SWE Briefing Features Donna Shalala and a New SWE Retention Study on Women in Engineering

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and 10 co-sponsoring organizations, which included both the ASME Center for Leadership and Diversity and the ASME Center for Public Awareness, recently convened a Congressional briefing entitled "The Leaky Science and Engineering Pipeline: How Can We Retain More Women in Academia and Industry?"

Discussion focused on industry and academia experiencing parallel challenges in retaining and advancing the numbers of women trained in STEM disciplines, and focused on two recently released studies. More than 90 people attended this briefing, including U.S. policy makers and their staff, and stakeholders in government, academia, and industry.

Moderated by Semahat Demir, SWE director of external affairs, the briefing featured two speakers: Donna Shalala, current president of the University of Miami, former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and former chair of the National Academies Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering; and Lisa Frehill, executive director of the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology (CPST).

One year ago, the aforementioned National Academies Committee released the report, "Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering," so SWE was honored that Shalala was able to participate in this briefing to reflect on the report's recommendations one year later. This influential report concluded that "Women are a small portion of the science and engineering faculty members at research universities, and they typically receive fewer resources and less support than their male colleagues. The representation of women in leadership positions in our academic institutions, scientific and professional societies, and honorary organizations is low relative to the numbers of women qualified to hold these positions. It is not lack of talent, but unintentional biases and outmoded institutional structures that are hindering the access and advancement of women."

U.S. industry experiences comparable challenges in recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in engineering and technology. Through the generous support of the SWE Corporate Partnership Council, SWE has completed a study of men and women trained in engineering that identifies the motivators and barriers for men and women to a successful technical career. Lisa Frehill of the CPST provided an analysis of the SWE report for attendees. Available speaker presentations will soon be available on the SWE Web site at www.swe.org.

ASME was the lead organizer of the briefing, which was held in conjunction with the new House Diversity and Innovation Caucus, and featured caucus co-chair U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, as a special guest.

National Work Group Convenes to Develop Hydrogen Measurement Standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently convened a meeting of its National Work Group for the Development of Hydrogen Measurement Standards to lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive set of commercial hydrogen measurement standards. This effort supports the administration's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, which is aimed at reversing the nation's dependence on foreign oil partially by developing technology needed for commercially viable, hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

The National Work Group is comprised of regulatory officials, equipment manufacturers, alternative fuel organizations, and laboratories working on hydrogen refueling and measurement. Topics discussed at the meeting included: hydrogen refueling and measurement; commercial metering equipment; method of sale and quality requirements; test equipment, methods, and procedures; and safety.

The resulting standards are intended to be the basis for criteria that will be used to approve equipment for commercial use and codes adopted as law and regulation by weights and measures regulatory officials. To the extent possible, these requirements will be harmonized with related national and international hydrogen standards.

NIST will issue a report on the meeting's discussion in November 2007. For additional information, please visit www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2007_
0927.htm#hydrogen.

DOE Invests Additional $30 Million in New Bioenergy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is investing $30 million end-of-the-fiscal-year (2007) funds to jump start three new Bioenergy Research Centers. That contribution brings the total DOE investment in the new centers to more than $400 million. The additional $9.97 million per facility will allow each to begin research activities immediately.

"For the sake of both our nation's energy security and the health of our environment, we need major alternatives to imported oil and fossil fuels, and we need them soon," said DOE Under Secretary for Science Raymond L. Orbach. "This early infusion of funds will permit the DOE Bioenergy Research Centers to get to work immediately on the basic, transformational science needed to make environmentally friendly biofuels cost-effective, increase their use for transportation, and help achieve President Bush's goal of reducing gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years."

The three DOE Bioenergy Research Centers — located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Madison, Wis.; and Berkeley, Calif. — will aim to bring together multidisciplinary teams for the purpose of conducting advance research to make cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels commercially viable on a national scale. This is considered a key goal of the administration's "Advanced Energy Initiative Twenty in Ten Plan," to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years.

Senior DOD Official Calls for Significant Increase in S&T Funding

The director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) has called on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to increase funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) 6.1 basic research program. The "strawman proposal" was intended as a discussion piece in anticipation of the fiscal year 2009 budget proposal.

In a 12-page memorandum, director John Young said, "DOD's Science and Technology (S&T) investment may be inadequate to meet the imposing security threats that challenge our nation and may not be adequately robust to take advantage of key scientific and technological opportunities that offer breakthrough advantages to our warfighters. The defense science and technology program must enable new strategies to prosecute the global war on terrorism and to counter nation state modernization, while also preparing the nation for the new threats America will face in the future. History has demonstrated that robust defense S&T funding has produced military capabilities which have been vital to this nation."

The ASME Department of Defense Task Force wrote a thank you letter to Young for his continuous support of research at the department. "The DOD Task Force believes that you are on the right track to better prepare DOD for the future. We will continue to advocate for adequate funding for research and development, state-of-the-art technology, and a high-performing, top-quality workforce. We hope that together our efforts will see an investment that pays returns in the form of superiority over potential adversaries."

Examples of S&T area investment initiatives outlined in the proposal include:

• Foundational Sciences — $300-$500 million per year. "The Department is coasting on the basic science investments of the last century, and is losing the force multiplier advantage conferred by harvesting those investments."

• Energy — $50-$100 million per year. "The Department needs to continue to leverage the investment made by other government and industrial partners while focusing the product on DOD needs."

• Manufacturing Science Technology — $50 to $70 million per year. "The Department has only a small new initiative in developing new manufacturing techniques and concepts which could be adapted across different product lines and utilized for efficient low rate production processes. A larger investment is needed to develop the new processes leading to affordable technology development."

To review the complete memorandum, please visit: www.aau.edu/budget/DoD_SnT_Memo_2007.pdf.

 

Contact ASME Government Relations for more information:

Kathryn Holmes, director, ASME Government Relations: Board on Government Relations, Inter-Sector Committee on Federal R&D, Engineering R&D Symposium, Public Policy Agenda, ASME Federal Government Fellowship Program, Congressional R&D Caucus, Open Access, and broader R&D issues. (202) 785-7390; e-mail holmesk@asme.org.

Melissa Carl, government relations representative: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education, Society of Women Engineers, National Science Foundation R&D, and the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering. (202) 785-7380; e-mail carlm@asme.org.

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

Robert Rains, government relations associate: Energy and Environment, including Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Water. (202) 785-7483; e-mail rainsr@asme.org.

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