From the President:

Reaching Above the Low-Hanging Fruit (5/15/06)

Now is the time to move forward. We've spent five years regearing; now we must focus on the pressing issues facing our profession and the global society we serve. What are we doing in energy? What are we doing in water? What are we doing to prepare a workforce that is innovative and responsive to global challenges? Although these, and others, are complex and daunting challenges, the resources ASME can marshal are impressive. If we work together, I'm convinced that we can make substantial contributions to addressing the issues that will shape our future.

Richard E. (Gene) Feigel

Traditionally, we look for low-hanging fruit, but the sustainability challenges facing us demand that we climb higher in the tree. While the engineering and science communities must be part of the solution, we must recognize that there are not only competing technologies being championed, but we exist in complex political and social arenas. To be effective, we must engage not only our colleagues seeking technical solutions, but we must become more effective in articulating our positions to the public.

We are making strides in the right direction. We are focusing on industry- and issue-specific concerns, a step I strongly believe is necessary for ASME to be effective. Energy and water management are part of ASME Solutions' focus on issues and industry. Supporting this initiative, this fall ASME will hold its first water quality conference (Oct. 18–20, Las Vegas), featuring remediation technology and policy discussions. Conferences on fuel cell and waste-to-energy technology and applications are also scheduled.

This week's Fourth Annual Engineering R&D Symposium (May 17–18, in Washington, D.C.) will bring together more than 18 engineering organizations as well as government agencies to look at R&D priorities focusing on energy and water. This event is important since the effectiveness of the engineering community requires collaboration and consensus building.

Early career engineers' interests will also addressed tomorrow, the day before the R&D symposium, when ASME's Committee on Early Career Development convenes a forum on "Public Policy and the Future of Engineering." Consistent with the Board of Governors' globalization strategy, ASME is addressing global issues in worldwide venues. This year's Turbo Expo in Barcelona, the ASME/ATI (Italian Thermotechnical Association) Conference on Energy in Milan, bioprocessing seminars in Switzerland, conferences on nanotechnology in Ireland, offshore mechanics conference in Germany, and manufacturing frontiers conference in China all focus on building relationships across organizations, industries and around the world to provide opportunities to share knowledge and concerns.

In making fundamental, grand changes, ASME can reach higher on the tree, beyond easy-to-reach achievements. We are shaping strong alliances and broadening our scope of influence. We must move on from focusing on the internal business of ASME to knowledge sharing, community building, and advocacy that will build a legacy of which we can all be proud to have contributed. There are opportunities for all of us to participate and contribute — so grab your ladders and climb the tree.

— Gene Feigel
ASME President 2005–2006

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Sens. Alexander and Bingaman to address U.S. competitiveness at Engineering R&D Symposium this week

U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., will address the Fourth Annual Engineering R&D Symposium beginning May 17, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

The two-day symposium aims to provide firsthand knowledge of the administration's R&D priorities and the potential impact of the president's fiscal year 2007 budget request on the science, engineering and technology community. The meeting will feature representatives from government, industry and academia, who will participate in panel sessions on innovation, U.S. competitiveness, research and development, and the state of the U.S. engineering enterprise.

On May 17 at 9 a.m., Sens. Alexander and Bingaman will provide the Congressional perspective and discuss their legislation, "Protecting America's Competitive Edge (PACE) Act." This act, which has received wide bipartisan support, is based on recommendations put forth in the recent National Academies' report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future."

Just before the senators' presentation, at 8:15 a.m., Raymond Orbach, director, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, will give the keynote address. Orbach will discuss the DOE's short- and long-term research priorities and the department's role in the administration's American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI).

The Congressional noontime briefing will cover "The Challenge of the 21st Century Workforce." Speakers Steven J. Law, deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, and Raymond Simon, deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Education, will discuss their agencies' role in ACI and outline how the United States must create and maintain a globally competitive workforce.

The second day of the symposium will be May 18 at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW. This portion of the event will feature sessions focused on FY '07 budget requests by the National Science Foundation, NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Institute of Standards and Technology and others.

The symposium is sponsored by ASME and 16 other engineering organizations: the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the American National Standards Institute, the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, the American Society of Testing and Materials, the Federation of Materials Societies, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA, the International Society for Optical Engineering, the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the United Engineering Foundation.

ASME and University of Missouri at Rolla join forces on Engineering Management Certification International program

The University of Missouri at Rolla has been authorized to administer the Engineering Management Certification International (EMCI) program within the university's training curriculum.

According to ASME, which developed EMCI along with three other technical organizations, the University of Missouri, as an authorized university provider of the program, will be able to teach EMCI courses to students interested in obtaining engineering management skills and receiving an internationally recognized credential in engineering management.

As an authorized provider, the University of Missouri also can organize seminars and workshops using instructional material in the EMCI Body of Knowledge. EMCI covers financial analysis, sales and marketing, strategic business planning, legal issues, professional responsibility, and other domains increasingly sought in today's global business environment.

ASME, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, and the American Society of Civil Engineers collaborated on EMCI in an effort to promote a worldwide standard of quality for engineering management.

The developers will be reaching out to other educational institutions to become authorized knowledge providers.