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The article reports on the declining growth of the U.S. Paper industry. The U.S. paper industry has lost its technical leadership and today is not the major source of the global industry's technological advances. This is due in part to the state of the industry in North America, but it is also due to the loss of engineering positions within companies and a general decline in the engineering profession. The future of the U.S. paper industry is uncertain, both for technical and economic reasons. Economic issues are largely due to the global economy and the general shift of manufacturing and services to third world countries.

This paper considers the intersectionality of students’ race, ethnicity, and gender, to learn more about how various groups pursue sustainability goals through engineering. The lack of diversity in engineering is a persistent issue which hinders the development of more sustainable engineering solutions. Therefore, this paper investigates sustainability-related beliefs and career outcome expectations among engineering students who identify with groups underrepresented in the field. These topics are investigated using data from a national (United States) survey of students in introductory college courses. The survey sample was stratified by institution type and the number of enrolled students. Responses came from 6,772 individuals enrolled at 50 institutions. Data was analyzed, ethnicity, and gender using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic and linear regression. The intersectional approach to analyzing the data reveal opportunities to tailor teaching and messaging for greater diversity in engineering. For example, black females are more likely than other groups to want to address food issues in their careers while white females are no different than other groups. Results like these suggest ways to excite various populations about engineering careers, which could help attract much-needed diversity of thought to engineering for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in threats, geopolitical developments, and commercial technologies continually challenge combat system stability because they constantly create new demands and therefore requirements for the system. Because the life cycle of major Department of Defense (DoD) systems can last decades, long-fielded systems in particular are vulnerable to requirements creep. One technique to mitigate the impact requirements volatility can have on a system is through the implementation of technologies that have been developed to allow the system to adapt while minimizing the effect of change on the system as a whole. This paper investigates the application of one such technology—Rules Engine—to the Decision Automation domain of two Navy combat systems. This paper also proposes modifications to the systems engineering process given that using change-tolerant technologies affects the way a system can be developed and maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the 2006 National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative, NASA and DAVANNE LLC have collaborated to create the NASA Robotics Alliance Cadets Program to develop a highly integrated and interactive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) undergraduate curriculum. This paper investigates the NASA Cadets' use of Active Learning to not only meet the nationally recognized need for a formal assessment standard, but also to ensure the sustainability of the program. To demonstrate the program's Active Learning tools wide accessibility and their integration with the program's methodologies, this paper examines the NASA Cadets' robotics platform and its use within an educational experiment co-developed by Cornell University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines concept of professional liability for engineering activities and products and its relation to the concepts of professional negligence and product liability as defined in law, particularly in the United States. Elements of tort liability discussed in this paper reflect societal expectations for engineering practice and engineering products. The paper first examines the basis for legal liability for general tortious conduct and then specifically examines the concepts of professional 'malpractice' (professional negligence) and strict liability for products in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the world’s deserts were transformed by irrigation expertise at the beginning of the 20th century. An irrigation “technological zone” emerged to facilitate the circulation of engineering expertise and the territorial expansion of the U.S. and British imperial states. Hydraulic engineers considered themselves globally connected technicians providing practical solutions to the political problems of poverty and famine. Although premised on the neutrality and universal applicability of scientific principles, the practices and environmental expertise of irrigation engineers were firmly rooted in regional state/society formations, which sought to increase agricultural production and induce settlement with irrigation. This paper analyzes the globalization of irrigation expertise through a relational comparison of the irrigation narratives of the British Punjab and the Western U.S., 1880–1920. The analysis demonstrates that the irrigation technological zone was significantly formed by place-based dynamics that, in turn, shaped irrigation as a mode of environmental expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberinfrastructure has become a major defining force for America, because of its economic, social, and national importance. Over the last two decades, scientists within all sectors of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have witnessed an explosive rise of cyberinfrastructure as a research tool; universities are utilizing this infrastructure and its applications as an integral part of scientific education. The Arkansas Minority Cyberinfrastructure Training, Education Consortium (AMCTEC), is a unique interdisciplinary cyberinfrastructure (CI) educational community within Arkansas to educate a majority minority student population, and faculty in cyberinfrastructure- oriented concepts, theories, practices, and principles within STEM at teaching-oriented Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The project focuses on developing the capacity of these institutions within three core areas as they relate to cyberinfrastructure elearning resources, (1) institutional faculty development (2) tangible cyber-based student activities (3) CI curriculum enhancement. This paper presents some of the strategies that have been successfully deployed by the universities involved in the project to institutionalize a renaissance in STEM education, e-learning at student-focused universities, through the sharing of resources and expertise to transform STEM education and research by injecting in cyberinfrastructure resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As engineering becomes more global in nature, engineering design is increasingly being accomplished through global virtual (GV) teams. These types of teams are usually defined as being geographically dispersed, spanning several different countries and time zones, being composed of team members with little prior association, and communicating through electronic means. GV teams overlay a number of new challenges on top of the usual challenges for design teams. This paper will review some of the efforts taking place at universities in the U.S. with GV teams, including our own experience. We propose a 'three ring' Venn diagram as a framework for understanding the issues associated with GV teams. We discuss these rings in some detail and provide recommendations for establishing successful GV teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the performance of processes is often considered critical in classic engineering fields. However, in the area of software engineering, especially in the Open Source context, the scientific literature has disregarded the problem of identifying the process characteristics and performance of debugging. The aim of this paper is the identification of the performance characteristics of the bug fixing process of Open Source applications, focusing on temporal continuity and efficiency indicators. These indicators are particularly important since Open Source software is now widely adopted in business contexts and the bug fixing process is directly responsible for software dependability. We have analyzed the debugging process of 9 active and popular Open Source projects, collecting a dataset comprising more than 65,000 closed bugs. Results have highlighted four types of bug fixing processes that can be distinguished by considering temporal continuity and efficiency dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 4, 2008, Admiral Paul Sullivan, Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, sent out a letter entitled: Ship Design and Analysis Tool Goals. The purpose of the widely distributed memorandum was to state the requirements and high-level capability goals for NAVSEA design synthesis and analysis tools. In this memo, Admiral Sullivan expressed the need for evolving models and analysis tools to be compatible with, among other things, set-based design (SBD). Admiral Sullivan's memo was a major step toward improving ship design programs with new, more powerful analytical support tools but many have asked, 'What is Set-Based Design and how does it relate to Naval Ship Design?' SBD is a complex design method that requires a shift in how one thinks about and manages design. The SBD paradigm can replace point-based design construction with design discovery; it allows more of the design effort to proceed concurrently and defers detailed specifications until trade-offs are more fully understood. This paper describes the principles of SBD citing improvements SBD in design practice that have set the stage for SBD, and relating these principles to current Navy ship design issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Academy of Engineering report. Educating the Engineer of 2020, calls for systemwide efforts to align our nation's engineering curriculum and engineering profession with the needs of today's global, knowledge-driven economy for the purpose of increasing student interest in engineering careers. We developed an innovative global internship program for which students researched real-world problems in another country and then documented their research experiences by means of multi-media case studies. This paper describes the methodology, collaboration among US and Indian universities in order to conduct the internship programme, the project timeline and execution, an overview of the projects and an evaluation of the value of the experience to the participants. The evaluation shows that the students perceived that they are more informed about global issues, are better prepared to deal with the future, obtained real-world experiences, and improved their higher-order cognitive skills due to their participation in this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a model that has been successful for introducing engineering concepts and activities into middle and high school courses. Science, mathematics, and technology teachers participating in the Pre-College Engineering for Teachers (PCET) professional development project attended a two-week summer institute focused on engineering concepts and the engineering design process. As the final project for the Institute, teachers each modified a unit or lesson that they had previously taught to include engineering concepts. The extremely high rate of implementation of these modified lesson or units in the classroom by the teachers the following school year, the integration of engineering design into additional lessons, and the continued inclusion of these units and engineering in subsequent years demonstrate that this approach to including engineering in middle and high school classrooms is successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of centers in the United States that are engaged in engineering, science or mathematics education was conducted to help understand current practices. The survey addressed sources of funding, types of pre-college outreach activities, activities related to improvement of teaching in higher education, and methods of promoting collaboration between faculty. Also collected were recommendations, based on the experience of the survey respondent, which would help others develop a successful center. Response to the study was high, with 173 of 271 returned. This paper discusses the results and suggests a set of best practices for engineering education centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the narrative briefed at the “Engineering the Protection of Our Cities” Conference at Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, NY on 7 October 2002. DOB in supporting the new war on Terrorism within this country has vital engineering expertise, equipments and technologies that can assist the first responders. Particularly in the area of communications the distinct analogy of how the US Army is equipping the individual war fighter is very similar to that equipment needed by the police, firemen, EMS personnel, etc. Both need to operate within the urban environment, within the buildings and knowing where each is located. Several ongoing R&D and fielded communications solutions are described as potential solutions for the first responders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The profession of surveying and positioning, and their related technologies and activities, are evolving at a staggering rate. Additionally, the tools and technology associated with positioning, once reserved for scientists and professional surveyors, are now widely available and utilized by many professional and non-professional disciplines. These disciplines can further be broken down into categories referred to as traditional and non-traditional users. This paper will discuss the past, present, and future role of the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS), highlighting activities which AAGS believes are critical to the future of positioning in the United States and to those using the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Announces several international conferences organized by several professional engineering associations in the U.S. and Yugoslavia. Objectives of the 7th International Conference on Numerical Methods for Thermal Problems; Call for papers for the International Conference on Numerical Methods in Laminar and Turbulent Flow in California; Organizers of the International Conference of Non-Linear Engineering Computations in Yugoslavia.

The article presents the highlights of the 1908 annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). According to the author, the first ever meeting of AIChE had 50 attendees and a total receipt of $522.19. The papers discussed, equipment on display, excursions and drawings and photographs on display are listed.

This paper describes the rationale and the step-by-step process for setting up a WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) learning community at one institution. Background information on challenges for WISE and the benefits of a learning community for female students in these major areas are described. Authors discuss the specific steps taken to set up a residential WISE community including formation of a planning group, securing funding, facilities, staffing, recruitment, programming, and retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the foundation of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering program by representatives of several professional engineering societies in the U.S. Announcement of applications from outstanding third-year engineering students for its 2004 program; Introduction of a position paper on topical engineering-related public policy issue.