President's Column
(February 2002)

Without Engineers The World Stops 

The headline for this column is the theme for National Engineers Week 2002 (E-Week 2002) — 17-23 February 2002. E-Week allows U.S. members of IEEE and other supporting organizations to take time to recognize members of our profession and their accomplishments, and consider how we can better prepare our young people for tomorrow's technologies. Hopefully, your IEEE Section and/or Chapter will be participating in E-Week 2002 activities.

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) established National Engineers Week in 1951. Presently, a consortium of more than 100 organizations, including IEEE-USA, guides and supports E-Week events.

E-Week is celebrated the week we observe George Washington's birthday. NSPE chose that week to recognize our profession because of our first president's background as a surveyor and military innovator, and because of his support for engineering education and the development of technology.

The E-Week Website says that: "On June 9, 1778, at Valley Forge, Pa., General George Washington issued a call for engineers and engineering education. This order is considered the genesis of a U.S. Army Engineer School, which found its permanent home at Fort Belvoir, Va., where Washington had practiced surveying. As President (1789-97), Washington pushed for the passage of the first U.S. Patent Act in 1789, and signed the first official U.S. patent to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont for his process of making potash and pearl ashes. In 1794, President Washington established a Corps of Artillerists and Engineers to be educated and stationed at West Point in New York, which later become the U.S. Military Academy at West Point." Thus, West Point is considered to be our nation's first engineering school.

From Washington's time to the present, our nation has been blessed with a select population of creative engineers who have made us the wealthiest nation in the world and created a lifestyle envied by many. At the same time, we represent one of the least understood professions, and we'll remain that way until a larger number of us become active in communicating who we are and what we do.

So I hope you understand why I challenge you to step out of your cubicle more often to initiate and participate in communicating what you and other engineers do, and how our contributions make a tremendous difference in everyday lives. Whether you closely fit the stereotypical "nerd" image or have an extroverted profile, you can help to create a positive image for engineers. You can also communicate the need to have an increased level of comfort with subjects related to science and math. You might even surprise yourself and enjoy working with teachers and students in pre-college classrooms.

Part of this challenge includes recognizing the work of your peers. Even though E-Week offers perhaps the best opportunity for recognizing engineers and their accomplishments, we should make a concerted effort to do this throughout the year. Most of us know engineers who have made significant technical breakthroughs, have consistently performed above the average, mentor others, practice a high degree of professionalism and volunteer for the benefit of others. In fact, due to the nature of our profession, most of our members deserve more recognition than they receive.

At minimum, take a few moments to pass on words of recognition to your peers. If possible, submit an award nomination or other acknowledgement of an engineer's or group of engineers' accomplishments. IEEE-USA sponsors numerous awards. Go to www.ieeeusa.org/AWARDS/index.html for more information.

So make sure you get involved with E-Week activities in your area. You' ll find it rewarding; the profession and our nation will benefit.