Kansas Professional Engineer
eNews
December 2006, Issue 6
In this Issue:
 PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
by Christopher Bohm, P.E.
Christmas is almost upon us,
as hard as that is to believe, and I hope the joys of the holiday season
have not been lost on you in the hustle and bustle of life. Also hard to
believe is the fact that my term as president is now at the halfway point.
I look forward to the next six months and the challenges that they will
bring.
In the spirit of the season,
I’m very happy to report that the Eastern Chapter, under the direction of
Bill Anthony, P.E., has taken up the challenge of having their chapter
engage with a local charity! In fact – two charities, which includes Faith
Builders [www.faithbuilders-kc.org],
and the TLC
for Children and Families [www.kidstlc.org].
I was honored to attend the last Easter Chapter breakfast meeting, and was
introduced to the Faith Builders organization. They work with existing
homeowners who, for whatever reason, have deficiencies with their homes.
Faith Builders provides the materials and labor necessary to correct these
deficiencies, be it painting, roof repair, interior improvements, or
whatever. My hat is off to the Eastern Chapter for being the first to take
up the challenge to donate their valuable time to the community. The bar is
now set – so other chapters: take heed!
The KSPE Board and Executive
Committee have been busy. During the December 1, KSPE Board meeting, much
discussion focused around the continuing concerns with NSPE, primarily the
association management system (AMS). This system manages all of the
invoicing and transfer of dues collected by NSPE to the individual states,
and to date, has been plagued by problems. Your Board is concerned about
the quality of information maintained by the system in regard to actual paid
members, and the actual transfer of money to our state society. Our hope is
that the problems with the AMS system are on the verge of being rectified –
but to be prepared, the Board has decided to direct Ron Gaches and his firm,
GBBA, to evaluate costs they would incur to produce a standalone KSPE
billing system. This would allow the Board to take the decision, if
necessary, to fully take control of our finances. The Board remains
concerned with the operations of NSPE, and through Tim Austin, P.E., our
NSPE Board of Directors member, these concerns continue to be presented to
national. The KSPE Board insists that we see some substantial changes in
the operations of NSPE, and will continue to pressure national to this end.
Another issue taken up by
the KSPE Board was to take steps to establish an associate member category.
This would allow those individuals affiliated with the engineering
profession to become members of our state society. It would include all of
the KSPE benefits; the newsletters; legislative updates, conferences and
activities, and would hopefully encourage additional membership in our
organization. This has been kicked around for the last few years, and I’m
glad to see the initiative move forward.
I just received an email
while writing this article that the Kansas State Board of Technical
Professions has scheduled a License Certificate Ceremony on July 25, 2007 at
the Statehouse! This is excellent news, as it brings KSPE one step closer
to conducting a formal recognition of our newly licensed engineers, along
with the recognition of the other newly minted professionals governed by the
Kansas State Board of Technical Professions. Stay tuned for more details.
In member news, I’m sorry to
report that Shawn O’Leary, our past president, is leaving his position as
Public Works Director for the City of Salina, and has accepted the same
position in Norman, Oklahoma. With Shawn’s departure, a national Board of
Delegates position he occupied now opens, and your KSPE Board is considering
candidates to backfill this position. Good luck Shawn! KSPE will miss your
good humor and wise counsel.
I would like to extend my
best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each of you and to
your families, and may you enjoy the peace of the season.
For the society,
Christopher M. Bohm, P.E.
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KSPE WELCOMES
NEW MEMBERS
The Kansas Society of Professional
Engineers would like to welcome the following new members who joined since
our last issue.
Holly Boomsma - George Butler Associaties Inc
Tyler Bridgeman
Skye Coleman
Terry Garrett, PE - WCNOC
Mark Henneberg, PE - Sprint Nextel
Ryan Hussey
Donavan Mumm
Sanwar Sunny
Jesse Tharp - Sprint
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NSPE Legislative action center
NSPE provides members with a
Legislative Action Center, which encourages political participation by
connecting NSPE members to their elected officials. This grassroots website
allows members to educate themselves on salient legislative issues and to
take action by contacting their elected officials. The website can be
accessed through the
Government Relations link from the NSPE homepage or simply by going to
http://capwiz.com/nspe/home/.
The site features:
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current information on legislation affecting
engineers and NSPE’s position on the legislation;
-
voting records and “scorecards”;
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a means of contacting federal, state, and
local elected officials, federal and state agencies, and national and
regional media organizations;
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a means of identifying an individual’s
federal, state, and local elected officials;
-
information on elected officials and
candidates for office;
-
voter registration forms, information on
registering to vote, and election dates; and
-
email alerts that can be tailored to users’
geographic region and interest.
State-specific grassroots websites are
available, and each state society is encouraged to set up and maintain its
own state-specific site. Access to the Capwiz program is free to the state
societies. For help in setting up your state’s grassroots website, please
contact State Government Relations Manager
Todd Thomas or PAC and Grassroots Programs Manager
Sarah Ogden.
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 EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
by Ron Gaches, J.D.
Looking Forward to 2007
For most folks, the end of the year is a time to
reflect on the successes and learning opportunities of the past year. They
take the opportunity to slow down a bit through the holidays, catch their
breath and relax with family and friends. I’m no different from most folks,
but I think my break is already over. We’ve got a lot to do in 2007 and we
are already busy getting ready for it.
For starters, the 2007 legislative session
begins on Monday, January 8th. KSPE will be taking more
proactive positions during this new session than in the recent past. Among
our initiatives will be: support efforts by KDOT to improve their employment
competitiveness for PEs and other technical staff, support efforts to
develop a long-term solution to the problem of facility maintenance at our
Regents institutions, support highway safety recommendations developed by
The Driving Force Coalition, support preparation of a new Comprehensive
Transportation Plan, and support the favorable state purchase of water
supplies available in area federal reservoirs.
The grassroots involvement of KSPE members is
critical to our legislative program. Please update your email address
with our office or NSPE to ensure you are on the distribution list for our
KSPE Weekly Legislative Report during the session.
Our effort to encourage the Kansas State Board
of Technical Professions to join with KSPE in formally recognizing those who
pass their Professional Engineer licensure exam has been successful. The
first recognition event is tentatively scheduled for July 25th in
the Statehouse. Much thanks to Stacey Lamer, PE and Chris Bohm, PE for
their leadership on this project. Now we need to ensure we have a great
program for our new PEs.
Work this fall by our Awards Committee, led by
Larry Stoss, PE, will result in a more meaningful state awards program
beginning in 2007. One change in particular is worth noting. The Chapter
Excellence Award will now include a “community service” component. When he
took office in June, KSPE President Chris Bohm challenged all chapters to
develop an active community service program. In an effort to make community
service an ongoing part of our chapters program of work, the Chapter
Excellence Award will recognize those efforts.
Our chapter-led membership development efforts
have been ongoing, but somewhat sporadic. Stacey Lamer and I are meeting
next week to develop a more formal annual calendar of membership development
and retention activity that will make greater use of our volunteer leaders
and leverage the new resources available from NSPE.
Finally, we continue to work closely with NSPE
to improve membership services and add value to your membership. I expect
those efforts will be energized by the pending approval of a new Executive
Director for NSPE. The nominee to the NSPE Board is Larry Jacobson, the
current Director of the national MATHCOUNTS program. Larry is very familiar
with NSPE and our state and chapter organizations. While I don’t know Larry
personally, everyone I’ve spoken to who does is very positive about his
nomination.
Thanks again for the opportunity to serve the
members of KSPE, and best wishes for a Happy Holiday and a Safe and
Prosperous New Year.
To Top of Page
engineering Field in crisis: shortage in industry presents opportunity
New Book Provides a
Practical Guide for Entering Rewarding and Lucrative Career
There is critical need for
talented young engineers, but many of America’s promising math and science
students are bypassing the profession because of misconceptions, according
to the new book 21 Things Every Future Engineer Should Know: A Practical
Guide for Students and Parents ($24.95, Kaplan AEC Education, 2006) by
Pat Remick and Frank Cook.
“The high attrition rate in
college engineering programs is especially troubling because there aren’t
enough engineers to fill all of the current openings in the United States,
and there will be an even greater need as our country and our world face new
challenges and rapid advances in technology,” says Cook.
The authors note that
thousands of high school seniors each year choose engineering as their
college field of study, but a whopping 50 to 60 percent change majors before
graduation.
21 Things Every Future Engineer Should Know
cites statistics that show
women and minorities, in particular, are not getting the message that
engineering offers a myriad of exciting and rewarding opportunities:
-
White males comprise
nearly two-thirds of all U.S. engineering graduate and undergraduate
students.
-
Although the overall
number of women and minorities entering college is increasing, the
proportion enrolling in engineering programs is declining.
-
While half of college
students are women, they comprise just 20 percent of engineering students
and just 10 percent of the engineering workforce.
-
61 percent of minority
students leave engineering before graduation.
“People mistakenly believe
that you have to be absolutely brilliant or maybe even a bit of a nerd to be
a successful engineer,” says Remick. “While it’s true that you need to enjoy
math and science, engineering is primarily about being creative, enjoying
problem-solving and having a desire to improve things. It is a lucrative
career that doesn’t care about gender, race, or background.”
21 Things Every Engineer
Should Know…
offers valuable insight and an abundance of advice for students at all
education levels. It reviews how to explore the various engineering
disciplines, discusses optimum curriculum paths, gives ideas on choosing the
right college engineering program and succeeding on campus, and suggests how
to find employment and even advance in the workplace.
Although top engineering
educators and working engineers participated in its development, 21
Things Every Future Engineer Should Know is anything but stodgy and
academic. It provides real-world, up-to-date direction in a quick-reading
format that every student – and adult -- will enjoy, including:
-
Practical advice from
students, working engineers, and educators
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Key questions to help
determine interest in -- and proficiency for – engineering
-
Guidance on high school
classes and extracurricular activities for all ages to optimize college
preparation
-
Detailed descriptions of
the various disciplines, including innovative career paths, employment
statistics and salary data
-
Discussion of what to
consider in selecting the right college program
-
A review of the many
groups and associations for students and working engineers
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Expert insights into the
world of working engineers
-
Countless additional
resources
Pat Remick
is a longtime journalist who has worked for United Press International, CNN,
various newsletters and other publications, and also co-authored the
career-guidance book 21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know. She
is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Frank Cook
is the author of the books 21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me and
You’re Not Buying That House are You? He co-authored with Pat Remick the
career guidance book 21 Things Every Home Inspector Should Know.
21 Things Every Future
Engineer Should Know
($24.95, 224 pages, paperback, ISBN: 141953548X)
is available now in bookstores and at
www.KaplanAEC.com, 1-866-263-1464.
About Kaplan AEC Education
Kaplan AEC Education is a
division of Kaplan, Inc., a worldwide education services provider and a
subsidiary of The Washington Post. Kaplan AEC Education helps emerging
professionals prepare and sustain their careers in engineering,
architecture, and contracting. Kaplan is the nation’s leader in standardized
test prep for nearly 70 years. For more information, please call
1-866-263-1464 or visit
www.kaplanaeceducation.com.
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NSPE FEATURED PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Feature #1: Announcing New NSPE Benefit
Partner! Chase Education Finance
NSPE has recently partnered with Chase Education
Finance Services to enable members to consolidate federal student loans into a single, lower-interest loan
through the Student Loan Consolidation Program, a federally guaranteed
program established by Congress to help student borrowers manage the burden
of student loans.
This program enables anyone with more than
$7,500 in outstanding Federal student loans (including PLUS loans) to reduce
monthly student loan repayments and lock in a low fixed interest
rate.
Visit
www.nspe.slcp.com, or call (800)
832-5109 to learn more about consolidating your student loans today.
Feature #2: NSPE products are now on
sale!
A range of products dealing with consulting
start-up to essential communication skills for engineers are currently on
sale. Further information can be found on the
NSPE
Web site.
Discounted items include:
Engineer
Your Way to Success (2011-A) $10.00
Essential
Communication Skills for Scientists, Engineers, and Tech. Professionals
(5500) $16.95
Engineering
Your Start Up (5402) $24.95
Flying Solo
(7200) $27.95
Glass
Ceiling (2232) $19.95
Just Added!
IEEE Career Asset Manager (CAM)
$10.00
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design squad
educational outreach to introduce young students to engineering
Design Squad, a new,
live-action reality TV series that begins airing on PBS stations nationwide
next February during Engineers Week 2007, aims to introduce nine- to
13-year-olds and their families to the engineering design process. It's an
ambitious goal, but one that received a solid boost last week when more than
100 leaders from dozens of Engineers Week partner organizations met at the
National Academy of Engineering in Washington, D.C. to launch the program's
educational outreach with a Design Squad Training Summit.
The day-long summit launches
a broad effort to begin training hundreds more engineers and educators
across the country who will introduce middle school students to engineering.
These trained volunteers will lead hands-on engineering challenges inspired
by Design Squad in classrooms, after-school programs and public
events held throughout 2007.
Among those spearheading the
training session was Thea Sahr, manager of special initiatives at WGBH
Boston, the public television station that created and produced the
program. A preview screening gave participants a glimpse of Design
Squad's unique format. In each episode, two teams of high school
students use their problem-solving skills to design, construct, and test an
intriguing, fully operational and, typically, off-beat engineering project.
In the first challenge, teams battle it out to see who can make the fastest
motorized dragster from children's toys such as wagons and tricycles. Sahr
explained how hands-on activities such as a rubberband-powered model car
work in conjunction with each episode to spark kids' imaginations and make
them feel comfortable with the notion of engineering and technology.
Major funding for Design
Squad is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Intel
Foundation. Cathleen Barton, US Education Manager for Intel Corporation,
told participants, "Engineers Week helps us focus on engineering and its
critical role in maintaining
U.S. competitiveness. Now, it is bringing that focus to
children and their families in partnership with WGBH and
Design Squad. Today, a hundred
people representing engineering and education organizations from across the
country came together for training before the television show has even
premiered, highlighting the need and excitement for this new television
program and related outreach. Intel is very pleased to be a major partner
and sponsor, along with the NSF and other supporters, of Engineers Week and
Design Squad which will
excite kids about the possibilities of engineering, of changing lives and
improving the world."
Among the materials attendees
are taking back to local Design Squad teams – who will work in
classrooms, libraries, science centers, and any other place the average "tween"
might be found – are a PowerPoint overview, a four-minute compilation DVD
from the show, and an Event Guide filled with five hands-on activities that
demonstrate the broad scope of the program's appeal. One asks children to
build a mobile sculpture that must be at least six inches tall and sturdy
enough to stand in the wind, yet light enough to be moved by it. In
another, entitled "Pop Fly," children invent a foot-powered Ping-Pong ball
launching-machine made of paint stirrers, a wooden spool and tape.
Design Squad's Web site resources will include streaming clips from the
show, downloadable video profiles of real engineers, and on-line versions of
the Event and Educators guides.
Organizers acknowledge that
coordinating a nationwide broadcast with tandem local activities and
outreach is an ambitious effort, but well worth it. According to Engineers
Week Foundation executive director Leslie Collins, "the Foundation recently
conducted research to determine career and education interests among 'tweens.'
While middle school students have not necessarily decided on future jobs,
they are turning off to certain careers. This presents a unique opportunity
for Engineers Week volunteers to intervene and Design Squad gives
us the right tools."
Visit the Design Squad web site to see a clip from the show,
meet the cast and hosts, and learn more about the outreach.
# # #
Major funding for Design Squad is provided by
the National Science Foundation and the Intel Foundation. Additional
funding is provided by Tyco Electronics, the National Council of Examiners
for Engineering and Surveying, The Harold and Esther Edgerton Family
Foundation, Noyce Foundation, Intel Corporation, American Society of Civil
Engineers, and the IEEE.
Engineers Week, February 18-24, 2007, is a
formal coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical
societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. Founded in
1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, the program is
dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering
workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and
technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college
literacy in math and science. Among the oldest of America's professional
outreach efforts, EWeek also raises public understanding and appreciation of
engineers' contributions to society. Engineers Week 2007 co-chairs are Tyco
Electronics and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).
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Have a Safe and Happy Holiday from the KSPE
Staff.
Ron, Brandy, Dale, Christi and Vicki |
