Engineering education

Electrical Apparatus, Jan 2008 by Hoff, Joseph

As we stand on the threshold of yet another year, perhaps now is the opportune time to reflect on some of the promise and concerns in store for engineering in 2008.

Emerging energy solutions

The Energy Information Administration (EIA), the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, is forecasting that worldwide energy consumption will increase by more than 50% by 2030.

This data, coupled with EIA data showing our current level of energy production is far below this current demand, highlights the growing importance of emerging energy solutions.

In response to this future spike in demand, engineering professors and scientists at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering are exploring ways to address this spike in demand.

One of their most significant breakthroughs of late has come in the form of a $2 million award from the Department of Energy (DOE) to create one of the world's only facilities for testing largescale wind turbines. The facility will be created through a partnership between the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the UH-led Lone Star Wind Alliance.

After DOE announced it was seeking partners to create the facility in 2006, Cullen College provided the impetus in assembling the coalition.

Where engineering meets politics

Federally funded basic scientific research has been in decline. In the mid-1980's, the federal government allocated just under 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) for basic research. According to John Greenagel, communications director at the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), that percentage has fallen to roughly 1.6%, a considerable difference given the size of GDP.

The vast majority of these funds support university research through grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST), the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy.

"Both the President and Democratic congressional leadership have endorsed our call for doubling federal funding for basic research over a 10-year period, but Congress has not backed up this commitment with actual appropriations," explains Greenagel.

This downward trend is particularly alarming, attributable to the fact that science and technology have contributed in part to increased productivity among American workers and resulted in their ability to earn more and enjoy a higher standard of living.

In addition to the decline in federal funding, immigration reform is also relevant to the engineering community. Roughly two-thirds of PhD degrees in engineering and science are awarded to foreignborn students, and U.S. companies and academic research institutions need to be able to hire these scientists who are being educated in America.

"We need to reform and streamline the 'green card' and H1-B programs to make it easier for foreign-born, highly skilled workers to remain in the U.S. if they choose to do so," explains Greenagel.

"The immigration reforms we seek were part of the so-called 'comprehensive' legislation that died in the Senate last summer, mainly as the result of controversial provisions regarding treatment of illegal aliens. There is strong bipartisan support for reforms that would affect people who are here legally and possess skills that are badly needed by U.S. industry."

Thus far, associations such as SIA have been unable to get Congress to take up legislation to deal specifically with their concerns.

Creating a climate that is conducive to investment is essential. The process could begin with a thorough examination of tax laws and incentive programs offered by the countries and regions with which the U.S. competes for investment.

"For starters, Congress should immediately pass legislation to extend the R&D tax credit," Greenagel recommends. "Ideally, we would like to make it permanent so we do not have to battle this every year."-Joseph Hoff