facility took top honors in this challenge,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge has ambitious goals, and investments in these building upgrades, from both the private sector and city government, are vital to successfully reduce water and energy consumption.”

The RM Clayton Cogeneration Project, designed to use methane gas generated by the wastewater treatment process to produce electricity to help operate the plant, is expected to reduce electrical cost by $700,000 annually and is projected to reduce DWM’s carbon footprint by three percent.

The Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers named the project the 2011-2012 Small Project of the Year.

RM Clayton is currently undergoing a number of compliance upgrades including: replacement/modification of piping in utility tunnels, rebuilding eight existing primary clarifiers, and rehabilitating two existing sludge pump houses.

Watershed Management will retrofit toilets, showerheads, urinals, and fixtures in all of its municipal buildings by the end of 2014, a project supporting Mayor Kasim Reed’s aim of a 20-percent reduction in overall water use by the year 2020.

DWM continues to promote water conservation and good water stewardship through Initiatives like the Toilet Rebate Program. The program encourages good standing customers to replace their pre-1993 toilets with more efficient WaterSense certified toilets, which use 1.28 gallons per flush opposed to 1.6 to five gallons of water, in exchange for a $100 credit toward their water bill.

With over $250,000 in rebates disbursed since 2008, the first multi-family dwelling program is a trailblazer within the Metro Water District.

“The single most important thing that a homeowner or resident can do is change out their toilet,” said Commissioner Macrina. “It’s the biggest water waster in the home.

It is the most effective way to save water and keeps money in

Building Your Future in Engineering

the homeowner’s pocket.”

Water-saving kits are also available to city of Atlanta homeowners at local fire stations. Residents are encouraged to take a water conservation pledge to receive a kit equipped with low-flow showerheads and kitchen and bathroom sink aerators.

Education is a major part of DWM’s sustainability efforts. Campaigns like Be Water Wise provide grants as well as educational resources to students from teaching third grade students about the water cycle and water-saving tips to take home to their parents, to hosting community rain barrel workshops that help facilitate the award winning Care and Conserve Program all aid in DWM’s effort to protect the world’s most precious natural resource—water.

DWM will continue to foster partnerships with organizations like the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and the Alliance for Water Efficiency to promote key energy and water conservation messages.

“We have limited water resources,” said Commissioner Macrina. “We have to preserve our resources and leave them in good shape for those who come after us.” v

DWM Water Treatment and Reclamation managers Richard Parker (center) and Howell Bradford receive the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge award on behalf of the Hemphill Water Treatment Plant, which won top honors for a 48-percent energy use reduction over four years. The plant abandoned steam energy for natural gas, saving the facility over $3 million.

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Cultivating the Next Generation of Engineers: Spelman’s STEM Outreach Initiatives

By Jennifer Stanford Johnson | Spelman College | STEM Education Outreach

uring her TEDx Penn State University Talk earlier this year, engineer Debbie Sterling led the audience in an insightful exercise.

She invited those in attendance as well as her web viewers to close their eyes and conjure up an image of an engineer. Admittedly, the mostly adult audience imagined a nerdy guy with a pocket protector sitting in a cubicle behind a computer, or worse, a train conductor.

Very few envisioned the presenter, a Stanford Universitytrained, female mechanical engineer and CEO of a toy company which aims to inspire the next generation of female engineers. Not surprising. According to the National Science Foundation, in 2010, 18.4 percent of engineering bachelor’s degrees and 23.2 percent of doctoral degrees conferred in this country were awarded to women, up from 15.5 percent and 9.2 percent respectively in 1991. Albeit slowly, the face and landscape of engineering are changing.

It is not surprising that this stereotype comes to mind or that the word ‘engineer’ evokes the image of a train operator wearing a blue and white striped hat. The fact is most people, especially K-12 students, don’t actually know what engineers do, much less how to visually identify one. Engineers solve problems. Where there is a void, an engineer sees a blank canvas. The contribution of engineers in our society is wide-ranging, and yet oftentimes there is not a clear understanding of the role of engineering in the commonplace. Transportation, clean sources of drinking water, telecommunications, social media, and smartphones all involve applications of engineering. This gap in understanding, therefore, presents the opportunity to explore with the youngest minds the pervasiveness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives.

STEM Education Outreach delivered in a way in which students can relate and which fosters a natural curiosity about how things work lays a foundation to support further STEM study. When K-12 students are able to examine the electromagnetics behind a common doorbell or build homopolar motors from household items, it gives relevance to classroom learning and insight about how the world around them operates. These are indeed complex concepts which

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Spelman College located in downtown Atlanta students can grasp given the proper context and an adequate framework upon which to build. For instance, the concept of Lenz's Law which describes how a changing magnetic field creates an induced current is simplified through a demonstration using a copper pipe and a PVC pipe mounted to a wooden frame with both ends of both pipes unobstructed. Dropping an earth magnet in the PVC pipe causes the magnet to accelerate due to gravity, but a different, more exciting phenomenon is observed when the magnet is dropped in the copper pipe. The emphasis becomes less about the activity and more focused on those transferrable skills gleaned from the experience itself. By mapping these STEM activities to the state’s educational performance standards, outreach becomes intentional, and therefore more impactful.

Spelman College is committed to increasing the num-

October 2013

ber of students entering and persisting in the STEM pipeline. The college has a long history of educating AfricanAmerican women in STEM disciplines conferring, on average, one quarter of its degrees to STEM majors. The inherent culture of the Spelman environment is inspiring, especially to women of African descent. Of the 54 full-time faculty in the STEM departments and programs, 83 percent are racial/ethnic minorities and 52 percent are women. There are 28 female STEM faculty members, of which 64 percent are African-American. The diversity of the faculty provides a support system of role models for the entire student body.

Spelman’s outreach efforts have grown significantly over the past 18 months with over 1,300 K-12 male and female students having been exposed to STEM careers and fields of study. During annual campus celebrations such as National Engineers Week and Research Day, local schools are invited to participate, with aspects of the events designed specifically for K-12 students. Support of partner events such as Georgia Tech’s “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” and Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta’s “Mad About Science” draws on Spelman’s strong suit—mentoring young women to leadership and academic excellence. Dr. Carmen Sidbury, mechanical engineer and the Associate Provost for Research at Spelman frames the college’s approach to STEM education.

“The availability of role models and the participation in activities with faculty and undergraduates are powerful motivators that affect students’ choice to persist in science and engineering.”

The Girls Leadership Institute (GLI) hosted annually

by Spelman College helps middle school girls understand and explore their leadership potentials as well as their interests in STEM. Funded through ongoing support from the U.S. Department of Energy, this day-long event engages girls in fun, hands-on activities which expose them to the various STEM fields, especially computer science and engineer-

A homopolar motor constructed by middle school students during the STEM Girls Leadership Institute

Building Your Future in Engineering

STEM Girls Leadership Institute middle school participants on Spelman's campus ing—fields in which women and minorities are significantly underrepresented. During last year’s event, nearly one hundred participants attended sessions focused on math forensics, electromagnetism, electric circuits, robotics, water filtration, lasers, and food chemistry—all with familiar references to common technologies found at home and in the classroom.

Through the support of education-industry partnerships with engineers from Southern Company, Georgia Tech Research Institute, and City of Atlanta Watershed who served as workshop facilitators, the STEM GLI increased students’ confidence in their ability to succeed in science, as reported by the students. The contributions of the Executive Director of Spelman’s Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement Dr. Jane Smith, the Spelman faculty and staff, and undergraduates played a part in shattering limits students might have otherwise placed on themselves.

Debbie Sterling’s speech vividly characterizes the experiences of many female engineers and encourages a much needed shift in society’s perception of the profession. It is equally important for engineers to be accessible to students, parents, and teachers in order to inspire and cultivate the next generation.

Spelman College, a historically Black college and a global leader in the education of women of African descent, is dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and the intellectual, creative, ethical, and leadership development of its students. Spelman empowers the whole person to engage the many cultures of the world and inspires a commitment to positive social change. v

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Future City: Better Mobility Solutions for our Future

By Tony Rizzuto, PhD. | Associate Professor, Chair | Department of Architecture | Southern Polytechnic State University Coordinator | Future City Competition | Georgia Region MOBILITY- The movement and accessibility of people and goods is an essential component of the human condition.

Historically, this has been limited by how fast and far an individual could move on foot, on horseback, or by sailboat.

Travel times were long and distances relatively short. Over time human transport has increased exponentially, paralleling the rise in population, prosperity, and technological innovation. In the process, advances in transportation technology and infrastructure reshaped our built environment.

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The twentieth century has often been called the ‘Golden Age’ of transportation, but at the dawn of the twenty first century the gold is a bit tarnished. Traffic congestion has become a growing problem and unless policy makers and transportation officials make some dramatic changes, it will rise to unacceptable levels by 2030. The forecast for our infrastructure is no brighter. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), nearly onethird of roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and one-

October 2013

fourth of the nation’s bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. By any measure, the U.S. transportation system is failing. In fact, the U.S. transit systems earned a D rating in the ASCE’s annual Infrastructure Report Card.

Today engineers, architects and urban planners are rethinking that system and questioning its environmental impact, inability to serve all members of society equally, and cost relative to personal income and GDP. This paradigm shift is essential if we want to provide adequate, affordable, and sustainable mobility for future generations. Making important changes to our cities, our infrastructure, and our technologies are an important first step, but educating our youth ensures our efforts are maintained and advanced.

That is why Future City has taken on this pressing issue.

This year’s upcoming competition is themed ‘Tomorrows Transit: Design a way to move people in and around your city.’ Working with educators and professional mentors, teams of middle school students from around the state are being asked to identify and research the problem of moving people in their city and to design a mode of transportation to solve this problem. Using the engineering design process they’ll work through complex problems related to how to improve mobility and safety while reducing the environmental impact.

And they’ll tackle that task with an eye on its integration into the larger built environment. Our students explore urban planning, look at city services and management, design transportation systems and infrastructure like power supply, renewable energy, water resources and treatment, garbage disposal and recycling, and pollution control. And they do it with an eye on sustainable growth and development as they apply their knowledge and creativity in the design of a city 150 years into the future.

The only national engineering competition for middle school students, Future City has gained wide acclaim for its role in encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), through hands on applications.

The competition is designed to make students flex their skills in writing (a City Narrative & Research Essay on the year’s theme), complex problem solving and design (a Virtual City design done using Simcity4 software), math and physics (a Physical Model), and communication and public speaking (a Team Presentation).

A study by The Concord Evaluation Group conducted in May 2012, found significant improvement in STEM core subjects of students who participated in the competition.

The survey found 86 percent of teachers said that they saw improvement in the problem solving skills of those who entered the competition. 85 percent of students claimed Future City helped them to learn and appreciate everything that goes into planning and maintaining a city. Equally high percentages stated the competition gave them an outlet for their creativity and imagination while teaching them the importance of working with others to solve problems. Recent Segments on PBS, Voice of America, and Time-for Kids along with participation at the Whitehouse Science Fair two years running have showcased this success.

Now in its 21th year, Future City reaches over 33,000 middle school students across the U.S. each year. Last year, close to 800 Georgia middle schoolers participated with over 425 making it to the regional competition on the campus of SPSU. We are always looking for professional engineers, architects, and planners to become mentors for our students, judges or volunteers for this fun and educational project. To learn how you can be a part of the Future City team visit our Web site at www.spsu.edu/futurecity v

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Auburn University

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October 2013

Education at Your Fingertips It’s a fast-paced world filled with work, family, friends and activities. Although days are jam-packed, that doesn’t mean you’ve lost your desire to learn new things and take on challenges. Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Online Graduate and Continuing Education Programs offer convenient and affordable ways to continue your education and advance professional development.

Quality classroom experience from a distance Auburn Engineering’s Online Graduate Program combines traditional instruction with the latest electronic delivery methods to offer educational opportunities beyond the classroom. Students can pursue an advanced degree or credential in engineering at home or work while continuing full-time employment. Classes may be accessed anywhere, anytime, through streaming video that is accessible with a variety of devices—PCs, Macs, iPads and MP3s. Distance graduate students receive the same lectures, assignments, and professors as their on-campus peers.

U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Education Programs recently ranked Auburn Engineering sixth among online graduate engineering programs. The graduate computer information technology program, housed in Com-

Building Your Future in Engineering

puter Science and Software Engineering, was ranked seventh among online graduate computer information technology programs.

“Auburn Engineering is well known for providing one of the nation’s top engineering graduate distance degree programs,” said Chris Roberts, dean of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. “These rankings confirm that our program offers strong graduate instruction with a leading-edge delivery system that ensures our distance students receive an experience comparable to that of their on-campus peers. Our

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING FACTS Undergraduate students: 4,157 Graduate students: 853 Faculty: 162 Continuing Education Units: yes Tuition: http/www.auburn.edu Starting salary range for graduates with bachelor’s of engineering degree: $50,000-$70,000

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online graduate programs are vital to our overall educational mission, and we are proud to take our place among the finest programs in the country.”

Enhance your professional skills The college’s Continuing Education Program offers a wide variety of workshops, seminars, conferences, and short courses to enhance professional development or meet license renewal requirements. Many of these programs provide Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). There are three specialized training areas at Auburn University: Alabama Technology Transfer, Southern Regional Radon Training, and the distance learning Engineering Professional Development Courses which are designed to meet state licensure boards continuing education requirements for professional engineers, land surveyors, and other certified professionals.

“Engineers are lifelong learners, and our Engineering Professional Development Program offers more than 100 online courses that are available anytime and anywhere,” says Wanda Lambert, marketing director of Auburn’s Graduate Engineering Online and Continuing Education. “This puts the continuing education credits (CEUs) that professionals need to earn right at their fingertips.”

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October 2013

About Auburn University Established in 1856, Auburn University was the first landgrant college in the South. Today, it is one of the few universities to carry the torch as a land, sea, and space grant university, and is setting the standard for education excellence in the state of Alabama and the region. With an enrollment in excess of 25,000 students, the university offers more than 140 degree options in 13 schools and colleges at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.

Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, the largest and most prestigious engineering program in Alabama, produces more than one third of the state’s engineering graduates according to the American Society for Engineering Education. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the college 30th among public universities offering doctoral programs, while its graduate programs were ranked 40th among public universities.

With a dynamic and innovative research program, as well as 12 undergraduate and ten graduate degree granting programs, the college is recognized as a significant contributor to the region’s economic development and industrial competitiveness. v

Building Your Future in Engineering

35

building a bright Future in engineering

By Christine Brack | Zweig White

I love learning. And back in the day, I loved being a student. I loved it so much, I kept going back, even when I was working. Today, I read as much as I can on the subjects I really enjoy and I keep a close eye on the engineering industry.

But as much as I loved my academic days, there are many aspects of it I don’t miss—like the all nighters, endless hours of homework, exams, and term papers. The working world seemed so tantalizing—real income, decision making ability, great projects, fun colleagues, perks, bragging rights, and maybe even travel. At least that’s what we thought was waiting for us.

I love my job and I really enjoy my colleagues. I have great clients and I do travel to work with them. Every one of these clients has a team of employees ranging in age and experience level. Most of them recruit from their local schools or their own alma maters. For the last several years, the topic of millennials in the workplace has lead heated conversations—followed closely by getting more young women into the field of engineering.

I was consulting an engineering firm earlier this year—

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and talked closely with the younger employees about their perceptions, concerns, and thoughts about their futures.

One very astute young man—and rising star—offered that the best advice he received to be successful (and happy) was from another rising star just five years older—more like a big brother than someone preaching from an older age group. Here are his key points: • Play well with others. Senior team projects are an integral part of the engineering curriculum—to prepare you modestly for what to expect in the office. Seldom does anyone work alone—and that’s a good thing. And just like receiving a grade for effort—you’ll be assessed on your contribution to the firm—in ways you may not have expected. Personality and humility count—and even if you were at the top of your class—you are beginning a whole new phase professionally and personally.

Keep your ego in check and be open to advice and even tough criticism. This is where you will spend 50+ hours of your life every week—are colleagues glad to see you or do they dread it?

• Study more than engineering. You just finished a long and arduous educational journey and now are enthusiastic to be an engineer doing engineering things. There are two things to consider, however. Your company is a business and your client has one too—both are subject to economic impacts, regulatory changes, trends, and innovations. Understand what these are and how you can avoid them, deal with them, or beat them when hit.

What keeps your clients up at night?

What keeps your boss up at night?

We a ve y o u r knowl-

October 2013 2013 October

edge of these into what you do and you’ll be a smarter engineer.

• Communicate well. Every semester was packed with engineering courses—but this doesn’t excuse any graduate from not using proper grammar, verbal tact, and clarity in spoken and written form. E-mail is the medium clients see from you on a regular basis—so every word you write and thought you express is the impression you leave them. Misspellings are painful to read—as are sentences that don’t make sense, don’t address a topic directly, or carry a tone of arrogance, belligerence, or even indifference.

• Be professional. You are young and energetic but you still have a lot to learn. Good manners, politeness, a

hand-written thank you note, and decorum go a long way in the industry and in today’s world—no matter what the company’s culture actually stands for. Millennials have plenty of stereotypes associated with them— don’t portray the negative ones. Respect everyone in the organization—they all have a role—and respect that you have a place too—and a ladder to climb. Adhere to company policies and don’t try to bend it in your favor— those rules have to be respected too. Most importantly, be ethical in your work.

Some moments in the working world will make you want to escape back to the college days of mid-day naps and glitzy student union buildings. It isn’t always a safe world—there are bad bosses, office politics, down economies, crummy teammates, and difficult clients. But there are also ample rewards and good times. There are no short cuts to your success or happiness, but the youngest generation of engineers I work with agree that, at most, you can only control and work on YOU. And focusing on the things mentioned above are going to carry you a long way.

Christine Brack is a principal with ZweigWhite who specializes in strategic business planning and project management best practices. Contact her at cbrack@zweigwhite.com.v

Building Your Future in Engineering

37

North Georgia Technical College

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October 2013

North Georgia Technical College Engineering Technology students connect with local industry North Georgia Technical College is the right place at the right time to start an engineering degree. Beginning with the ground-breaking articulation agreement between the Technical College System of Georgia and Southern Polytechnic University in 2011, NGTC has jumped in with both feet to create a successful career path for the best and brightest in the region.

Using a multi-faceted approach, NGTC has a variety of initiatives and programs underway to fully support students with a desire to pursue engineering.

Taking advantage of world-class resources here in the northeast Georgia region, the North Georgia Technical College Engineering Technology students and members of the Society of Mechanical Engineers visited the GEM Plastics manufacturing facilities in Eastanollee, Georgia, for an indepth tour of plastics fabrication.

“So much of what we use every day comes from plastics and knowing how it is made isn’t common knowledge,” said NGTC Instructor Elwin Northcutt. “It seems like it must be a simple process, but when you delve into the terminology, intricate process parameters, and quality demands for production of polymers, students soon realize it is a very complex system.”

Touring the factory which consistently operates near 100 percent capacity, the students were able to connect the information discussed in the classroom with real-world applications. Listening to their comments afterward demonstrated how deeply they have subsumed the vocabulary and concepts.

“It was interesting to see how much inventory space was required relative to production space,” said Rylan London of Gainesvlle. “The engineering department staff was a significant part of their employee base. The engineers are looking at new processes. One of the projects they are working on was recycling heat from certain parts of the process.”

Problem-solving skills are an essential part of day-today duties for engineers across all industries. As engineering technology students at NGTC are discovering, finding solutions requires a blend of brainstorming, information gathering, prototyping, testing, and creativity.

Recently, NGTC Instructor Elwin Northcutt began working with Adams Container Plant Manager Bill Denison on a design project that allowed students to flex their knowledge and abilities. As a manufacturer of corrugated

Building Your Future in Engineering

boxes and other specialized custom packing products and services, Denison brought a new customer request to the NGTC team to see what they could come up with.

The students were challenged to redesign a standard wine tote to work for boxing and shipping for business-toconsumer sales rather than bulk business-to-business sales.

During the presentation of ideas to Denison, the team discussed functional issues such as angles of cuts and folds, strength of materials, utilization of materials, and labor efficiency for the packaging as well as ideas and concepts from other versions on the market.

The next step will be for the students to create a scaled prototype to show to the customer using SolidWorks CAD (Computer Aided Design). Denison supplied some corrugated materials for the students to work with. Prototypes will also have to undergo a series of tests such as load bearing, drop or shock tests, and temperature changes.

“That’s when it gets exciting; that’s the fun part,” said Denison. “The student ideas and designs thus far are a big help to me. I appreciate all of the thought they are putting into it. One of these designs is going to work.”

North Georgia Technical College is a public, residential, multi-campus, two-year technical college whose mission is to provide quality technical education, adult education, continuing education, and business and industry training to individuals who can benefit from these programs and services. The college offers both traditional and distance learning courses that lead to the certificate, the diploma, and the associate degree. On campus housing provides affordable and convenient living options.v

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Georgia Institute of Technology

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October 2013

Georgia Tech's College of Engineering (CoE) is the largest of the institute’s six colleges, enrolling more than 60 percent of the students at Georgia Tech and about half of all tenured and tenure track faculty at the institute. CoE offers more than 50 different degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels through its main Atlanta campus and satellite campuses around the world. The college has a strong national and international reputation, and as the nation’s largest engineering program, consistently ranks high among the major producers of engineering degrees awarded to women and underrepresented minority students.

CoE is an exemplary leader in engineering education, research, and service that anticipates and meets the needs of tomorrow’s world. CoE provides an educational experience that prepares graduates for a career not only in engineering, but other professions such as medicine, law, business, and public policy. Graduates of Tech’s engineering program are ready to contribute to the global workforce immediately upon graduation and are prepared to 'hit the ground running.'

Our students have dozens of opportunities for handson, interdisciplinary technological research that give them an opportunity to work alongside renowned faculty on meaningful projects with real human benefits. CoE students gain exposure to an environment in which they can pursue interests that would normally be unattainable elsewhere. We have more than 40 engineering specific clubs and over 400 other student organizations. There is something for everyone here at Georgia Tech.

The average SAT score of freshmen entering the College of Engineering in the fall of 2013 was 2000. More than 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students are majoring in engineering. Last year, the college conferred 1,823 bachelor's degrees, 1,051 master's degrees, and 313 doctoral degrees. Degrees are offered in Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engi-

Building Your Future in Engineering

neering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

CoE has 430 faculty members and boasts 26 Regents' Professors and 120 named Chairs and Professorships, 17 Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars, and 27 National Academy of Engineering members on the Georgia Tech faculty.

Georgia Tech prepares students not only to succeed, but also to set the standard for tomorrow's world. From developing renewable energy sources and the latest in unmanned vehicles to designing robots that replace service dogs and new materials that are capable of bonding tendons to bones, Georgia Tech engineers are leaders in shaping the way people live. v

GEORGIA TECH FACTS Sample salaries for 2013 graduates: Chemical engineering Mechanical engineering Electrical/electronics engineering Computer engineering Industrial/manufacturing engineering Aerospace engineering

$70,000 $64,750 $66,500 $62,000 $65,000 $65,500

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Edwin A. Bayo is a former Counsel to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers.

He is Board Certified in State and Federal Government and Administrative Practice by the Florida Bar

Engineering Ethics & You

By Edwin A. Bayo Esq. | Grossman, Furlow & Bayo LLC

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October 2013

F

inding new ways to cover the topic of ethics in engineering can be difficult. It is a popular subject for continuing education courses, and many engineers have taken related courses to satisfy curriculum requirements. No doubt, many engineers are familiar with the NSPE code of ethics, and its fundamental canons, rules of practice, and list of professional obligations. A related topic not often covered, however, is conduct by an engineer which many be deemed ‘unethical,’ but does not, in and of itself, expose the engineer to disciplinary action by a state licensing board.

Take, for example, the scenario where Engineer A induces a client to work with him or her rather than Engineer B. The client initially intended to work with Engineer B and Engineer A and Engineer B are business partners. While some boards may define ‘misconduct’ to include a conflict of interest with an employer, a conflict of interest with a business partner may not meet that definition. Just because an engineer may take action that is dishonest or unethical, does not necessarily give the board jurisdiction to investigate or discipline him or her.

I mentioned the NSPE code of ethics earlier. Another example where unethical behavior may not result in board jurisdiction to investigate or discipline is found in several of its canons.

For example, the code states that “engineers in private practice shall not review the work of another engineer for the same client, except with the knowledge of such engineer, or unless the connection of such engineer with the work has been terminated.”

This means that if an engineer is to conduct a peer review of another engineer’s work, he or she is under an ethical obligation to notify that engineer before doing so. However, the failure to do so may not constitute a specific ground for disciplinary action by a state board.

The code also states that “engineers in salaried positions shall accept part-time engineering work only to the extent consistent with policies of the employer and in accordance with ethical considerations.” So long as there is no conflict of interest, whether or not the engineer accepts part-time employment is a matter purely between the engineer and his or her employer. He or she may be fired if a policy disallowing such part-time employment is in place and the employer finds out, but it is unlikely that a state board could

Building Your Future in Engineering

take disciplinary measures against the engineer based on these facts alone.

So what is the point of this article? Perhaps to provide a broader perspective on the topic of engineering ethics and its importance. Some of the fundamental principles behind Thomas Hobbes’ ‘social contract theory,’ is that there must be guarantees that people will not harm one another, and that people must be able to rely on one another to keep their agreements. Without these guarantees, society cannot function. While these principles are applicable to all professions, the practice of engineering stands out. People need to be able to trust that the individuals responsible for creating the homes they live in, the buildings they work in, the cars they drive, the planes they fly in, and so on, are the kind of individuals that uphold a high ethical standard to do no harm.

To truly maintain the integrity of the engineering profession, it is important for the individual engineer to determine whether his or her conduct is unethical, not whether he or she can be disciplined for it. The question can often arise as to whether something is ethical or unethical. That determination can sometimes fall squarely with the engineer.

When confronted with a potential ethical dilemma, there are certain procedures the engineer should follow. While maintaining a high ethical standard is important, so too is protecting yourself.

First and foremost, maintain a record of the event and details. Continue to update this record as the matter progresses. This will prove helpful should the need arise to demonstrate due diligence, i.e. that you were aware of the issue and took steps to resolve it.

If faced with an ethical issue within the workplace, consider an internal appeal. You should be familiar with the company’s policies on such appeals, as well as applicable laws and rules that may protect you. Identify the issues and, if possible, any solutions or alternatives. When making the appeal, keep everything in writing and maintain a record of same.

Whether you work for yourself or for a company, take advantage of your state’s licensing board. Most state boards will have a contact person who can provide guidance for your particular situation. Contacting your state board can also further evidence due diligence on your part. v

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Mercer University

Mercer Engineering is about changing the world through education, research, discovery, inspiration, and service. Our graduates enter the work force equipped with real-world education and experience, and a commitment to serving their communities.

With a full-time faculty of 32 professors and over 600 students, the school prides itself on an environment where everyone matters and student success is priority one. e Mercer School of Engineering is one of the few engineering schools offering 128-credit programs in a university setting that also offers degrees in medicine, law, business, music, education, nursing, pharmacy, liberal arts, theology, and the sciences.

In the early 1980s, engineering leaders from central Georgia and the U.S. Air Force approached Mercer Univer44

sity with an unusual request: create a school to help fill their need for engineers with a solid, multidisciplinary foundation. Bolstered by public and private support - financial generosity that continues to this day—the Mercer University School of Engineering opened its doors in 1985. In 1987, the University founded the Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC), providing an organizational structure to support sponsored research and hands-on learning for student interns.

October 2013

Academic Distinctions e Mercer School of Engineering prepares students to serve the rapidly changing demands of a new century. e academic programs provide breadth and depth in technical disciplines. Engineering professors bring insight and wisdom from many different perspectives—practical experience, research projects, and the roles of teachers and parents. Students combine technology with community service through opportunities to serve like the popular Mercer on Mission program where students join faculty in outreach projects for under-developed places around the world.

At Mercer, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree takes an interdisciplinary path that includes a core curriculum in electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineering. Integrated within the curriculum is study of technical communication—a communication-enhancing focus on the written and spoken word. Specialties can be completed in one of six engineering discipline areas: biomedical, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, and mechanical. Mercer’s BSE program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc. Mercer offers Master of Science degrees in eleven areas: biomedical engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, engineering management, environmental engineering, environmental systems, mechanical engineering, software engineering, software systems, technical communication management, and technical management.

A major distinctive of the Mercer engineering experience is that students experience engineering design in the freshman year that continues in labs with hands-on experience throughout the program. First-year engineering students learn to work in teams to create a device which ‘competes’ against other teams’ devices in the annual ‘Engineering Expo,’ a spring event to celebrate student projects and research.

Mercer is also one of the few engineering schools that offer a major and a minor in technical communication. Mercer engineering students may also pursue other minors that vary across the academic spectrum from premed to music to business and many more. e School of Engineering offers an active honors program where students research projects that they select and build prototype designs that they share in conferences and poster sessions. Mercer engineering students take advantage of the popular ‘5th Year Program’ where juniors can apply to the graduate school to complete their undergraduate and master’s degree in engineering in a total of five years.

Research is a vital component of Mercer's engineering

Building Your Future in Engineering

program and its partner is the Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC), an operating unit of Mercer University devoted to the performance of sponsored scientific and engineering research for governmental, industrial, and commercial markets. MERC employs engineers and scientists, faculty, and students to enhance the discovery and utilization of knowledge to solve real problems. e Mercer Engineering Research Center provides Mercer students with an outstanding opportunity to learn professional practice skills and experience hands-on engineering.

Significant ties to Industry Mercer School of Engineering graduates are recruited and appreciated by top companies. ese employers know that Mercer students are experienced in solving real problems and communicating with others, qualities not often stressed by many schools. Graduates have joined fellow alumni at large organizations such as the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Lockheed Martin, Georgia Power, Siemens, and Gulfstream Aerospace as well as many smaller firms across the US. Each student is required to complete a year-long senior design project with an external client, many of which are corporate/government entities. A distinctive for Mercer students is that the School of Engineering provides its undergraduates with a private lab space for their design projects. rough the Industrial Experience Program, students

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communities. Our labs are busy with design projects in robotics, prosthetics, machine designs, software systems, and much more. e key ingredient is the people—faculty, staff, and students, who translate the needs of clients into design problems that challenge our skills as engineers. We like to say that Mercer Engineering is ‘Different by Design’ and we like to explain why that is so! v

MERCER UNIVERSITY FACTS

earn academic credit by working under a practicing engineer. ese short-term experiences are encouraged because they provide hands-on learning opportunities with some of the most prestigious companies in the country.

A View to the Future It is an exciting time to study engineering and be part of a discipline that brings tremendous benefits to our world. e last two years brought the largest freshman classes in our history. Students want to master technology and then use it to establish themselves professionally as well as to serve their

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Faculty: 32 Dean: Wade H. Shaw, Ph.D, P.E. (478) 301-2459 Undergraduate students: 540 Graduate students: 180 Distance learning: Yes Estimated undergraduate costs: Tuition & Fees: $33,120 Room & Board: $11,000 Books & Supplies: $1,200 Total: $45,320 Scholarships: Mercer offers scholarships that can cover up to full tuition. 97 percent of our students receive some form of financial aid each year.

October 2013

School of Engineering Graduation

By Cindy Theiler

W

hen Georgia Power—like other industries and businesses—had difficulty back in 2007 finding qualified co-ops who would work and live in Savannah, it kicked its workforce development strategy into high gear. Earlier this month that situation was turning around as the first 14 students, who completed all four sequence courses in the Energy Pathway, graduated from Jenkins High School’s School of Engineering.

Since Georgia Power initiated a partnership in 2008 with Jenkins High School to help ‘grow’ future engineers for the area, 34 other area companies and post-secondary educational institutions are now part of a Business Education Advisory Committee (BEAC) and also support the program.

These businesses include Gulfstream, International Paper, El Paso Corp., O’Brien & Gere, SAGIS, U.S. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Georgia Army National Guard, Mitsubishi Power Systems, and the city of Savannah.

“Through this engineering program, we are growing future engineers for Savannah and our industry and ensuring we have a workforce ready to meet the demands of the 21st century,” said Debra Howell, Georgia Power’s workforce development manager.

“Our company’s investment in workforce development through the School of Engineering reinforces our commitment to helping our customers and communities succeed,” said Cathy Hill, Georgia Power’s Coastal Region vice president. “Our involvement with the BEAC also provides an opportunity for us to partner with some of our largest customers and opinion leaders.”

“Business partners are essential to the growth and effectiveness of the program,” said Grace Herrington, director for Jenkins’ School of Engineering. “Our business partners

provide the applications for the classroom lessons and also opportunities for students to see/experience the various disciplines within engineering.”

As a sponsor for the last five years, Georgia Power has served as a catalyst in building and chairing an active BEAC, sponsored summer camps for incoming freshmen, hosted upper classman camp for tours of plants Kraft and Vogtle, sponsored the FIRST robotics team, and multiple activities, including for Girls in Engineering, Science Olympiad, Get into Energy Week, and teacher development, and provided summer internship experiences for rising or graduating seniors.

With a mission to provide a stimulating curriculum enriched in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics and a goal to produce graduates who are successful in their pursuit of higher education within these fields and serve the coastal region of Georgia, the School of Engineering seems right on track.

According to Herrington, 11 of these students have been accepted into college engineering programs. Seven of them have or will complete an engineering internship prior to college, including two who are serving as interns this summer for Georgia Power in the Savannah area.

Each year a maximum of 63 students from Chatham County, who meet program eligibility, may be accepted into Jenkins’ School of Engineering. The 150 students currently enrolled have the opportunity to participate in advanced engineering courses, including introduction to engineering design, principles of engineering, digital electronics, and engineering design.

“Georgia Power and the other partners are all dedicated to the success of this school,” Howell said. “There’s nothing else like it in Georgia.” v

Jenkins High School’s School of Engineering summer campers (grades 9-12) visit Plant Vogtle.

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Southern Polytechnic State University Applied knowledge | Employed Graduates

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October 2013

Why do students choose to study engineering? Is it because they love theory, calculus, or physics? Rarely. Students choose engineering because they want to solve problems, make the world better, create new products, or do something important.

Why do employers hire engineers? Is it for their theoretical knowledge base? Rarely. Companies need engineers to make their product(s) faster, better, more efficient, more durable, or more economical.

At Southern Polytechnic State University, students are able to pursue their academic goals—and to graduate with the knowledge and experience that makes them successful in the workforce. Whether in engineering or engineering technology, students apply their knowledge of theory and practice to solve important problems facing the world.

They explore alternative sources of power generation that are clean and efficient. They discover the many ways to use robots or robotic systems to accomplish tasks that previously were not thought possible. They design faster computers, stronger and lighter concrete, more environmentally-friendly building techniques, and so much more.

With an SPSU degree, graduates get jobs. Given the affordability of attending SPSU and the strong job prospects for alumni, SPSU is consistently ranked high in SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY FACTs

In-state tuition: $5,733 per year Out-of-state tuition: $16,760 per year Housing rates: spsu.edu/housing Students: 6,600 from 36 states and 104 countries Middle 50 percent SAT scores: 540-640 Math, 500600 Critical Reading Largest majors: mechanical engineering, information technology, computer science, electrical engineering, and architecture.

Fastest growing majors: new media arts, which has doubled in size since fall 2012; mechanical engineering, which is up by 33 percent; and accounting and electrical engineering, both of which are up by 25 percent since fall 2012.

Building Your Future in Engineering

terms of return on investment. As a public university, this return on investment serves the state of Georgia well.

Over the last five years, about 90 percent of SPSU graduates have chosen to live and work in Georgia, where they reinvest their experience in their jobs, their families, and their communities.

Another reason students choose engineering at Southern Polytechnic State University is because it is fun!

Through projects and student competition teams, students design, build, and race a formula racecar and a concrete canoe. They develop a programmable, autonomous helicopter and underwater vehicle. They compete to build a stronger and lighter bridge made of steel. All of this is done with the guidance of faculty who have real world, industry experience. Students learn how to apply what they have learned in the classroom and laboratory, and they have the excitement of pitting their knowledge and skills—successfully—against those of students at other universities across the region, the country, and the world. SPSU has more than a dozen competition teams, including the Aerial Robotics Team, American Society of Civil Engineers Steel Bridge Team, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Team, Electric Vehicle Team, Southern Poly Motorsports, and the Extreme Gravity Racing Team.

Southern Polytechnic is a residential, co-educational member of the University System of Georgia. Located on 203 acres of naturally wooded landscape in the historic and vibrant city of Marietta, we are just 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta.

Undergraduate offerings in engineering and engineering technology at Southern Polytechnic include B.S. degrees in civil, computer, construction, electrical, environmental, industrial, mechanical, mechatronics, systems, and telecommunications. Southern Polytechnic also offers graduate programs in civil engineering, engineering technology, and systems engineering, as well as an undergraduate concentration in aerospace engineering and a minor in nuclear engineering.v 49

Mechatronics Training Module

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Receives Funding for an Interactive STEM Center From the national level to the local level, the number of students interested in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has become a focal point in education discussions and planning. Research shows that the United States ranks behind 25 countries in math and 12 countries in science. Many countries in Asia have made STEM education a major priority. In an already competitive global marketplace, the STEM focused efforts by these nations makes them an attractive alternative to the United States. Even more eye opening, China and the rest of Asia can boast that 51 percent of first degree earners are in engineering; whereas, the U.S. can only claim a low number of four percent. These numbers, combined with STEM related efforts in other nations, leave the U.S. at risk long-term if changes are not made.

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October 2013

STEM Education programs are becoming increasingly necessary and sought after as both K-12 and post-secondary education systems seek out ways to increase the interest in these areas to fill a national need. STEM education programs are developed to help teachers and students understand how the academic disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics impact their world and prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow. In the STEM environment, the emphasis is on activities that allow students to engage in real world problems and experiences through project-based, experiential learning activities.

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is in the development stages of an Interactive STEM Center that will provide rural South Georgia students with hands-on activities centered around STEM careers and technology. The college was recently awarded a USDA Community Facilities grant for $55,000. The Wiregrass Foundation North and Foundation South also pledged an additional $50,000 to create the STEM Center. This center will be a mobile unit designed to provide high school and college students in the 11 counties served by Wiregrass Georgia Technical College access to technology associated with STEM education and careers.

Wiregrass believes that increased exposure to STEM activities and careers will motivate and inspire students to enter these fields of study and career pathways. The technologies and equipment for the Interactive STEM Center were carefully chosen based on relevance to regional industries and careers as well as the ability to be interactive and interesting to students.

The equipment for the center was also chosen to compliment programs already in place in area schools. Many middle and high schools in the region have robotics teams so the center will build upon those experiences by featuring a working Fanuc Robot, connecting the fun of robotics with real-world jobs. The Fanuc program and controller is the same as the ones found in advanced manufacturing environments. Training on this equipment can lead to certifications that students can carry with them as they enter the workforce.

The Wiregrass Center will also feature technology addressing the use of green energies. Increased use of fossil fuels globally is creating economic and environmental concerns that are already being addressed and will continue to grow in importance in the future. Renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, and bio power will continue to grow in use with the eventual goal of being mass produced. Many experts foresee green energy as an area that will drive the nation’s economy, creating a need for qualified technicians and engineers to develop and maintain these complex systems. The Wiregrass In-

Building Your Future in Engineering

teractive STEM Center will include a training device that combines three technologies into one unit and will allow students to view these types of technologies used to produce energy. The rural nature and climate of south Georgia is facilitating a rise in the use of green energy in agricultural production.

Although not new, 3-D printers will give students the opportunity to design and produce parts and components for prototyping. Many industries are now utilizing and embracing this technology to reduce costs and speed up the design process. An example of this concept was reported in a recent NASA project where a 3-D printer was used to develop a fuel system injector that delivered liquid and gaseous propellants into an engine that produced a record 20,000 pounds of thrust. The college’s use of the 3-D printer will not rise to that scale, but the basic concept involved in design and engineering will be achieved through projects involving SolidWorks Software and Gears Educational Systems STEM-based lessons and Trebuchet Kits. Students will be able to work in teams to design and test their models using components developed from the 3-D printer.

The college has many other programs utilizing equipment and technologies that can be added to the center as needed, including telecommunications equipment used in the installation and repair of fiber optic systems. Students will be able to experience and use fusion splicers for joining strands of glass together capable of delivering high-bandwidth communication transmissions. Mechatronics technology, best described as a combination of engineering, electronic control, and mechanical systems will be featured in the center.

Students would be able to observe how this science interfaces five disciplines including mechanics, electronics, informatics, automation, and robotics into the backbone of many advanced manufacturing systems found in today’s industries.

Dean of the Technical and Industrial programs at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Roy Warren, believes that more students will be attracted into the STEM areas if they can make a better connection to the various types of technologies found in these disciplines and how they relate to a career.

“The Wiregrass STEM project has taught us at the USDA a lot, and other communities will benefit from this project,” stated USDA Rural Development State Director Quinton Robinson.

The Wiregrass Interactive STEM Center will be equipped with its own network and presentation equipment enhancing the environment of a teaching lab. The center has a projected unveiling date of November 2013. v

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2013 Salary Survey of Northeast & South Atlantic Engineering Firms Welcome to the fourth edition of ZweigWhite’s Salary Survey of Northeast & South Atlantic Engineering Firms, which combines what previously consisted of two reports on salary trends in the Northeast and South Atlantic regions. î “is report shows base salaries for employees in engineering firms throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico. mean

median

lower quartile

upper quartile

Civil Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$52,506 $69,387 $93,209 $117,357 $137,856

$52,000 $67,933 $90,480 $115,000 $134,188

$48,600 $61,412 $80,400 $95,500 $115,000

$56,680 $77,756 $104,312 $136,128 $146,016

Structural Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$56,137 $74,020 $92,845 $114,866 $140,042

$54,000 $71,448 $91,000 $110,302 $125,000

$50,253 $63,860 $81,458 $93,702 $110,302

$57,408 $79,373 $102,000 $123,300 $140,000

Electrical Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$55,259 $73,683 $92,317 $107,516 $130,684

$55,341 $70,658 $92,301 $106,858 $125,000

$49,504 $63,128 $81,640 $98,800 $115,000

$60,400 $80,002 $101,079 $113,465 $152,672

Mechanical Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$72,021 $71,601 $89,198 $107,723 $134,903

$55,580 $70,319 $86,830 $104,000 $132,300

$48,000 $62,000 $78,000 $92,000 $114,400

$60,560 $80,950 $96,720 $116,500 $147,390

Geotechnical Engineer/Scientist Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$50,952 $75,011 $91,811 $124,676 $146,122

$50,000 $67,964 $85,300 $124,000 $135,866

$47,000 $63,648 $75,000 $106,096 $132,308

$55,952 $84,445 $110,607 $138,700 $140,000

Environmental Engineer/Scientist Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$47,374 $66,440 $89,247 $107,163 $133,204

$48,526 $62,900 $84,140 $101,851 $135,000

$45,000 $57,179 $75,088 $93,146 $116,680

$50,000 $68,856 $92,500 $121,297 $140,000

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October 2013

mean

median

lower quartile

upper quartile

Traffic/Transportation Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$51,294 $64,969 $92,655 $113,587 $148,877

$51,446 $62,920 $87,641 $109,763 $133,328

$48,724 $58,240 $78,312 $102,730 $122,304

$56,692 $70,000 $102,107 $123,000 $164,000

Planner Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$50,626 $65,591 $91,467 $113,031 $124,676

$51,714 $66,005 $86,188 $109,658 $117,000

$47,000 $58,094 $79,109 $99,091 $108,000

$56,638 $74,792 $97,524 .$140,774 $140,400

GIS Professional Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$44,444 $61,936 $79,775 $91,141 $138,871

$44,803 $60,320 $82,000 $88,652 $152,880

$42,000 $52,711 $71,000 $68,096 $126,152

$46,553 $66,144 $89,440 $104,901 $155,00

Land Surveyors Instrument Person I Survey Technician Field Survey Party Chief Project Surveyor Survey Department Manager

$38,846 $41,736 $50,466 $65,952 $90,564

$40,000 $41,600 $50,019 $71,864 $90,875

$29,692 $33,000 $43,720 $58,681 $82,300

$48,880 $50,000 $55,800 $78,270 $99,986

Civil Engineering Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$41,021 $53,259 $64,099

$41,433 $52,000 $62,400

$32,864 $47,000 $55,000

$50,000 $58,000 $68,000

Mechanical Engineering Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$38,804 $53,727 $69,891

$34,840 $49,296 $67,200

$31,408 $40,050 $58,787

$45,0000 $61,200 $82,500

CADD Operator Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$41,127 $50,198 .$63,234

$41,600 $51,500 $62,000

$35,000 $43,966 $55,000

$45,103 $55,000 $70,000

Field Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$43,056 $52,977 $70,384

$41,109 $53,040 $69,940

$37,440 $42,827 $56,000

$49,046 $59,800 $78,728

* Based on a sample too small to yield meaningful values.

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ZweigWhite | 321 Commonwealth Road | Suite 101 | Wayland, MA 01778 Tel: 508-651-1559 | Fax: 508-653-6522 | E-mail: info@zweigwhite.com | Web: www.zweigwhite.com

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University | School of Engineering Vanderbilt is an internationally recognized, privately supported research university and its hometown of Nashville, Tennessee is ‘Music City U.S.A.’ The university’s students frequently cite Nashville as one of the perks of Vanderbilt, with its 330-acre campus located a little more than a mile from downtown.

Engineering is a particularly tough choice to make for students about to enter college since preparation at the high school level seldom gives the opportunity to study engineering subjects, or even to see what engineers do.

The School of Engineering’s unique first-year program allows students to examine various engineering majors from multiple perspectives before declaring a specific major. For Vanderbilt students, the juxtaposition between the school and the College of Arts and Science provides appropriate information and time for making a wise career choice.

This fall, the school launched an Alumni Mentor Program to create productive one-on-one or one-to-small group relationships between alumni and students. Mentoring relationships involve an initial year-long commitment that may be renewed throughout the student’s undergraduate career.

“At the onset of their career in the School of Engineering, undergraduate students are assigned a faculty member who serves as their primary academic adviser. We believe our students also could benefit from a complementary form of

support offered through our talented and loyal alumni network,” says Dean Philippe Fauchet.

“The number of undergraduates and alumni who have signed up for the new mentorship program shows that this initiative will be successful in its first year,” Fauchet says.

The dean also believes Vanderbilt’s strong liberal arts component is a tangible benefit for an engineering student.

Mechanical engineering student Christopher Marince added piano lessons and MUSO 102—Computer Recording Technology Seminar—at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music to his schedule. He has found that music helps him academically. “When I’m having difficulty solving a math problem, I play the piano for a while … to clear my thoughts,” he told participants at a recent board of visitors meeting.

At the board of visitors meeting, Dean Fauchet identified technology and the music industry as an initiate the school is exploring. Computer science is a second major available to Blair students. Engineering minors are available to music students as well.

Vanderbilt University now has designated space at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. At just 20 years old, engineering student Ben Whittle has become the first candidate accepted into the VU@EC program. Whittle and a business partner are developing a new online collaboration platform that will enable groups to brainstorm and share ideas via instant messaging or group video chats, investigate problems, and visualize solutions.

Vanderbilt students who go directly into engineering employment have found the liberal arts aspect of their education an asset in finding jobs, and a further benefit to promotion to management positions. Many engineering and A velcro-clad Motorola van full of the latest prototyping tools parked outside engineering’s Featheringill Hall for a three-day Make-a-Thon in August. Students, engineers and designers took apart unlocked Droid Razr Maxx HD smartphones in order to redesign them with new features. Two patent applications were filed as a result. (Anne Rayner/Vanderbilt)

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October 2013

,technology employers choose managers from their ranks of technical personnel. The decision to promote someone from a technical post into management is based on more than technical abilities. Oral and written communication skills, leadership abilities, and familiarity with subjects beyond the borders of engineering often factor in a promotion decision.

The School of Engineering offers bachelor of engineering degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. A bachelor of science degree is offered in computer science and engineering science. Many engineering students choose double majors, minors, or concentrations in complementary disciplines.

Minors in engineering management, computer science, scientific computing, materials science and engineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology, environmental engineering, and energy and environmental systems may be combined with majors, as can minors offered through the College of Arts and Science.

In addition to training in engineering science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, students explore the opportunity to round out their undergraduate academic experience with an honors program or an accelerated degree program through which both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering are earned in five years. Many engineering students find study abroad to be an integral part of their undergraduate experience. This year, 20 percent of engineering seniors will have had at least one study abroad experience.

The school offers the master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree, with emphasis on engineering design and practice, in most areas of study. The Vanderbilt Graduate School, through the school’s departments, offers the research-oriented Ph.D. degree in eight major fields: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer science, electrical, environmental, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering.

All engineering students study in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs in Vanderbilt’s multimillion dollar engineering complex—in a student-centered environment.

Featheringill Hall, the centerpiece of the complex, features a three-story atrium that serves as a gathering place for all in the school. Featheringill Hall also contains more than 50 teaching and research labs, a design studio, model shop, and a project room to showcase student ideas from concept to prototype to final product.

All full-time faculty members hold doctorates and teach undergraduate students. And, all programs leading to the bachelor of engineering degree at Vanderbilt are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc.

Building Your Future in Engineering

Faculty and students collaborate across disciplines to address four critical research initiatives that characterize the school’s commitment to help solve real-world challenges with worldwide impact. They are health and medicine, energy and natural resources, security, and entertainment.

Critical health care research initiatives are ongoing in cellular dynamics in immunology, cardiology, cancer, as well as MRI and imaging systems to guide surgery. Other research efforts include laser-tissue interaction, biomedical optics, bionanotechnology, and robotics.

The School of Engineering is recognized as an international research leader in the areas of nuclear waste management, structural reliability and risk, and teaching assessment approaches to environmental decision making.

A large number of faculty and students engage in leading edge research of significant importance to critical commercial and government systems, including model-based design of trustworthy information systems, diagnostics of complex systems, and tools for the design of embedded systems.

A particular strength of the school is the depth and breadth of its multidisciplinary capability. Through programs funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and others, the school participates in collaborations with many top-25 universities and national laboratories.

Vanderbilt engineering graduates are valued for their expertise, intellectual independence, communication skills, and leadership ability. Graduates are actively recruited not only for engineering careers but also for careers as diverse as consulting, medicine, law, and finance. At Vanderbilt, engineering students learn to be creative thinkers and problem solvers—skills that are valuable throughout life, not only when they are solving engineering problems. v VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING FACTS August 2013: 6,213 applicants, 320 slots Average SAT score: 1506 (99th percentile) Undergraduates: 1,329 Graduate students: 496 Percent of female undergraduates: 32 percent Percent of minority undergraduates: 19 percent Undergraduates receiving financial aid: 61percent Tenure/tenure-track faculty: 92 Research expenditures (FY2012): $66.5 Million Tuition: Check Vanderbilt Web site: http://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/

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Clemson University Empowering students today to become the world-changing professionals of tomorrow.

The scientists and engineers who come to Clemson are the best and brightest, and they have been for over a century.

But at Clemson, top-ranked academics are just the beginning of a student’s race toward the future. Hands-on learning opportunities help students create life-building contacts with influential faculty and professionals—connections that follow future engineers and scientists long past graduation.

At Clemson, this brand of real-life, hands-on research is called Creative Inquiry. For many students, Creative Inquiry is a vital part of deciding what kind of career to pursue post graduation. Consider Ross Beppler, a Johns Creek, Georgia, native who is planning to graduate in 2014 with a major in electrical engineering and a minor in philosophy.

Beppler has been a math and science guy for as long as he can remember, even as a kid when he attended a soccer camp held on Clemson’s campus. When it came time to apply to colleges, the honors student had an abundance of options. He was accepted to Clemson’s Calhoun Honors 56

College and received a scholarship to help defray the cost of his education.

“I knew I was headed toward a degree in engineering, but I didn’t know what type,” Beppler says. He decided on electrical engineering in order to work with renewable energy. It was a Creative Inquiry research project with a civil engineering professor that piqued his interest in the intersection between policy, consumers, and engineering.

Beppler has since spent one summer working in Washington, D.C., with IEEE-USA, an organizational unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in their office of government relations. There, he created an issue briefing about renewable energy incentives and long-term policy proposals for wind energy. “I made some great contacts, and I learned a lot,” he recalls.

This past summer, he landed his ‘dream job,’ securing an internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in their Strategic Energy Analysis Center. “Just to get my foot in the door at the National Renewable Energy Labora-

October 2013

someone standing up in front of a classroom telling them what they need to know,” Stephan explains. “It’s important that students learn how to learn, and GE is a great first step.”

With a more informed viewpoint, students can experience continued success throughout their academic career and beyond. That’s how Beppler sees it, too.

“My interdisciplinary collaboration with the civil engineering, philosophy, and political science departments has exposed me to opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” he says. “It kind of changed my career path. Now, I can have more of an impact from a policy standpoint.

“I’m an engineer, but I want to be someone who does more than math and science.” v

Ross Beppler (right), an electrical engineering major, has interned with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He’s considering graduate work in energy sciences and public policy. tory is so amazing for me!” Beppler says. Looking ahead, he’s considering MIT and Stanford University to pursue a graduate program in energy sciences and public policy.

Clemson recognizes that students who enjoy learning are more successful than those whose aim is simply to obtain a degree. In Clemson University’s General Engineering (GE) program, enjoyment begins with an exploration of the world of engineering.

Every student who plans to major in engineering starts out by being admitted into GE. There, courses are designed to bridge the gap between high school and college-level learning, while students explore all of the undergraduate engineering disciplines that are available at Clemson. With the support of academic advising, careering counseling and engineering education, students can then choose the major that best fits their talents and interests.

“Because we give students time and information to make sound decisions about their future, they can choose the career path best suited for them as individuals,” says Beth Stephan, Ph.D., a GE professor. “If a student wants to be an engineer, we offer all the resources we can to help him or her.”

GE course work is structured to help students become more independent learners, laying the groundwork for success in their future careers.

“Once they enter the workforce, there will no longer be

Building Your Future in Engineering

General Engineering professor Beth Stephan helps engineering and science students bridge the gap between high school and college-level learning.

CLEMSON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE BY THE NUMBERS 20 degrees 12 departments 4,967 undergraduates 8 seniors and graduates won the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2012

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University of Georgia

58

October 2013

Founded in 1785, the University of Georgia prides admitting students to the B.S. Civil Engineering in 2012 itself as being the nation’s first state-chartered uni- and the B.S. Electrical and Electronics Engineering and B.S. versity and the birthplace for public education. Mechanical Engineering in 2013.

Today, the University of Georgia still impresses, hosting some of the most remarkable and enthusiastic students in the nation. UGA students annually receive some of the most prestigious scholarships awarded to American undergraduates. In 2007, UGA was the only public university to have two recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship, giving UGA a total of 21 Rhodes Scholars in its history. ree students received a 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, giving UGA a total of 39 Goldwater recipients, and two students received a 2010 Harry Truman Scholarship, bringing the total number of UGA Truman winners to 17. A student also received a Morris Udall Scholarship in 2008, the third in recent years. In the 2007-2008 academic year, UGA was the only public university in the country with winners of Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholarships. UGA also consistently ranks high on the list of top 50 public universities in the nation, tying for 18th on U.S News and World Report’s list in 2011 and being named as sixth for overall value by Kiplinger magazine last year.

With expansive learning centers, including the newly built 100,000-square-foot Tate Center Two, award-winning food services, and exceptional recreation and health centers, UGA students receive an unparalleled college experience. In between classes, students can study on the beautiful, historic North Campus or walk the quaint streets of downtown Athens, where stars like John Mayer and R.E.M. caught their first big breaks.

As a classical liberal arts university and a land grant institution, the University of Georgia has been a leader in agricultural engineering since the 1930s with degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and PhD level. In the early 1990s, UGA’s engineering program added biological engineering to its list and in 2006 added degrees in environmental, biochemical, and computer systems engineering to respond to the growing needs for energy, human health, and technology education in today’s society. Currently, engineering undergrads at UGA can pursue bachelor’s degrees in the following disciplines: agricultural engineering, biochemical engineering, biological engineering, computer systems engineering, and environmental engineering. Responding to the growing demand for an engineering education by Georgia residents and the need for engineers by Georgia industries, UGA will begin

Building Your Future in Engineering

To enhance its impressive array of educational offerings, UGA’s engineering program continues to add new courses and introduce innovative teaching methods such as synthesis and design courses and virtual reality educational techniques. UGA’s engineering faculty specialize in a range of leading research areas such as biophotonics, waste management, sustainable systems, bioenergy, microfluidics, nanomaterials, electrochemical systems, engineering ecology, and engineering education. Many engineering students engage in undergraduate research experiences with faculty mentors.

UGA provides an engineering education in a liberal arts environment. is environment prepares graduates to be technically excellent in science, mathematics, analysis, and synthesis, to have an innovative curiosity for creative adaptation from learning, unlearning, and relearning, and to have a humanistic consciousness grounded in humanities, arts, and social sciences. Engineering academic programs encourage students to think both critically and creatively. And because the program is small, engineering students at UGA develop mentoring relationships with faculty as a part of a well rounded educational experience.

Engineering undergrads at UGA benefit from a learning environment that imitates the diversity of the society in which they will live and work. Students build a network of friends and faculty that excel in every field from business to law and other science majors like infectious diseases and biology that will help them advance throughout their careers.

Overall, UGA’s engineering program develops each of its students into active and engaged engineers who will be unafraid of a challenge and ready to enter practice after graduation. v

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FACTS Georgia Resident

Out-of-State Resident

Tuition and Fees $9,472 Typical Residence Halls $4,916 Typical 7-Day Meal Plan $3,792 Tuition, Room & Board $18,180 Estimated Books & Supplies $1,078 Estimated Living Expenses $1,562 Total Cost $20,820

$27,682 $4,916 $3,792 $36,390 $1,078 $1,562 $39,030

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Georgia Southern University

The Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Information Technology’s flagship building

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October 2013

Hands-on, Student-centered Learning Georgia Southern University In one short year, student enrollment in the programs of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Information Technology has increased over 22 percent, and is expected to continue to grow dynamically. And in May 2013, Georgia Southern University awarded its first degrees in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

During the 2012-13 academic year, the college hired a founding Dean; an Associate Dean for Students, Curriculum and Advisement; an Associate Dean for Faculty and Research Programs; a Director of RETP and Co-op Programs; several professional advisors; four department chairs; and over a dozen faculty members. Thus, the CEIT now has the infrastructure to move forward on its vision—to be “a nationally recognized leader in engineering, computer science, and information technology in the area of student-centric and application-based teaching, research and service.”

Founding Dean Mohammad Davoud emphasizes the college’s primary focus: “Our students graduate ready for challenging and exciting careers, because every student gains a sound basis in theory complemented by practical hands-on experience. And more well-trained engineers are critical not only to cultivate a statewide environment that nurtures hightech industry, but to ensure the future prosperity of Georgia.” Students at Georgia Southern are presented with many opportunities to gain practical experience: laboratory

courses; honors programs; national organizations and competitions; co-op or internship programs; senior capstone projects; and undergraduate research.

Georgia Southern’s winning team (with their engine) for the national EPA P3 competition, in front of the Washington Monument.

Student and Faculty Research 2012-13 was a dynamic and fast-paced year for the college.

In addition to building its personnel infrastructure, the college held is first annual Research Symposium, which showcases undergraduate research. CEIT majors presented 42 posters and discussed their research with students, faculty, and professionals in engineering and computer sciences.

Over the summer, the college established an Office of Undergraduate Research, which facilitates opportunities for students and faculty to conduct research together and encourages interdisciplinary projects.

Faculty research is also an important part of the College’s mission. CEIT faculty are winning and participating in federal and corporate research and service grants. In order to provide the resources our faculty need for cutting-edge research, the CEIT is investing in research by establishing new research laboratories furnished with state-of the art-equipment and devices to carry out cutting edge research in all disciplines within CEIT. Some of the most recent laboratories include: Biofuel research lab, Tribology research lab, An-

Building Your Future in Engineering

Dr. Fernando Rios-Gutierrez mentors student Paul Bupe as he works on a robot used to test autonomous navigation algorithms.

61

tenna research lab, network security lab, and most recently, the state’s first Asphalt Lab.

titions with cars designed and built entirely by students.v

Experiential Learning The College of Engineering & Information Technology recently instituted a full-fledged and quickly growing co-operative and internship program. Engineering and IT firms from across the state are lining up to recruit CEIT students who will alternate classroom learning with on-the-job learning. Dean Davoud expressed his enthusiasm for the program: “We want our students not only to learn theory in the classroom—we want them to work under the supervision of practicing engineers in regional and national companies, and we want our students to actually get their hands dirty. Coops and internships provide our students with valuable experience that makes them extremely attractive to employers.”

Awards • A team of Georgia Southern students surpassed teams from top-tier universities across the US by tying for 1st place (with Johns Hopkins) in the EPA National People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Student Design Competition for Sustainability. The team received $90,000 to complete the project entitled: “Low Temperature Combustion with Reduced PM and NOx Emissions, Achieved by n-Butanol In-port Injected in an Omnivorous Diesel Engine.”

• GetEducated.com and US News & World Report have each named Georgia Southern’s online MSCS program as one of the top 15 online programs in the US. • Dr. Fernando Rios-Gutierrez, Associate Professor, EE, was selected as the Joseph M. Biedenbach Outstanding Engineering Educator by IEEE Region 3.

• Brad Bazemore, CS, ’14, earned First Prize in the Technical Paper Competition at the IEEE Southeastern Convention.

• At NSBE’s annual national convention, Georgia Southern’s student chapter received the award for Highest Small-Chapter GPA, and Jada Herrington, RETP, ’15, won the BP Scholar Award for outstanding academic accomplishment.

• Eagle Motorsports teams, Baja SAE, and Formula SAE, continue to rank highly in regional and national compe-

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October 2013

Building Your Future in Engineering

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