Career Focus: The Importance of STEM Diversity

More than half of the employees in STEM professions today are white males. Experts say that will need to change. Diversifying the STEM workforce will not only ensure that there are enough talented employees to fill tomorrow's job openings, it will also drive innovation, sales and profits.

Cogent Communicator: Dicey Conversations

We find ourselves in tricky conversations at work more often than we’d like. When you know they’re coming—and you often do—remember to plan, practice and, when the news is bad, get right to it.

Opinion: We Can STEM the Gender Gap

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) is about critical thinking and taking risks in order to unveil knowledge; it is about learning all we can. Leveling the playing field will help crush the social stigma that says STEM careers are for boys only.

Green Cards, Not H-1B Visas, are Better for High-Skill Workers, U.S. Economy

Comprehensive immigration reform is a hot topic on Capitol Hill and around the country. While the focus is on amnesty and border security, the high-skill component most interests IEEE-USA.

Engineering Hall of Fame: Edwin Moses and the Engineering of World Records

When you come across a list of famous people who are engineers, one name you might not see is Edwin Moses, who used his training in engineering and related disciplines to turn himself into one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.

Real World Virtual Patent Marking

While it’s probably safe to say that innovation in the legal world will never rival the pace of Moore’s law, progress is being made. One area worth noting relates to virtual marking of patented articles.

Don't Lose Them — Retention is Important

Current data point to an impending summer of discontent among U.S. workers, who may begin leaving their employers en masse if retention strategies aren't put in place.

How to Get the Job Even if You are Not the Ideal Candidate

In the hiring authority’s mind, the perfect candidate is someone completely matching his wish list. However, the perfect employee may not be the perfect candidate.

White House Announces Technology-Focused Initiative to Map the Human Brain

On 2 April, President Obama announced a proposed $100M Brain Mapping Initiative as a highlight of his forthcoming FY 2014 budget request for federal R&D.

Robotics Leaders Unveil Robotics Roadmap 2.0

On 20 March, robotics leaders from academia and industry briefed Congress on the newly updated Roadmap for U.S. Robotics: From Internet to Robotics.

President Calls for Targeted Increases and Cuts in FY 2014 Budget Request for R&D

On 10 April 2013, the White House released its FY 2014 budget proposal, including funding requests for key federal S&T programs.

World Bytes: Consensus on Concussion in Sport

A 32-person panel of global experts recently examined the important issue of the management, assessment and prevention of concussions in sport with the goal of improving outcomes.

Tech News Digest

Technology-related news and notable developments.

Career Focus: Intelligent Transportation Careers Speed Ahead

Although fully autonomous and automated vehicles are still many years away — the recent Google "self-driving" car notwithstanding — the intelligent transportation field is growing rapidly. A study published last year predicted that the market for intelligent transportation technologies would grow to $24.75 billion in 2017. That's just the beginning for an industry that is expected to eventually revolutionize nearly all travel.

Backscatter: Sci-Fi: Chicken or Egg?

Do science-fiction writers get their ideas from scientists or do scientists benefit from the writings of science-fiction authors?

Cogent Communicator: Practice Makes Better

Practicing can go a long way towards helping technical presenters connect with their audience so they are not only prepared, but fascinating.

Nailing Your Performance Review Won't Guarantee You a Raise

Some believe that if they work hard and do well on their annual performance review, a raise is sure to come. That's not always the case, though. Sometimes you've got to ask.

Fostering Gender Diversity in Computing

Computing and IT are among the fastest growing U.S. industries. Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce will be critical to meeting future demands in these professions.

Championing Small Business: An Interview with Dr. Winslow Sargeant

TE sits down with the man in charge of advocating on behalf of small business owners around the country.

"The Wolf is at the Door": Likely Impacts of Sequestration

On 1 March, the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration, began going into effect. Here is AIP's analysis on the likely impact on key federal R&D agencies.

The Reshoring Trend is Good for Engineers and America

These are exciting times for the rebounding U.S. industrial base, as well as the engineers and technology professionals who make it possible.

Apple, the iPad and Federal R&D

The research ecosystem is fueled by the flow of people and ideas back and forth between academia and industry. This robust ecosystem has made the U.S. the world leader in information technology.

Tech News Digest: March 2013

Technology-related news and notable developments with a focus on electrical engineering, computing and IT and allied fields.

Feds to Increase Public Access to R&D-Related Pubs and Data

Agencies with over $100M in annual R&D expenditures have been asked to develop proposals for increasing public access to both scientific publications and digital scientific data.

Your Engineering Heritage: Bulletin Board Systems

Before the World Wide Web became popular in the mid 1990s, millions of people used bulletin board systems as their primary method of getting online.

World Bytes: The Power of Introverts

An estimated one-third to one-half of the population have introverted personalities, so it would be a mistake to overlook them.

Career Focus: Software Engineering Careers Continue to Boom

What a difference two years makes. When Today's Engineer last looked at software engineering careers in March 2011, the industry was as hot as hot could be. Twenty-three months, later software engineering is even hotter, with more demand for talented professionals than ever, and nowhere close to enough people to fill all of the open positions.

Cogent Communicator: Dangerous Assumptions

What's wrong with saying nothing, if you have no more to say? Plenty. It leaves too many unanswered questions.

Backscatter: What Will Happen (or Not) in 2023

Don Christiansen tries his hand at this speculative art of predicting the future.

Five Ways to Keep Your Job Search Confidential

Even if you're just testing the market to gauge your value, you don't want your boss to know you're looking.

IEEE Members Can Join National Consultants Network

IEEE members who are consultants can now network via the IEEE Consultants Network.

Senate Proposes Massive H-1B Increase

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate would more than triple the size of the H-1B program, while making nominal increases to the EB green card program.

NASA at a Crossroads

NASA earned its reputation as one of America's premier technology agencies, but due to budget constraints and a fragmented mission focus, today it risks losing its leadership in space.

Key Departures and Changes in Obama's Science and Technology Team

The President's science and technology team is losing leaders from two of the top posts in Washington.

Blank Space: Communicate with the President-Elect

2013 IEEE-USA President-Elect Gary Blank shares some of his goals for his presidency in 2014 and wants your feedback.

Tech News Digest

Technology-related news and notable developments with a focus on electrical engineering, computing and IT and allied fields.

Engineering Hall of Fame: John J. Carty

He began as a telephone operator, and fifty one years later was Vice President of AT&T and Chair of the Board of Bell Labs.

World Bytes: What is 'Winning Gold,' Really?

There is no such thing as victory without honesty, integrity, compassion and respect for others.

Career Focus: Semiconductors

Statistically speaking, quite a few of the people reading this article are probably doing so on new tablet computers that they picked up or received over the holidays. Those tablets — which didn't exist just a few years ago — would not be possible without the semiconductor industry. At the same time, the growth of the modern semiconductor industry has been fueled by the rapid development of new technologies — tablets, smartphones, and hundreds of other connected devices — that can be found in almost every facet of our daily lives.

Cogent Communicator: The Inexact Science of Persuasion

Business communication is often aimed at persuading others to do something they haven't thought of or haven't wanted to, persuading them a different way is better, overdue, more efficient, or simply the right thing to do.

Five Ways to Network Purposefully to Create Lifetime "Career Insurance"

Create career insurance by networking purposefully with those who have access to the job leads you need and must know about first.

7 Tips for Recent College Grads

High unemployment, student loans, finding housing and managing finances can cause headaches from the moment you receive your diploma. However, with a little planning and a lot of ambition and diligence, you can do it.

Reshoring and the Resurgence of U.S. High-Tech Manufacturing

In what many are hoping is a lasting trend, more and more American businesses are bringing manufacturing jobs back from places like China, Mexico and Central America — and more importantly, high-paying, skilled manufacturing jobs.

Service and Personal Robotics Industry Takes Off

Robotics technology is capable of turning into really great products and successful businesses today, and not just for military and assembly line applications, which also means a growing industry for thousands of IEEE members in software, hardware, battery technology, and control systems.

A Survey of IEEE Standards in Patent Litigation

IEEE's standards have a major impact in litigation. Accordingly, inferences can be made about technological trends in litigation by the frequency with which IEEE standards appear in reported decisions. Here is a high-level survey of decisions in which IEEE standards have been at issue.

Your Engineering Heritage: Protecting Power Lines

How can we harden our infrastructure against natural disasters, even as climate scientists are predicting that storms like Superstorm Sandy will likely become more frequent?

World Bytes: Hey, Governor

How can we succeed in a world of constant change and unpredictability, in which we seem to be less and less in control?

Tech News Digest

Technology-related news and notable developments with a focus on electrical engineering, computing and IT and allied fields.

Career Focus: Nuclear Engineering

Engineering fields don't get much hotter than nuclear engineering. The field boasts the second-highest median salary for all engineering occupations: $99,920 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which also predicts a 10% growth rate for employment through the end of the decade, one of the higher rates in engineering.

Cogent Communicator: The Overlooked Stepchild of Communication Family

When we talk about communication skills, we usually mean writing and speaking. But there’s more to communicating ...

Backscatter: When an EE is Powerless

Most EEs spend their careers concerned with, in one way or another, the travels of the electron. When we are dumped unceremoniously into a situation where the electron is absent without leave, we do not react happily.

Rep. Lamar Smith to Assume Key S&T Post in 113th Congress

Texas Rep. Lamar Smith will chair the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology when the 113th Congress convenes in January.

Hearing Explores Challenge of Forced Technology Transfer to U.S. Competitiveness

Are American companies and taxpayers paying for R&D investments whose benefits are being realized by foreign countries? And what, if anything, can be done to limit the activity or its impact?

2012 Holiday Networking for Both Candidates and Hiring Managers

What makes the holiday season such an opportune time for networking, and how can you leverage this holiday season to your personal advantage?

STEM Visa Bill Passes House; Stopped in Senate

A bill that would grant visas to skilled foreign nationals with STEM degrees from U.S. Universities passed the House, but was scuttled in the Senate largely because the new visa program would require the elimination of the diversity visa program.

EEs Help Power the Steel Industry

A single steel plant can consume as much electricity as a large city. But there are people behind that power, and those people are electrical engineers. Are you suited for a job in the steel industry?

Engineer Petitions White House to Examine Age Discrimination in STEM Fields

One engineer is using a new online petition site to draw attention to age discrimination in STEM fields, and he needs your help by 27 December.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of technology-related news and notable developments with a focus on electrical engineering, computing and information technology and allied fields reported during November 2012.

World Bytes: Workplace Bullying

Bullying ― either by management or by employees ― is never acceptable.

Your Engineering Heritage: The Wireless Women of WWI

What was the Women’s Radio Corps (WRC) and who are these women?

Career Focus: Careers in Nuclear Energy

The nuclear energy industry is in the middle of a crisis: a substantial percentage of the employees working in the field are poised on the cusp of retirement age. That means the industry is in a hiring phase like we have not seen for decades. The U.S. nuclear energy industry today employs more than 100,000 people. Only about 10 percent of those employees are engineers, but that still translates to a lot of jobs for electrical, power, mechanical, computer and nuclear engineers.

Cogent Communicator: Presentation Anxiety

In engineering and tech jobs, there seems to be no end of opportunities to present in front of a group. So, what do you do if you're one of the many who are anxious about public speaking?

Hidden Job Market Secrets: What Can Weather Emergencies Teach Us About Job Hunting?

Even when the timing is uncertain, anticipation and planning improves the ability to effectively cope with emergencies like a natural storm — or a career crisis.

An Overview of Agile Development Methods for Engineers and Tech Professionals

This article provides an overview of agile development basics, including common terms and processes, elements and stages, and how the agile process identifies and then delivers a work product.

Even IT Managers Need Mentors

Even the best IT managers can benefit from the wisdom of a mentor. If you haven't already done so, regardless of what stage of your management career you're in, perhaps it’s time for you to go out and find a mentor.

Op-Ed: Let's Match Education to What Industry Needs

This op-ed kicks off a series of articles on ideas and specific ways to not only survive and flourish in the new world such as it has become, but to also find new and exciting opportunities.

GSA Conferences Scandal Affecting Participation of Federal Scientists and Engineers in Society Conferences

Political fallout from the GSA conferences scandal is hindering participation of federal scientists and engineers in society conferences.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Bing Crosby and Magnetic Recording

World Bytes: 128,100 Feet

Career Focus: Defense Industry STEM Jobs

A new report looks at the future of STEM employment in the Department of Defense and sees both shortfalls and opportunities.

Backscatter: Designing Museum Pieces

Just think of all the important artifacts that engineers have contributed to museums. Not intentionally, of course. It’s just that we keep developing new products that make the previous ones obsolete.

Cogent Communicator: Dare to Write Well

If you’re thinking that dense, clunky, noun-laden, predictable language is what business readers expect and therefore you’d better stick to this terrible norm, keep something else in mind: a great deal of business writing goes unread. Dare to make your writing readable.

What You Need to Know About the Hidden Job Market

If you have been looking for a new executive position or have been an executive job seeker during the past few years, you have probably heard about the hidden (or unadvertised) job market. Here's a brief primer on what you need to know about breaking into it.

Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile

Like eating vegetables, we all know we need to be online and have a professional presence, but it gets confusing when it come to content, frequency and engagement.

A Look at Sequestration: Potential Cuts to Federal R&D in the First Five Years

The AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program has released a new report that estimates the impact of sequestration on federal R&D budgets and by state over the next five years.

STEM Visa Bill Defeated in House

Legislation to create 55,000 new STEM visas was defeated in Congress on 20 September, despite receiving strong bipartisan support. While disappointing, the vote does not necessarily preclude further action on a STEM bill later this year.

Minnesota Pro Bono Pilot Program Helps Independent Inventors Gain Patent Counsel

Many independent inventors find that they can’t afford the cost of getting competent legal service to assist them in the preparation and prosecution of their patent application. Find out what one program is doing to help Minnesota inventors.

IEEE-USA Offers Study Guide for Software Engineering Licensure Exam

The Principles & Practice of Software Engineering Examination (also known as the “Software PE Exam”), was recently completed and will be offered in at least 10 states in April 2013. IEEE-USA is offering an exam preparation guide to help individuals prepare for the exam.

Free E-Book for IEEE Members: Writing for Success—An Engineer’s Guide, Volume 1

In October, IEEE-USA is offering Writing for Success—An Engineer’s Guide, Volume 1: Designing for Success free to IEEE members.

Tech News Digest: October

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

World Bytes: My Rudy Moment

Your Engineering Heritage: Univac and the 1952 Presidential Election

Career Focus: Contract Engineering Jobs

More and more engineers today are opting not for full-time jobs but a series of high-paying, highly skilled contract jobs that last anywhere from a few months to a couple of years.

Cogent Communicator: What Are Slides For?

Slides with visual depictions of information are necessary to support technical presentations. The trouble is, that’s not all we ask slides to do.

Why Don't Engineering and Marketing Get Along?

When project requirements are a moving target, or they’re poorly defined, engineering work becomes even more difficult. It’s easy to point fingers at marketing as the problem. Of course, it’s just as easy for marketing to point fingers at engineering.

Congress Swings, Misses on Cybersecurity

After two years of focused effort, the Senate took a critical procedural vote on comprehensive cyber-security legislation on 2 August, essentially deciding not to proceed with consideration of the legislation at this time.It appears that the 112th Congress’ cyber-security efforts were largely for naught.

The Business of Education: Avoiding a Skills Gap

When it comes to K-12 STEM education, many believe that we are a nation in crisis. Boeing Senior VP of Human Resources and Administration Rick Stephens travels the country and visits with individuals and organizations who are working hard to innovate and create great learning environments for kids, and eventually for their families. Find out what he believes is necessary to bring our education system back from the brink.

"Here they go again" — this time with the Patent SHIELD Act

Before the ink has dried on the America Invents Act, a new patent bill was recently introduced in Congress — one that appears to be a major assault on patentee (patent holder) rights.

Technology Pioneering

As the technological landscape grows and diversifies, we must increase its benefits and lessen its negative impacts. To that end, Rias van Wyk sees a need for technology pioneering, which can be advanced by employing MOT processes together with appropriate technology maps.

IEEE-USA Spearheads Press Club Event Honoring Alan Turing Birth Centenary

On 4 October, in advance of Los Angeles and Washington theatre premieres later in the month and a national cable TV broadcast later this year, U.S. IEEE members and their guests are invited to Washington's National Press Club for a sneak preview and panel discussion of Codebreaker, an acclaimed new 53-minute film about Alan Turing’s heroic life, tragic death and lasting legacy.

Tech News Digest: September

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Westinghouse Electric Corporation

World Bytes: The Man on the Moon

Every Engineer is a Green Engineer

Yes, it's true, some American solar and wind-energy jobs have moved overseas — and more might follow — but there are still plenty of opportunities for engineers who want to be "green" or eco-friendly. In fact, being green might already be an essential part of your job no matter what industry you work in.

Efficient Executive Summaries

Whether you’re speaking to execs or writing for them, consider your audience. What should you keep in mind as you prepare your “Executive Summary”? In general, executives are busy. For that reason alone, they’re likely impatient. That’s a challenge, of course, but there’s an upside: the best execs focus well and pay attention to you fully in the time they’re with you. They give you their complete attention just long enough (1) to get what they need and (2) to help you if you need it and if they can.

Backscatter: A Modest Beginning

With the arrival of the 100th-anniversary issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE in the mail, Don Christiansen reflects on the publication's modest start in 1912 as the Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

Hidden Job Market Secrets: What You Need to Know to Find a New Position in Today’s Job Market

Anyone, whether a recent graduate or a seasoned professional who has spent a short time searching for a job, has noticed that it is a buyer’s or an employer’s market today. If ever there was a time to approach job hunting from the perspective of very choosey hiring authorities, now is when this point of view is appropriate.

San Diego Gets Smart

Twice this year San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has been recognized for its Smart Grid network. So it was fitting that it served as host utility for the 2012 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting.

NCEES Past Presidents Lead NAE Technical Session on Licensure; plus a Recap of the April 2012 Electrical & Computer PE Exam Results

Three NCEES past presidents recently represented the organization at the 2012 National Academy of Engineering Convocation of Professional Engineering Societies with a technical session titled "P.E.: The Regulation of Engineering in the United States." Plus, find out how PE exam takers fared in April.

S&T Advisors Recommend Freeing Government Spectrum to Promote Wireless Innovation

The volume of mobile data has doubled every year globally for the past four years, as users of wireless smart phones, tablets, and other devices increasingly view mobile access to data a necessity of daily life. As the demand for spectrum increases to support the wireless devices used for work, social networking, entertainment and other purposes, pressure is increasing to free up wireless spectrum now held by government agencies and private entities for other purposes.

IEEE-USA’s Hole in 1s and 0s Part of Cool Mini Golf Course

During the multiple heat waves that have overcome Washington, D.C., this summer, the National Building Museum has been one of the coolest places in town. And not just because of its air conditioning.

Engineers, Architects and Designers Honored in AIDS Memorial Quilt Display

For five days, some 500 panels blanketed the 116- by 316-foot Great Hall of the National Building Museum. Many of the panels recognized engineers, architects and designers connected to the building industry.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: The Foundations of Mobile and Cellular Telephony

World Bytes: Sally Ride: First American Woman in Space

Prosthetics: A Career That Changes Lives

Every day, 500 people in the United States lose at least one of their limbs to amputation. Engineers are helping them to regain their lives.

Backscatter: Remember Radio?

Not the origins of radio as represented by the works of its notable pioneers, or the advancements produced through the activities of radio amateurs, or even to the founding of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) in 1912. Rather, do you remember the days when radio had become the dominant and sometimes only means of bringing news and entertainment into the home?

Engineering's Debt to the Morrill Act

The Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, signed into law 150 years ago by President Abraham Lincoln, played a key role in helping to establish the United States as an industrial nation and world power, by providing the skilled engineers, new technologies, and emphasis on technology transfer and extension that helped build the growing nation.

Op-Ed: Building New American Prosperity through Smarter and More Secure Infrastructure

Not only in developing parts of the world, but even more so in the advanced societies, our economy and quality of life depends on reliable and disturbance-free electricity and other life-line critical infrastructures that we often take for granted.

CareerCast.com Reports on the Nation's Best Jobs In Engineering & Information Technology

Engineering, computer science and many other traditionally "nerdy" careers have become some of the nation's coolest professions, according to a new CareerCast.com report on the best jobs in engineering and information technology.

IEEE-USA Launches Redesigned Careers Page

IEEE-USA strives to help members manage their own careers by providing tools that will help them through tough times and help them hone the skills that will build resilient, enduring careers. To help facilitate members' career growth, IEEE-USA has redesigned its careers web page to make it more engaging and easier to navigate.

Software Engineering Certification in Today's Environment

Professional knowledge-based certification programs exist or can be created for all experience levels, from entry-level to professional to mastery (or specialized). In today's software industry, the certification programs are primarily vendor specific (for example, Microsoft or Oracle) or domain specific (for example, focused on quality). It's time for certifications that help computing professionals demonstrate proficiencies across the breadth of software engineering practices.

50 Nations Outline Shared Principles for Merit-Review of Research Proposal

On 14-15 May 2012, the National Science Foundation hosted a global summit of primary science-funding agencies from nearly 50 countries for the purpose of developing best practices for international collaboration and to outline a set of shared principles for merit-review of research proposals.

White House Outlines S&T Priorities for FY 2014

On 6 June 2012, the White House Office of Management and Budget and Office of Science and Technology Policy outlined the President's S&T priorities in a joint memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies as guidance for the development of their FY2014 R&D budget proposals.

Energy and the Economy: Part II

This is the second in a two-part series on energy and economy. These articles first appeared as 10 installments in the Benzie Record Patriot and Manistee News Advocate newspapers in Michigan, and are reprinted here with permission from the author.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

World Bytes: The Growing Problem of Dementia

Your Engineering Heritage: Telstar's 50th Anniversary

Crowdfunding: A New Opportunity for Science and Innovation

Would you kick in a dollar to help a world-changing technology come to life? Crowdfunding sites are helping scientists and inventors to fund projects that might not otherwise see the light of day. In the process, they want to help turn scientists into rock stars.

How to Make a New Job Fall into Your Lap

Many earnest job seekers end up feeling hopeless that they will ever find a new opportunity, let alone have a new job find them. But by making some subtle changes to your job search tactics, you can get back on track and position yourself as a go-to, in-demand expert in your field.

STEM Visa Legislation Proposed

On 13 May, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would dramatically reduce the time international students must wait for green cards after graduating. The STAR Act (S. 3185), introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) represents a significant step forward in IEEE-USA’s efforts to pass meaningful high-skill visa reform.

Energy and the Economy: Part I

This is the first in a two-part series of articles about energy and economy. These articles first appeared as 10 intallments in the Benzie Record Patriot and Manistee News Advocate newspapers in Michigan, and are reprinted here with permission from the author.

Book Review: Energy and the Wealth of Nations

In his review of Charles A.S. Hall and Kent A. Klitgaard's book, Energy and the Wealth of Nations, Jim MacInnes provides a discussion about the ‘science’ behind economic growth and the critical yet often misunderstood role that energy plays in our economy.

Engineering Societies Engage World Leaders on Sustainable Development

On 22 June, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups will gather in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to participate in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (aka Rio+20). The conference will focus on sustainability in the contexts of jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water oceans and disaster readiness. IEEE will have a delegation at the conference lead by IEEE President Gordon Day, working along with other engineering societies in support of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Pulse Code Modulation: It all Started 75 Years Ago with Alec Reeves

World Bytes: Sex Bias in Research

Aerospace Engineering Careers Still Flying High

Despite some uncertainty — and slower growth than other engineering fields — careers in aerospace remain strong and the need for new employees continues to grow.

Telling Secrets of the Hidden Job Market

While networking may not be the easiest or most comfortable way to job hunt, the tight job market demands extraordinary efforts. And the results of networking purposefully are undeniable. Here's how you can get started building your own network.

Girls Encouraged to Pursue STEM Careers

In April, the White House hosted a special event to encourage the next generation of women in STEM, which featured a panel of some of America’s top women in science and engineering, and premiered the new video, Girls in STEM.

Backscatter: Not My Type

In an attempt to mimic web designers and their penchant for brightly colored and reversed out text, are print designers sacrificing readability and, possibly, losing readers? Don Christiansen muses on design trends in some of today's most popular print periodicals.

Developing New Specifications for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

The specifications for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) will change in January 2014 in concert with NCEES’s plans to move the exam from paper and pencil to computer-based testing (CBT). Learn about process by which the new specification were developed.

Engineering Leaders to Convene to Discuss Future of U.S. Engineering

In April, the National Academy of Engineering, joined by Lockheed Martin and the Council on Competitiveness, announced the inaugural National Engineering Forum (NEF), which will challenges leaders of the engineering community to “address the precarious state of U.S. engineering — in terms of its capacity, capability and competitiveness.”

Fourth IEEE Green Technologies Conference

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Comments Sought on Existing USPTO Regulations and Patent Application Paperwork Burden

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) recently requested comments on the paperwork that applicants submit during post-filing, pre-allowance patent prosecution. This is a highly significant opportunity to seek reform of problematic PTO regulations — one that only comes once every three years.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Titanic, Wireless Communications, and the Popular Delusions of Mass Media

World Bytes: Animal Wildlife Crossings

Career Focus: Computer Science PostDocs

By all accounts, the number of computer science graduates who take postdoctoral fellowships — also known as PostDocs — is quite small: just a few hundred per year. But thanks to the extended poor economic outlook, PostDocs are on the rise in academic circles, while the number of full-time academic positions is on the decline.

Dos and Don'ts of Working with Corporate Recruiters

Knowing who managers hire and why is always helpful, but another — and perhaps superseding — issue is how you interact with a recruiter during the job search process, and how the wrong approach can unwittingly turn off the recruiter and hinder your campaign's progress.

Get Employers to Notice You

The best way to find a job today is through a personal referral or what is commonly called networking. Passing information about a possible new role or pending vacancy between individuals who are connected to each other or have a mutual contact continues to be a rich source of new job leads. So, how do you get noticed?

NCEES's Evolution, plus a Recap of the 2011 Electrical and Computer PE Exam Results

Today, the NCEES continues to evolve in its efforts to advance licensure for engineers and surveyors. Find out how the organization has worked to meet its mission of advancing licensure over the years. Plus, a recap of the October 2011 Electrical and Computer PE exam results.

Will Electrified Vehicles Ever be Profitable?

The electrified vehicle industry has received tremendous attention over the last few years and the great expectations continue. Looking at 2011 sales, however, expectations fell short compared to reality. So, how do suppliers, consumers and others industry stakeholders deal with this unprofitable situation and turn it around to get in the black?

Remembering the 'Ultimate Team Player,' George McClure

The greatest among us are those who serve others. George McClure would never have been so bold to think of himself as great. He served his family, country and fellow IEEE members without concern for how it would benefit him.

Quality Healthcare: A Right, a Privilege, a Responsibility and a Concern

Reforming today’s healthcare system is a daunting challenge, which is why we must “Break the China” by implementing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) value chain model that leverages 21st Century health information technology (HIT).

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Backscatter: From Film Star to Frequency-Hopping Inventor

Some younger readers may not know who Hedy Lamarr was. Old-timers remember her as a popular Hollywood star of the mid-20th century. Unknown to her fans and many of her Hollywood colleagues was her creative side. They were unaware that when the cameras were not rolling, Ms. Lamarr might be at home at her drawing board, diligently working at some concept that might lead to a commercial product or a patentable invention.

Your Engineering Heritage: Inventors' Responses to the Sinking of the RMS Titanic

World Bytes: To the Depth of the Ocean

Career Focus: Forensic Engineering

When things break and parties litigate, sometimes the person who has the most impact on the proceedings is not the plaintiff, the judge or an attorney — it's a forensic engineer. Forensic engineers investigate and reconstruct failures in a variety of systems, often determining the cause and liability of an event as it moves toward, or into, a courtroom setting. So, how does one go about becoming one?

How is a Job Search Like a Romance?

Today's job search sometimes bears a striking resemblance to today's dating scene. Similar tools and tactics are employed in both endeavors to find a suitable match.

Your Engineering Career: Keep on Pushing

As an engineer, you already know how to keep trying different approaches, to keep on pushing, until you solve a technical problem. This ethos applies to engineering careers as well.

Are You Flourishing?

The Greeks had a word for it: Aristotle thought of flourishing as a synonym for happiness — eudaimonia, combining well-being or abundance and the control of individual destiny.

Backscatter: The Engineering Gender Gap

Don Christiansen reviews mixed bag of reactions to Lego's announcement that will be marketing a new line aimed at girls, and wonders if engineering may be becoming a gender-neutral profession?

Interest Low in Federal STEM Jobs

According to a recent report by the Partnership for Public Service, only 2.3 percent of U.S. science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) grads are considering post-graduation employment in the federal government. Starting salaries were cited as one of the primary reasons students would not pursue federal jobs.

Reversing the Loss of STEM Careers

Interest in STEM careers among U.S. high school students is declining, while unemployment among U.S. engineers remains high. And U.S. immigration policies continue to complicate matters. So, what can be done to ensure that STEM careers remain a viable option for U.S. students and to ultimately reverse these trends?

Technological Vigilance

Engineers and scientists are the custodians of technological progress. So what is is technological vigilance, and why is it important?

In Remembrance: Roger Mark Boisjoly (1938-2012)

Engineer Roger Boisjoly entered the public consciousness in 1986, with his unsuccessful effort to stop the fateful launch of the space shuttle Challenger. Boisjoly passed away in January, but his legacy as a champion of engineering ethics carries on.

1.4 Percent Increase Proposed for Federal R&D in FY2013

The President's FY2013 budget proposal, as submitted to Congress, includes a $140.8 billion request for Federal R&D. If enacted, the R&D budget would increase by $2.0 billion or 1.4 percent over the 2012 level.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Engineering Hall of Fame: Pavel Nikolayevich Yablochkov

World Bytes: John Glenn, An American Hero

The Real Steel: Robotics Careers Ready to Boom

Do you have a robot in your home or office yet? If not, you probably will soon. The robotics industry is in a major growth mode, not only in terms of sales, but also in size. At the same time, it is also creating growth around itself. According to a November 2011 report from the market research firm Metra Martech, the robotics industry will create one million new jobs over the next five years.

Outlook 2012

As in past years, Today's Engineer provides an outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

Sifting for Gold in the Invention Mine

Many companies generate more inventions than they recognize, and each overlooked invention is a missed opportunity and potentially a wasted asset. Fortunately, capturing these assets through “invention mining” is easy and efficient. As an engineer, you are in an ideal position to help your company identify potential nuggets of patentable inventions.

The Heilmeier Catechism

IEEE Fellow and 2012 Draper Prize recipient Dr. George Heilmeier is most recently known for his role in developing LCD technology. But during his long career in the U.S. Department of Defense and DARPA, TI, Bellcore/Telcordia, and SAIC, Heilmeier made an indelible mark as an Research and Development manager, and for his famous checklist.

Four Steps to Becoming an Expert and Purposeful Networker

Networking is more of an art than a science, blending communication and interpersonal skills. If you weren't blessed with the networking gene, it’s a skill you can — and need to — develop.

Electric Vehicle Charging at Work

American driving habits are based on a century of fossil fuel powered vehicles and gas tanks, which has created misunderstandings about electric vehicles (EVs). The gas-tank, with its run-until-empty and then fill-to-full-at-a-public-gas-station SOP, is not how EVs are used.

SOPA/PIPA Defeated...For Now

Extreme proponents of SOPA claimed the legislation would save hundreds of thousands of jobs and add between $50B and $250B to the U.S. economy per year, while detractors at the other extreme argued it would turn the U.S. into a police state and terminate the first and fourth amendments to the Constitution. As with many things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Electric Vehicles the Focus of Upcoming IEEE Conference in South Carolina

The recent IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference featured a number of paper and panel sessions on electric vehicles. It offered a preview of what to expect at the upcoming IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Early Digital Technology and the Navy

Steeped in long traditions, Navies tend to be very conservative organizations. And yet, there are times when these organizations will exhibit a remarkable willingness to blaze new technological trails. Two examples, one from the history of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the other from the U.S. Navy (USN), offer striking examples of this boldness.

World Bytes: Passing of Mentors

Fortunate are the individuals who have had mentors guiding them on their journey through life. Age catches up with all of us, and our mentors die with the torch being passed to the next generation.

Career Focus: Non-Engineering Careers for Engineers

Not everyone who gets an engineering degree or who starts their career as an engineer spends their whole life working as an engineer. But while those who move on may leave behind their hands-on daily exposure to semiconductors or energy systems or software, the education and experience these people received often remains valuable to them through the rest of their careers.

Backscatter: Toys for Budding Engineers

Do today's kids miss out on fun and learning that could propel them to engineering careers as they remain glued to iPads and computer games?

Effective Job Search: Don’t Apply, Get Recommended

Internal sourcing and word-of-mouth referrals dominate how today's jobs are filled, meaning that job seekers can no longer rely solely on resume submissions to find a new job. Candidates who come recommended are more likely to become a new hire.

Congress Delivers Holiday Present for Small Businesses

In mid-December, after more than three years of haggling, legislators agreed to a six-year extension of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, removing long-term uncertainty about the future of these programs.

Immigration Reform Poised to Move in 2012

After a busy 2011, Congress may be ready to move a significant immigration reform bill early this year. A number of pieces have fallen into place over the last few months which, if bundled together, could easily result in bipartisan legislation becoming law.

Policy in the Cloud: Part III — Congress Looks at Legislation

Issues ranging from privacy, security, law enforcement powers, intellectual property and global competition are prodding Congress to enact legislation to clear the way for new legal and regulatory approaches.

Digital Darwinism: FutureMedia Report IDs Six Areas of Growth

According to Georgia Tech's FutureMedia Outlook 2012, the coming years will bring increased personalization, innovation and flexibility in the media landscape. The report identifies six megatrends that will have a pervasive impact on how content is created, distributed and consumed.

IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

In late October, participants from all over the world gathered at the inaugural IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference to present and discuss solutions for present and future humanitarian needs. George McClure recaps some of the conference highlights.

Protecting Brand Reputation with Software Copyrights

When companies create software, they create copyrighted works. Copyright law immediately protects is the innovative or creative expressions written in Python, C++, ASP, or any other coding language. But copyright protections can go much further: copyrights can also protect a company’s reputation.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Spotlight: On James Howard, 2012 IEEE-USA President

James Howard has been an active IEEE volunteer for almost 25 years. Get to know a little bit more about the personal side of your 2012 IEEE-USA President.

Your Engineering Heritage: 2012 — A "Milestone"Year

2012 looks like a banner year for anniversaries. Some we may have an opportunity to feature in this section over the course of the next 12 months, but others we may not, so let's start off the year with an overview.

World Bytes: Good Jobs: A National Imperative

If you thought that you were on a fast-moving roller-coaster in 2011; tighten up your seatbelt as all indications are that change, uncertainty and unpredictable events will continue through 2012 and well beyond.

Career Focus: App Development

Apps apps apps — that seems to be all that anyone is talking about these days. But while many of the most talked about apps may be simple or flashy games or programs for mobile devices, the real growth in the field is in serious business productivity or marketing applications. Meanwhile, the need for good app developers is growing at a record pace.

Top 10 Ways To Screw-Up Your Engineering Career

Anyone can give you helpful career advice, so Jim Anderson invites you to do something completely different — would you like to know how to screw-up your engineering career?

Is Your Resume Marketing You as an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet or Gourmet Dining?

Comparing a resume with a holiday meal might seem far fetched. From a marketing perspective, there are fascinating parallels.

Policy in the Cloud: Part II — Issues Engaging Policy-Makers

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more. The second installment of this three-part series looks at the issues policy-makers face on this complex issue.

Backscatter: How to Invent

How does one answer when confronted with the question "How do you invent?" Don Christiansen offers the wisdom of Wilson Greenbatch, inventor of the implantable pacemaker, as a good place to start.

Do NOT Publish That Article (if you care about U.S. patent rights)

The America Invents Act changed our patent system from "first to invent" to "first to file." But what does that really mean?

What Does it Take to be an IEEE-USA Government Fellow?

IEEE-USA annually sponsors three government fellowships, which afford U.S. IEEE members opportunities to spend a year in Washington, DC, serving as technical advisors to either the U.S. Congress or to key U.S. Department of State decision-makers.

The Future of U.S. Manufacturing

If machines and artificial intelligence are increasingly replacing humans in the workforce, how will engineers fare in the transition?

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Engineering Hall of Fame: Henry Ford, Electrical Engineer

Henry Ford did more than any other individual to establish the modern automobile industry and, by perfecting mass production, he transformed the American and, ultimately, the world economy. But how many people realize that Henry Ford was “one of ours?”

World Bytes: Another Year

Another year is drawing to a close. It would be easy to complain, blame others for the challenges that we face daily, and look to the future with despair. Every generation has its difficulties, and yet, when you stand back and look at the big picture, humanity continues to move forward in a positive way.

Career Focus: Systems Engineering

Are you an engineer who likes to think outside of the box, possesses leadership and communication skills, and thrives at improving the connections between greater parts of a whole? Then systems engineering might be a good next step for your career.

Cover Letters: Too Much "I" Doesn't Leave Room for Me

Cover letters don't need to be tricky. Keep the tone about being of service, and you'll get the audience's attention.

How to Land a New Job Faster: Be Your Own Talent Agent

When competing in today's tight job market, job seekers must do their own planning, packaging, promoting, pricing and selling.

Software Risk Management

This article discusses how vulnerabilities, threats, weakness, defects and exploits greatly reduce the ability to ensure acceptable system behavior.

Twenty Years of Pension "Improvements"

The traditional defined benefit pension served as the gold standard for retirement security, where the employer took the risk in delivering the promised benefit. But over the past two decades, many firms have turned the risk over to the employees.

Policy in the Cloud: Congress Looks at the Fed's Role in Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more.

NCEES Seeks Volunteers for FE Exam Review

NCEES is seeking engineering professionals to participate in a content review for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to help update the exam's test specifications.

Report Addresses Entrepreneurship, Promises 10K New Engineers a Year

The United States must invest in infrastructure, accelerate entrepreneurship, increase competitiveness and focus on developing the professionals the economy will need in five to 10 years, says a new report from the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

STEM Education Bill Introduced in Congress

On 5 October, Rep. Raul Labrador introduced a bill to change the process international students use to become U.S. citizens. The bill would dramatically reduce the time between students earning advanced degrees and getting a green card.

IP Seminar: The New Patent Law and What it Means to You

On 22 October, IEEE-USA hosted a seminar to help those interested in the patent process better understand the America Invents Act and its potential impact. Video from the seminar is now available online.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Fiber Optics

World Bytes: Steve Jobs

Is Your Salary Competitive? Find Out with the Latest IEEE-USA Salary Survey and Calculator

We all have questions about our salaries and benefits: Are we getting paid what we're worth? If we switch jobs or move to a new city, what should we expect to earn? Or if you're getting ready to hire an employee, how do you know if you're offering a competitive salary?

Backscatter: Computer-Driven Publishing

The editor of traditional print media has clearly defined responsibilities. But the traditional methods of meeting these responsibilities are under stress, and are changing due largely to computer automation.

IP Engineering Consulting and Professional Licensure

The production and protection of intellectual property (IP) in the electrical and computer engineering discipline is an area that often requires detailed experience and specialized expertise. Here is an overview of typical tasks and considerations that IP consulting engineers face in their practice.

How to Land a New Executive Position in Today's Engineering Job Market

In the past, job searching best practices included preparing and submitting a strong, meticulously edited resume and waiting patiently to be called for an interview. All that has changed, and if you are still relying solely on your resume to open doors to new opportunities, you could get left behind. Here are a few pointers to help you be a more enlightened (and permanent) candidate.

Effective Leadership Traits

Since the great recession of 2008, the rule with an iron fist approach is no longer effective. Employees aren’t motivated to stay at jobs where they feel little connection or value, so if you are team leader, you must find ways to lead effectively and retain your most valuable asset — your employees.

Risk Management and Lean Six Sigma

We live in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), which is increasing the dimensions of risk that organizations face in today’s competitive environment. However, when we respond rather than react to VUCA, we can capitalize on innovation opportunities that VUCA fosters.

Patent System Reform: Costs Expected To Increase on Small Businesses

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act makes major changes to the U.S. patent system. Among the changes, the United States will now award patent rights to the first entity to file for a patent — just one of the changes that will likely burden small businesses and individual inventors.

Comparison of FY 2012 Appropriations for Defense Science and Technology Programs

As of 26 September, the House of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Committee had completed work on FY 2012 appropriations for the Department of Defense and its science and technology programs. Both chambers are looking at similar Science and Technology cuts of over 4 percent, but with funds shifting to provide increases for basic research.

Key Federal Research and Development Appropriations Take Shape for '12

With Fiscal Year 2012 beginning on 1 October, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have completed work on proposed FY 2012 budgets for NASA, NSF and NIST. The result has overall funding levels declining at all three Science and Technology agencies, although there is an effort to minimize the impact on the research and development components of the agency budgets.

IEEE at Forefront of Efforts to Revitalize Power and Energy Engineering Careers

There has perhaps never been a better time to be a power engineer in the United States. Salaries are strong, interest in renewable fuels is high and Smart Grid efforts promise to modernize the U.S. electric power system.

The Green Button Challenge: Making Smart Grid Consumer Friendly

In 15 Sept. remarks to more than 1,000 Smart Grid leaders gathered in Washington for GridWeek 2011, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra challenged the Smart Grid community to innovate a “Green Button” that would empower consumers to better manage their energy usage.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Degaussing Warships, Library Books, and Hard Drives

The “clunk” you hear when you turn on a large CRT television or a computer monitor, and the electrical surge you can sometimes feel and hear near the screen, are modern reminders of an important World War II electrical technology which saved many lives. The sound is made by the degaussing coil, which — in television sets — is used to prevent the discoloration of the display which can occur if the beams of electrons triggering the different colored phosphorus cells are not correctly aimed by the magnetic field.

World Bytes: Hyperspecialization

This concept of "hyperspecialization" is particularly relevant for today's knowledge worker. Projects and tasks previously done by one person will be divided into highly specialized small pieces, each completed by a highly skilled specialist; not necessarily a full-time employee of the company, but may be outsourced locally, nationally or internationally.

Career Focus: Engineering Management

Taking those first steps into management can be difficult, and there are many questions you might ask before moving forward. Is going into management the right career path for you? Are you right for management? Do you need extra training or skills to become an effective manager? What if it doesn't work out for you? Are the best paths for career growth with your current employer, or must you switch companies before you can advance?

Risk Management: Integrated ERM and Cyber Security

Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, publicly traded corporations must apply appropriate methods to ensure controls over the organization, one of which is enterprise risk management (ERM). Integrated ERM is a new concept, but without its adoption, other risk management types are either less likely to deliver maximum value or will fail to be sustained.

IEEE-USA Position Statements — What are They, Why do we Need Them and What do They do for Me?

Many people know that IEEE-USA takes positions on important engineering, technical and career-related aspects of public policy that impact U.S. IEEE members. But maybe you’re also among the many people who don’t really know much about IEEE-USA’s positions and what they’re meant to do.

Seven Easy Steps that Guarantee Faster Executive Job Search Results

Having the right networking connections before you need job lead referrals shortens the duration of a job search and alleviates some of the stress associated with landing a new career challenge — especially in these recessionary times.

Region 3's Jobs Board: Fighting Engineering Unemployment

Unemployment in the United States is at its highest levels since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it in 1948. To aid unemployed IEEE members in finding jobs, Region 3 has set up a Jobs Board — a network of Employment Assistance Coordinators (EAC) — with the goal of establishing EACs in each of the Region’s 41 Sections.

Assessment Exam for Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology Programs Now Available

Wondering if your 2- or 4-year university program is actually developing the desired knowledge, skills and abilities in graduates? If yours is an electrical or electronics engineering technology (or related) program, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Departments Heads Association has a tool that can help you.

Zero Robotics Lets High School Students Program Robot Satellites in Space

A new national robotics competition from MIT, NASA and DARPA is letting high school students experience computing and engineering first hand by programming small space satellites to perform challenging tasks.

NCEES Methodology for Scoring PE Exams, plus Recap of April 2011 Electrical and Computer PE Exam Results

A brief overview of how NCEES scores the PE exam, as well as a recap of the April 2011 Electrical and Computer PE exam results.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Engineering and Pop Culture: Spaceflight in Silent Film

World Bytes: Social Responsibility, Business and the Economy

Career Focus: Cyber Security

Cyber crime is on the rise, threatening individuals' privacy, corporate coffers, government secrets, the security of financial institutions, the operation of national infrastructures, and much, much more. But with the rise of these threats also comes opportunities, as new careers are opening up for people to protect us from hackers, cyber criminals, organized crime, and even terrorists.

The Restructured Engineer: How I Re-invented Myself and Kept Going

The need to reinvent one’s career is not new. In more than 50 years, this engineer has embarked on five or more careers. How he did it may be instructive to younger members.

A Brief History of the U.S. Federal Government and Innovation (Part III: 1945 and Beyond)

In this third installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with the conclusion of World War II through the 1987.

Backscatter: Making Stuff

Many veteran engineers say that taking things apart when they were young helped lead them to successful engineering careers. Do today’s kids have the same opportunities to experiment?

Have You Adopted the Email Charter?

In June, Chris Anderson and Jane Wulf of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a non-profit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” declared in a blog post that email was getting out of hand for many people and issued a call for an Email Charter.

(More) Easy Ways to Find Networking Contacts at Target Companies

Here are more easy ways to access the right insiders at target employers to learn about potential new career opportunities before they are advertised so that you are one of the first to put your name forward for a position and participate in the hidden job market.

Risk-Based Decision Making

Recent events have highlighted the importance of risk-based decision making. Modern systems are becoming more complex and the economic, safety and other consequences of a system failure more serious. Ignoring risks because they are improbable and not worth analysis has proven to be highly risky in itself. Managing the risks of disruptive events is becoming a critical focus for business and society.

How Safe Are We in Air Travel?

Two recent hearings by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations explored the current state of air travel safety. The first hearing, held on 16 March, entitled, "TSA Oversight Part 1: Whole Body Imaging" examined issues associated with the use of imaging technology, including effectiveness, privacy concerns, and health risks. The second hearing, “Airport Perimeter Security,” on 13 July, investigated the security of U.S. airports’ physical boundaries.

National Strategy for Stewardship of Electronics Waste Announced

According to the EPA, Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics every year, which are made from valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass. At a 20 July event held at a certified electronics recycling center in Austin, Texas, representatives from EPA, GSA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality joined with senior executives from Dell, Spring, and Sony Electronics to unveil a new “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship.”

Policy 101: Watching Washington

Thanks to the internet, Americans now have much better access to information about Congress, pending legislation and their elected officials than ever before. You just need to know where to look.

How to Review for the PE Exam

A look at some of the options available to help you complete a successful review so that you will improve your chances of passing the PE exam.