Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
June 22, 2008
June 22, 2008
June 25, 2008
2153-5965
Graduate Studies
27
13.559.1 - 13.559.27
10.18260/1-2--3188
https://peer.asee.org/3188
522
DONALD A. KEATING is professor emeritus, mechanical engineering, College of Engineering, University of South Carolina, past chair of the Graduate Studies Division, and chair of the National Collaborative Task Force
THOMAS G. STANFORD is assistant professor of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina
JOSEPH J. RENCIS is professor, head, and the 21st century leadership chair in engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Arkansas
EUGENE M. DeLOATCH is dean, School of Engineering, Morgan State University, and a past president of the American Society of Engineering Education
MOHAMAD NOORI is dean, College of Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, and secretary/treasurer Graduate Studies Division
EDWARD SULLIVAN is associate dean and professor of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, California State Polytechnic University
DAVID WOODALL is provost, Oregon Institute of Technology, past chair Engineering Research Council
NORMAN F. EGBERT is vice president, Engineering and Technology, Rolls-Royce Corporation
DAVID H. QUICK is manager, R&D customer requirements, R&T Strategy, Liberty Works, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, and past chair Corporate Members Council, and past chair of the College Industry Partnership Division of the American Society for Engineering Education
ALBERT L. Mc HENRY is provost and vice president, Arizona State University Polytechnic, and former vice president of public affairs of the American Society for Engineering Education
ROGER N. OLSON is lead stress analysis engineer, Rolls-Royce Corporation, and a director of the College Industry Partnership Division of the American Society for Engineering Education
SAMUEL L. TRUESDALE is manager of employee development, engineering business improvement organization, Rolls-Royce Corporation, and chair, College Industry Partnership Division of the American Society for Engineering Education
TIMOTHY LINDQUIST is interim dean, College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University Polytechnic
HARVEY PALMER is dean, Kate Gleason College of Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
JOSEPH P. TIDWELL is director, of the joint alliance of companies managing education for technology JACMET, and community liaison, College of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University Polytechnic, and past chair College Industry Partnership Division of the American Society for Engineering Education
MARK SMITH is director, product development & manufacturing leadership program, of the Kate Gleason college of engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
DUANE D. DUNLAP is professor and associate dean, College of Technology, Purdue University, and chair of the Graduate Studies Division of the American Society for Engineering Education
MARK SCHUVER is director of professional education, College of Technology, Purdue University
EDMUND SEGNER is chair emeritus of civil engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham and representative to the National Collaborative from the education committee of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
STEPHEN J. TRICAMO is professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and former dean, College of Engineering and Technology, New Jersey Institute of Technology
BARRY FARBROTHER is dean, Tagliatela College of Engineering, University of New Haven
KEN BURBANK is professor and Department Head, Department of Engineering and Technology, Western Carolina University
CARLA PURDY is associate professor, University of Cincinnati, and program chair, Graduate Studies Division, American Society of Engineering Education
RANDALL J. HOLMES is Workforce Development Manager, DPP Human Resources, Caterpillar Inc.
Ensuring a Strong U.S. Engineering Workforce for Technology Innovation and Competitiveness: A Partnership between Academia and Industry
Engineering is a creative profession, concerned with the combining of human, material, and economic resources to meet the needs of society … for the advancement and betterment of human welfare. National Collaborative Task Force on Engineering Graduate Education Reform ─ 2008
1. Introduction
This is the first of four invited papers prepared for the special session of the National Collaborative Task Force on Engineering Graduate Education Reform. This paper presents an overview of the National Collaborative initiative, its purpose, and the unique partnership that is occurring between academia and industry in advancing professional graduate engineering education for engineering practice in order to strengthen the innovative capacity of the U.S. Engineering Workforce in industry for world-class competitiveness and national security purposes.
2. Strengthening U.S. Engineering Education for Competitiveness
Today, as never before, America’s future technological competitiveness will depend largely on our ability to innovate and to revitalize the core capacity for continuous innovation within the U.S. Engineering Workforce in America’s industry. 1 Innovation ... as the Council on Competitiveness points out ... “will be the single most important factor in determining America’s success through the 21st century.”2
To compete … America must innovate.
Consequently, as the National Academies’ report, Rising above the Gathering Storm, recommends, we must “ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world to innovate.” 3
2.1 Statement of the Problem
But a disturbing reality is now apparent that must be corrected. Over the last several decades, 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, the nation has invested wisely, because of 1945 U.S. science policy in fostering world preeminence of research-oriented graduate education for the U.S. Scientific Workforce for basic research and ‘discovery’ at the universities, and must continue to do so.4 But it has not made a parallel investment and balanced educational emphasis during this same time period in fostering professionally-oriented graduate education, beyond entry level engineering, that supports the further development of the U.S. Engineering Workforce in industry ─ which is the nation’s primary engineering resource and creative wellspring for the generation, development and innovation of U.S. technology for competitiveness.
2.1 What is the Problem that We Want to Fix ?
Although the United States has led the world in basic research and research-based graduate education for the nation’s scientific workforce at the universities for ‘discovery’, inquiry and scientific investigation, the National Collaborative Task Force concludes that research-based graduate education does not meet the full spectrum of professional educational needs of the engineer and engineering leader in industry nor does it reflect the modern practice of engineering and the engineering method for
Keating, D., & Stanford, T., & Rencis, J., & DeLoatch, E., & Noori, M., & Sullivan, E., & Woodall, D., & Egbert, N., & Quick, D., & McHenry, A., & Olson, R., & Truesdale, S., & Lindquist, T., & Palmer, H., & Tidwell, J., & Smith, M., & Dunlap, D., & Schuver, M., & Segner, E., & Tricamo, S., & Farbrother, B., & Burbank, K., & Purdy, C., & Holmes, R. (2008, June), Ensuring A Strong U.S. Engineering Workforce For Technology Innovation And Competitiveness: A Partnership Between Academia And Industry Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3188
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