Emerging Trends in Engineering and Engineering Education

Fort Belvoir, VAAugust 4, 2011

Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., PE, PhDWater Policy Collaborative, University of Maryland

Vice Chair, Committee on Academic Prerequisites for Professional Practice

The Messages

• The World Around Us Is Changing

• Engineering Is Changing

• Engineering Education Is Changing

• You Need to Be Part of The Change Processes

Engineering Matters!

Looking Back – 60 years• The slide rule was high tech

• We thought all was right with the environment

• Engineers gave the public the answers

• We had comfortable budgets

• Organizations were robust

• Social issues were in the background

And Everything Changed!

Today - Engineers Are Challenged

• Pollution• Infrastructure backlog• Ethical lapses• Energy shortfalls• Environmental restoration• Climate change • Role of the Engineer• Education of Engineers

• Katrina

What Does the Future Look Like?

CHANGE

You are living in the period of time that will produce more change for humanity than any previous era in history. It is a time of extraordinary importance that will fundamentally reshape almost every aspect of your life … Wholesale change is taking place in almost every segment of your reality-and the pace will only increase in the coming years.

John PetersonThe Road to 2015

9

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore”

The 21st Century

What Is Ahead?Volatility

“Permanent White Water"

Uncertainty Incomplete Knowledge or Unknowns about the Current

Situation

Complexity Some Things Are Too Difficult for Humans to

Understand

Ambiguity Situations Can Be Interpreted In More Than

One Way.

The Climate Change Bear

• Glacial Melt - Sea Level Rise

• Increased Hurricane Intensity -SST

• Increased Flood Potential

• Increased Drought• Increased

Temperatures

12

Population Growth

More People = More Challenges

Governance– Presidential Politics– Congressional Ineffectiveness– Shifting Federal-State-Local Responsibilities– Fiscal Crunch

We are on imprudent and unsustainable long-term fiscal path...getting worse every second of every minute of every day…

David Walker, former Comptroller General

If the U.S. does not put its house in order, the reckoning will be sure and the devastation severe. ]

Simpson-Bowles Report

World Challenges:The World Is Flat• Dictators• Medical Shortfall• Global Warming• Fiscal Inequalities• Drugs• Extremism• Russia• Ineffective Foreign Aid• Law of the Sea• Terrorism

• Internet Security• Malnutrition• Anti-Americanism• AIDS• Malaria• Fragile Democracies• Poverty• Nuc Proliferation• Simple Solutions

Their Problems Are Our Problems

Corporate Challenges

• Doing More with Less• Capturing and Maintaining Credibility• Exercising Responsibility without

Authorities and Resources• Dealing with Antiquated Bureaucratic

Systems• Growing Interagency, Interdisciplinary, and

Integration Activities• International Partnerships

TECHNOLOGYNew Ways of Engineering

17

The number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has increased

exponentially, doubling approximately every two years

Moore’s Law

18

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications..

A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.

Unusual physical, chemical, and biological properties can emerge in materials at the nanoscale.

The National

Nanotechnology Initiative

19

Finding Better Energy

20

21

Laboratory Drugs Are in the Water. Does It Matter?

The New York Times

Discarded Drugs Take a Bad Trip in the Environment

Chicago Tribune

Mystery Toxins Turn Male Bass Into Mothers

Lexington Herald-Leader

NATIONALENGINEERS WEEKFebruary 14 – 20, 2010

23

Change is Here -What Do We Do?

There Are No Silver Bullets

Tackle the Challenges

Plan Ahead

COMPETITIVE EDGE OF KNOWLEDGE• In 2028, the ability of individuals and

organizations to learn, innovate, adopt and adapt faster will drive advanced economies. ASME 2008

• Restructure Engineering Education– Meet challenge of greater knowledge base and

emerging technologies

– Develop depth in management, creativity and problem-solving.

– Understand risk and uncertainty

National Academy of Engineering

“It is evident that the exploding body of science

and engineering knowledge cannot be accommodated within the context of the

traditional four-year baccalaureate degree.”

Engineering builds the foundation for a better future

But what’s happening?

120

130

140

150

1925 1950 1975 2000

Year

Cre

dits

2025

The Washington Post

Colleges Consider 3-Year

Degrees To Save Undergrads

Time, Money

But what’s happening?

Engineering builds the foundation for a better future

Medicine

Law

PharmacyArchitectureAccounting

Occupational Therapy

Engineering

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Yea

rs o

f F

orm

al E

duca

tion

1900 1920 1950 1980 2000 2010

Engineering

Engineering Technology

Engineering builds the foundation for a better future

A broader &more in-depth

engineering educationis key

(coupled with improvedon-the-job experiential learning)

What will it take?

A baccalaureate degree in engineering

A master’s degree (or no less than 30 graduate / upper level technical / professional practice credits, or the equivalent, with at least 50% being engineering)  

Appropriate experience

Already approved as part of NCEES Model Law

What will be achieved?

Raising the bar for engineering education will:─ Create a higher-level & recognized professional─ Build leaders to influence infrastructure renewal─ Help engineers manage the risks involved in society's

infrastructure and engineering choices─ Provide breadth for leadership

in sustainability─ Prepare engineers as leaders for

engineering and relatedorganizations

The bottom line

In order to ─

Achieve our Visions and enhance the engineering profession…

Meet society’s challenges of tomorrow…

Build the foundation for a better future...

We need to raise the education bar

Your Mission!• Accept Change• Raise the education bar!• Keep yourself current – know what is

changing• Work together –build the bench]• Be persistent • Educate others – in and out of government• Speak up when you should – remember

Challenger and Katrina• Be involved in Government and with elected

officials

If You Thought the Last Five

Decades Were Exciting, Just

Wait for the Next Five

You Make the Difference!

36

It’s about them, the

future, and

professionalism!