ASME Accepting Applications for '08-09 Federal Government Fellowships

ASME is currently accepting applications for the following Federal Government Fellowship positions:

Congressional Fellowships: ASME is accepting applications from qualified candidates interested in serving as a 2008-2009 Congressional Fellow. The Federal Fellows program enables selected ASME members to spend one year in Washington, D.C., working with the staff of a congressional committee, U.S. Senator, or U.S. Representative. Federal Government Fellowships provide a valuable public service to the nation while at the same time providing engineers with a unique opportunity to participate directly in the policy making process. Congressional Fellows may serve from September 2008 through August 2009 — or from January 2009 through December 2009 — at their option. The deadline to submit an application for the Congressional Fellowship is April 1, 2008.

Department of Commerce Fellowship: ASME is also accepting applications from qualified candidates interested in serving for one year at the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) in the Manufacturing and Services Office of Standards Liaison (OSL). The fellow would work with U.S. stakeholders involved in the standardization process, including individual companies, industry associations, standards developing organizations, and the American National Standards Institute on trade-related standards issues affecting U.S. competitiveness, innovation, and growth. OSL works on issues involving all sectors and in all overseas markets, although there is a greater focus on emerging and technology-related sectors and critical markets such as Europe and China. Applicants for this position must have strong technical, interpersonal, organizational, and oral and written communication skills, as well as substantive knowledge or experience in an industry sector and the standardization process. The start date for the DOC fellowship is flexible.

A stipend of $55,000 will be awarded to each fellow for the year. All fellowship applicants must be U.S. citizens and ASME members at the time of application. The following credentials are encouraged: at least five years of professional experience, an advanced engineering degree, professional engineer registration, and some public policy experience.

An online application is available at https://secure.asme.org/fedgovfellows/appform.cfm.

For additional information about the Federal Fellows program, visit www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/GovRelations/Programs/
Federal_Government.cfm or contact Kathryn Holmes, director, ASME Government Relations, at (202) 785-7390, e-mail holmesk@asme.org.

ASME Co-Sponsors Congressional Briefing on 'New Nuclear Technology'

ASME recently joined with IEEE-USA (formerly the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the Congressional Research and Development Caucus to co-sponsor a briefing on "New Nuclear Technology." The briefing highlighted the next generation of nuclear technology, and how research and development funding is being leveraged to increase safety, while reducing pressures on the Earth's environment and finite resources.

John Goossen, director of the science and technology department at Westinghouse Electric Co., and Bryan Erler, owner of Erler Engineering Ltd., provided congressional staff and members of Congress with an overview of how the government, industry, universities, and manufacturers are working together to leverage their collective research and development to expand the technical knowledge needed to advance design and safety of nuclear power plants.

Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., and Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., co-chairs of the Research and Development Caucus, made opening statements about the importance of nuclear power to the safety, security, and environment of the United States. Holt was once the acting chief of the Nuclear and Scientific Division of the Office of Strategic Forces at the U.S. Department of State, and mentioned the importance of research and development for nuclear technology because, "No new commercial nuclear power plant has been built in the U.S. in almost 15 years."

John Meredith, the 2007 IEEE president, provided the opening remarks. Goossen, who is a member of ASME and IEEE, provided an overview of next-generation nuclear reactor designs, including current large reactors, such as the AP1000, grid-appropriate reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, and sodium-cooled fast reactors.

Goossen also discussed the advantages and applications of each design. The development of these new advanced reactors ties very closely with current Department of Energy initiatives, such as Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. Erler is vice president-elect of ASME's Nuclear Codes and Standards, which oversees all ASME activities related to codes, standards, and accreditation programs directly applicable to nuclear facilities and technology.

 

NSF Releases 'Science and Engineering Indicators 2008'

On Jan. 15, the National Science Foundation (NSF) released its "Science and Engineering Indicators 2008." This biennial report on the state of U.S. science and engineering research and education is the most comprehensive source of information on research and development conducted by universities, industry, the federal government, and the international science and engineering enterprise.

NSF's National Science Board also released a companion piece, "Research and Development: Essential Foundation for U.S. Competitiveness in a Global Economy," which focuses on the important role of research and development in sustaining U.S. global competitiveness in high-technology industries. The two reports identify a range of indicators that raise important questions about the future of the U.S. high-technology industry's competitiveness in international markets and implications for highly skilled jobs here in the United States.

For additional information, go to www.nsf.gov/news/news_summm.jsp?cntn_id=110954.

To access a PDF version of "Science and Engineering Indicators 2008," visit www.nsf.gov/statistics/indicators.

EPA Enduring Criticism Over Denial of California Emissions Waiver

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) responded to a pending request from the state of California to be permitted to regulate tailpipe emissions as an air pollutant and effectively impose stricter air pollution standards than are required by the EPA. Under the laws contained in the Clean Air Act of 1990, California must apply and be granted a waiver from the EPA to do so. The EPA denied California's request.

In his letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson wrote that the recent passage of a new energy bill that raises federal fuel efficiency standards for automobiles made the issue partially moot, and brought up EPA's concern that a patchwork emissions standard could hurt the automotive industry. A copy of this letter is available at www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/20071219-slj.pdf.

If granted, the waiver would have allowed California to regulate tailpipe emissions on vehicles, already adding to a proposal backed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. California has decided to sue the EPA regarding this decision, and 15 other states or state agencies have joined this suit, including Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York.

Last week, Administrator Johnson appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and endured some hostile questions from Democratic senators who serve on the committee. On the heels of Johnson's testimony, EPW Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., along with Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., and 10 of their Senate colleagues, introduced legislation to force the EPA to reverse their decision on granting the waiver to California. Included among the list of original co-sponsors for the bill are presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Both sides are gearing up for what could be an intense legal battle that could stretch into next year. More information about California's request is available at http://gov.ca.gov/issue/energy-environment.

To read a press release on the bill to reverse the EPA's decision, please click here: http://mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=291262.

 

NASA Aeronautics Announces a New Associate Administrator

NASA has announced that Jaiwon Shin will replace Lisa Porter as associate administrator of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Shin will now be responsible for managing the agency's aeronautics research portfolio, which includes research in the fundamental aeronautics of flight, aviation safety, and the nation's airspace system. Shin served as the deputy associate administrator for aeronautics prior to this appointment.

Before moving to NASA headquarters in 2004, Shin served as chief of the aeronautics projects office at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. He received his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech University. Shin also holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Yonsei University in Korea, and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the California State University, Long Beach.

Porter, who ends her tenure at NASA on Feb. 1, will become the first director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. Porter came to NASA following her service as a senior scientist in the Advanced Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. While there, she created and managed programs in diverse technical areas ranging from fundamental scientific research to multidisciplinary systems-level development and integration efforts. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said, "We will find a successor not a replacement for her at our agency. She will be a key contributor to our nation's community of intelligence professionals in her new position, and I wish her well."

To view the press releases about the NASA Aeronautics changes, please visit: www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/media_releases.htm.

 

Contact ASME Government Relations for more information:

Kathryn Holmes, director, ASME Government Relations: (202) 785-7390; e-mail holmesk@asme.org.

Melissa Carl, government relations representative: (202) 785-7380; e-mail carlm@asme.org.

Anthony Quinn, government relations representative: (202) 785-7392; e-mail quinna@asme.org.

Robert Rains, government relations associate: (202) 785-7483; e-mail rainsr@asme.org.

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