Fundamentals and inspiration
Rick Nelson, Chief Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 9/1/2005
In previous editor's notes and my online blog, I've commented on various detriments to students pursuing engineering careers in the US. Ray Almgren, VP of product marketing and academic relations at National Instruments, as part of a keynote event at NIWeek on August 16, cited a litany of figures demonstrating this decline—for example, a 37% reduction in interest in engineering by college-bound US high-school students over the last 12 years.
In an NIWeek panel discussion held August 17, participants voiced similar concerns as they reflected on the 10th anniversary of Netscape, the emergence of Web tools like search engines, and the flat-earth hypothesis of New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
During the discussion, Dr. Theodore Rappaport, professor in the wireless networking and communications group at the University of Texas, Austin, College of Engineering, questioned the source of future innovation. In response, Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EE Times, wondered whether flat-earth technologies might be applied to locating innovators in, say, the Ukraine.
That prompted Doug Marinaro, VP of software consulting services for MTS Systems, to ask why it was necessary to look to the Ukraine, and not Utah, to find engineering talent. According to Rappaport, it's because "the educational system in the US is broken with respect to engineering," with panelists concurring that inadequate teaching of math and science fundamentals, a lack of government focus on science and technology, and society's failure to celebrate technological innovation combine to hinder the emergence of prepared and dedicated engineering students.
According to Marinaro, a revival of interest in engineering will require two things: the ability to instill foundational skills, which will require optimal class sizes, programs, and educational tools; and a way to generate excitement about technology among students. The latter, Rappaport said, could require a massive publicity effort comparable to the dairy industry's "Got Milk?" campaign. Marinaro concurred, and added that TV is a huge influence on children today, with the program CSI, for example, seemingly driving increased interest in careers as medical examiners.
Dr. James Truchard, president, CEO, and cofounder of National Instruments, commented that it might take a crisis to spur on societal efforts to promote technical careers. He cites mounting foreign debt as something that might precipitate such a crisis.
For its part, NI offers a variety of educational resources (described at www.ni.com/academic) that can assist educators in building effective programs and instilling interest among students. Let's hope that such efforts bear fruit before a crisis occurs. T&MW
Contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@tmworld.com.
