President's Blog

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the U.S. Air Force Academy Field Engineering and Readiness Laboratory, on the academy's campus in Colorado.  FERL is a unique program designed 15 years ago by Brig. Gen. David O. Swint (Ret.).  Since cadets receive only three weeks off in the summer, they have little opportunity to have internships or summer jobs.  Because of a concern that many of these cadets had no experience with construction and it was very difficult to relate classroom exercises to the field, FERL was developed under a motto of "Build First, Design Later."  The program is open to engineering majors not only at the Air Force Academy, but also cadets from the U.S. Military Academy and Air Force ROTC students. The cadets, all rising juniors, are divided into teams (flights) of approximately 15 each.  This year there are five flights.  The intense three-week-long program fits within the cadets' time off.

The objective of FERL is to develop knowledge, skills and responsibilities and provide the more traditional laboratory experience that might be obtained at a larger university so it can be applied to classroom theory.  FERL is indeed a hands-on program.  It has its own dedicated area on the academy campus.  The cadets sleep in tents and live at the site for the three weeks.  They focus on four major areas:  geotechnical, structural, construction and environmental.  They do soil analysis and pavement design.  In the structural area, some of the items relate to bridge design, trusses and concrete beams.  Construction relates to scheduling, constructability, surveys and project coordination. The environmental area focuses on hydraulics, units operations, water treatment, waste management and hazmat sampling.  This effort is taught partly through classroom time, but it is 20 percent classroom and 80 percent field.  In the field, the cadets perform a survey of a crash site to locate the debris.  They take soil and water samples.  They do roadway development by constructing a bituminous concrete paved road and operating heavy equipment.  They pour cement concrete beams and pads.  They design and construct a sprinkler system and build a large steel bridge that requires not only welding, but other types of connections.

The highlight of the cadets' effort is in building two-bedroom houses for the Navaho Indians.  They build a house entirely using wood-frame construction.  The only part that they don't build is the roof trusses.  These homes are then shipped to the Navaho reservations, where they are placed on foundations.  Over the course of FERL's 15-year history, they have provided 28 housing units for the Navaho Indians.

I was extremely impressed by FERL's professionalism and attention to detail.  The cadet students are supported by mentors, some of which are active duty Air Force, reservists, Air National Guard and contractors.  The faculty of the Air Force Academy also serves as support personnel.  It is a highly unique experience; one that I think traditional college programs could model.  I would especially like to thank Col. Seely, the department head, and Captain Hoisington for their hospitality in showing me around the FERL activities as well as the campus.

The civil and environmental engineering profession plays an increasingly important role in our global economy. The growth of underdeveloped and developing countries and their desire for infrastructure places a great deal of emphasis on our profession. Even in the United States, construction still accounts for more than 5 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. This unprecedented demand for infrastructure, in particular sustainable infrastructure, requires advances in new techniques, products and materials. To accomplish this, appropriate research must be done to find these new innovations.

A year ago, a workshop was conducted by the National Science Foundation focusing on future research directions in civil and environmental engineering. The workshop covered four areas -- renewal; management and protection of complex systems; sustainability; global impacts; and energy. White papers were presented focusing on these areas. In future blogs, I will delve into more depth on some of these white papers. The issues surrounding these areas are very real and the needs of society are immense. The group felt strongly that research efforts must have significant impact, be interdisciplinary and socially relevant. The attendees also believed that civil and environmental research must be fused with other disciplines, particularly social and natural sciences. Much of the discussion focused on market approaches to integrate technology with the management of:

· Environmental systems;
· Nanomaterials;
· Advances;
· Integration models for infrastructure systems;
· GIS systems, health information and decision systems to address  global infectious diseases.

From this effort, three broad topics for future discussion emerged. They are:

· Energy, carbon cycle management and climate change;
· Multi-scale systems based hydrologic cycle management;
· Mega-cities and livability.

This workshop produced a wealth of information. However, it will go for naught unless there are sufficient financial resources dedicated to beginning and advancing this research agenda. ASCE is deeply involved in supporting research at the federal level. ASCE routinely testifies before and works with Congress on various research funding bills. We are also part of the American Association of Engineering Societies' effort to garner more funding for research activities. I would like to thank Joseph B. Hughes, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech, for his excellent final report on this workshop.

I recently came across a surprising item in the Times Digest, a compilation of news articles put together by the editors of The New York Times, with the headline "High-Tech Japan is Running Out of Engineers."

It appears that in Japan, there is a significant decline in individuals pursuing engineering degrees. They call it the "flight from science." The decline is so significant that various sectors have launched efforts to encourage more students to pursue engineering degrees by making engineering look sexy. Moreover, many companies are importing more foreign workers or outsourcing engineering positions. Does any of this sound familiar?

Japan's engineering expertise lifted that nation from its post-war defeat to the economic power that it is today. Unfortunately, like many Americans, college students are choosing fields like finance and medicine that provide more compensation. They are also pursuing careers in art and other creative outlets.

It appears that this decline actually started about two decades ago, but has accelerated rapidly in recent years. One estimate puts the shortfall in their digital industry at almost a half-million engineers. Couple this problem with Japan's low birth rate and a quick solution is not at hand. Perhaps they too could benefit from some of the recent messaging campaigns developed by the National Academy of Engineers and other engineering organizations.

I recently had the pleasure of reading a new book, Career Success in Engineering -- A Guide for Students and New Professionals, co-written by the current president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, Bernard R. Berson, and Douglas D. Benner. The book is filled with numerous beneficial suggestions on how to advance your career, from the fundamentals to specific engineering-career guidance. Some of the suggestions for getting off on the right foot at a new job include, "be early to work," "focus on the quality of your work," "make a concerted effort to understand how your work impacts the overall product or project," "learn to be business oriented" and "be open to ideas for everywhere." The book goes on to discuss company organizational structures and how different organizations function. Another good section outlines the advantages of a masters degree in engineering as well as the merits of holding an MBA degree.

I especially liked the discussion of project teams. The book's sound advice is to learn early how to be a team player and understand the role of each member of the team. The book presents the various pros and cons of engineers in industry, private practice, construction, government and education. It also provides excellent tips on how to do a resume and interviewing skills.

One of the book's major sections is on career planning and setting your own goals and personal vision. I know that when our immediate Past President Bill Marcuson speaks to students, he always emphasizes the theme of establishing a plan or goal for your career. The book is an easy read and I would recommend it to not only students, but also those just entering into the engineering profession.

A headline about education in Baltimore's The Sun recently grabbed my attention: Battle Over Curriculum Hits Arundel -- Meeting Tests by Cutting Science, Social Studies Draws Wide Protests. The Anne Arundel County, Md., school district is a major jurisdiction between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. What is being proposed is that the amount of science and social studies classroom hours would be cut in half to make more time for teaching math and reading, which are at the core of state standardized tests. These state tests are mandated by the federal "No Child Left Behind" policy.

Are these hard budget choices over curriculum happening only in Anne Arundel County?  Unfortunately, that is not the case. A recent national study of middle schools revealed that one-fifth have sharply cut science, social studies, art, music and physical education to increase the amount of time devoted to math and reading.  This emphasis on test results is being driven by the federal government's mandate. Lower test results ultimately mean less federal aid for the school system.

One possible solution is to increase the length of the school day by adding an additional teaching period. This of course has created a furor due to the effect it would have on after-school activities. Also, there would be an increased cost in teacher salaries and other such expenses.

What can you do?  Join your local Parent Teacher Association. Help elect officials at the national and local level who understand the importance of science to this nation's continued economic well-being. We cannot continue to fall even further behind our global rivals in science, technology, engineering and math education. Here's hoping that "No Child Left Behind" has been elevating our children's math ability, but that shouldn't mean that science education gets left behind. I would be curious to hear if your local school district is experiencing these problems and what if any solutions they might have devised.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending Engineers Without Borders-USA’s International Conference in Seattle. With a theme this year of Sustainable Engineering and Global Health, interest in the annual event was high. Organizers originally planned for a turnout of just over 500 and finally cut off registration at more than 700. It was gratifying to hear the profuse thanks given ASCE for its support of EWB-USA. Everyone I spoke with, including the EWB-USA board, students and young professionals, were very grateful for ASCE’s contributions to EWB-USA.  Our members who were there felt like they could not express enough gratitude for the Society’s help with EWB-USA.

The keynote speaker was William Gates, Sr., co-chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He spoke about the scope of the Gates Foundation’s charitable activities, efforts that meshed with the goals of Engineers Without Borders, including ongoing attempts to eradicate diseases in underdeveloped countries. A number of workshops and presentations examined the merits of specific projects in counties around the world -- “lessons learned” efforts.  On Friday evening, a reception and awards ceremony was held at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Among the historic aircraft, Steve Forbes, an environmental engineer and member of ASCE from San Antonio, was presented with the Founders Award, EWB-USA’s highest honor.

EWB offers the opportunity for students, younger and older engineers to provide a global community service that embraces the spirit of what civil engineering and other relevant professions are about.  Many of the members of EWB-USA are architects, civil, mechanical and electrical engineers.  Health professionals and others also make significant contributions.

There are many opportunities for you to be involved. You can be a professional reviewer or technical advisory committee member and use your years of experience by reviewing a project before it is implemented in a community. You can help coordination and provide liaison and communication between chapters. You can provide technical expertise in a particular area.  Non-engineers help with critical behind-the-scenes work. There are more than 200 EWB-USA student and professional chapters.  I urge you to visit their Web site, www.ewb-usa.org, to find out more information about Engineers Without Borders.

We all have our perceptions of China. For some of us, those perceptions may relate to our involvement in various conflicts such as Korea and Vietnam. They can be influenced by the 1989 demonstrations in Tiananmen Square or by current events. We all have our own mental image of what we would expect to find on a visit to China.

I had the opportunity to meet with an organization called The Promotion Center for Emergency Assistance of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It is quite a long title for what in the United States would be known as FEMA. While both organizations have a common goal of emergency management assistance, they are very different organizations. The PCEA, while it has the focus of emergency management training and assistance, is also heavily involved with the development and provision of private sector emergency management assistance.

A suborganization of PCEA is the China Emergency Assistance Investment Company.  It was developed to be an integrative management platform and is the leading enterprise in China’s emergency assistance industry. It is committed to the construction of China’s emergency management assistance system, using industry and private sector resources. Their goal is to secure private sector investment in equipment, resources, and personnel to do the emergency response. China has many natural disasters, but also has significant disasters resulting from coal mine accidents. They are looking to the United States and private sector companies to partner with them to identify the best practices and equipment in order to reduce their coal mine accident fatalities. But what is significant about this organization is that it is totally profit-driven. They need to invest in profit-making ventures. They are not tax-supported. For instance, they would contract with a company to build helicopters in China. These helicopters could be used in tourist and other activities, but when an emergency occurred, these helicopters and associated personnel would be immediately dispatched to the scene of the disaster. If I heard these gentlemen say “profit” once, I heard it at least a dozen times. They want to enter into profit-making ventures that will allow them to enhance and expand their emergency system network.  They are looking for firms with a broad point of view to assist them in what they believe are limitless opportunities.

The Chinese model is one of business partnerships whose profits allow further expansion of the emergency management system. They view their organization as working in concert with the public, through education and contributions that the public would make (similar to a contribution to the Red Cross or United Way for which the individual gets a tax credit) and the private sector. The organization is only a few years old and is run by businessmen who were very successful in previous careers. 

Clearly, this is not the China that I expected to find.

I was recently introduced to the concept of the “five capitals” model of sustainable development by Bill Wallace. Bill is a noted author on sustainability and chairs the International Federation of Consulting Engineers Sustainable Development Committee. The five capitals model, developed by a British organization called the Forum for the Future, is made up of natural capital, social capital, human capital, manufactured capital and financial capital.

Natural capital compares natural resources and ecological process to money in the bank, i.e., capital. We can tap this capital and use it to produce goods and services. Thus, it refers to the most basic building blocks of our economy. Social capital is the connections between and within social networks. It is a primary concept in business, economics, political science, sociology and natural resources management. Human capital refers to the skills and technical knowledge embodied in labor. It is many times simply referred to as labor, one of the three factors of production. Infrastructure capital refers to the physical means of production beyond what can be found in nature. It includes all the tools, shelter, dams, roads and improvements that we have made to the natural environment. Financial capital is the money used in business to buy what they need to make the produces and provide services.

The Forum for the Future uses this construct to look at sustainability as it develops partnerships with major corporations to take on the challenge of sustainable enterprises. Its objective is to show that environmentally and socially sustainable businesses can be profitable. In the long term, it believes sustainable practices will be the only way to be profitable. The forum encourages public sector leaders to use sustainable principals for policy decision-making to help deliver a better quality of life.

Is ASCE being a leader in sustainable development? Are we doing enough in this field to challenge our public sector leaders to incorporate sustainability in their policy and decision making?