editor's page, The

Journal of Engineering Education, 1998 by Lih, Marshall M

Through the generosity of the National Science Foundation, the Journal of Engineering Education is able to publish this special, fifth issue for 1998, dealing with educationalprojects funded through the Technology Reinvestment Project Manufacturing Education and Training (TRP/MET) Program and the NSF Combined Research Curriculum Development (CRCD) Program. Oversight of these programs is provided by Dr. Joy Pauschke (TRP/MET) and Dr. Mary Poats (CRCD). The guest Editor's Page for this issue has been provided by Dr. Marshall Lib, Director of the NSFEngineering Education and Centers Division, through which the programs are managed.

-John W. Prados

ENHANCING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Engineering is at the heart of transforming scientific advancements into technological realities. As in any endeavor of this sort, education and training are the key in developing the human capability to carry out the effort continually and to utilize the outcomes fruitfully. Any nation that neglects the enhancement of knowledge and skills of its technical workforce risks wasting its resources and seeing its progress diminish and eventually deteriorate.

In that sense the two programs reported in this special issue of the Journal of Engineering Education, the Manufacturing Education and Training (MET) area of the Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP) and the Combined Research Curriculum Development (CRCD) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), are among the most strategic. A common thread between them is that both facilitate transitions. Also, both involve a great deal of organizational and individual integration, one within our own agency and the other with many other Federal agencies.

One of our most rewarding experiences at NSF was our involvement in TRP. This forward-looking and far-reaching initiative began toward the end of 1992 and was embraced by the new Administration. TRP's "dual-use" technology concept was that as the superpower military rivalry was changing into a multilateral economic competition, the United States needed to reposition its technology base to reflect the civilian emphases while at the same time not to lose sight of defense preparedness in case the need arose again.

The most gratifying aspect in our participation was the decision made early in the TRP by the heads of the six agencies* that this be a truly collaborative effort among them. Thus, instead of splitting the funds five or six different ways and letting each agency run its own show, the agencies resolved to pool their human and intellectual resources together in all phases of the operation, from program design and announcement through proposal review, all the way to award selection and monitoring. This was accomplished through the Defense Technology Conversion Council's Working Group, which met weekly. We adhered faithfully to this dictum in the MET area by involving colleagues from all agencies, including participation in site visits and monitoring the funded projects to the maximum extent practicable.

The impetus for this effort was not simply bringing the intellectual resources in the various Federal agencies to bear on a worthy cause, but a genuine and strategic attempt to spread a culture of education and training throughout the technologically oriented agencies and various industrial participants. This was done to insure that, not only in developing dual-use technology but also hopefully in all future undertakings, we would also develop the commensurate human capability to utilize and manage it.

The other program, CRCD, was initiated as an experimental effort between two of NSF's Engineering Divisions (Engineering Education and Centers and Electrical and Communication Systems) with the goal of accelerating the integration of new state-of-the-art research advances in emerging technology areas into engineering curricula. It has been so well received that it now draws full participation from two NSF Directorates (Engineering and Computer and Information Science and Engineering).

Projects in the CRCD program address a need for innovative curricula, courses, textbooks, and instructional modules and laboratories by integrating the research and education interests of faculty through involvement in curricular change. With the support of academic administration and industry, NSF seeks to closely engage faculty researchers in curriculum innovations in the context that education and research are complementary and of equal value in an integrative engineering and scientific academic enterprise. Each funded project is based on newly created knowledge and promises to enhance the education experience and global competitiveness of future engineers and computer and information scientists.

Limitation in space does not allow us to acknowledge individually the contributions of the many colleagues from NSF and other agencies, as well as academia and industry. Also, unfortunately funding for the TRP/MET effort beyond the first year was suspended in response to legislative and policy actions. However, we sincerely hope that a seed has been planted and that the projects reported herein for both programs will attest to the value of education and training so that future endeavors can emanate from here.