Preamble: What the experts think
What images come to mind when you hear the words “engineer” or “engineering”? Who is an engineer? What does an engineer do? How does engineering work affect my life?
WHAT DOES AN ENGINEER DO?
-Solves problems
-Makes things work more efficiently
-Uses mathematics, sciences and engineering principles
-Makes a difference
Engineering is problem solving. The field of engineering is dedicated to solving the problems of our ever-changing world. Their work is the link between a need or problem and a solution. Engineers focus on making things work more efficiently. They do this by using advanced mathematics, the sciences and engineering principles.
WHAT DOES AN ENGINEER DO?
-Addresses global problems
-For example: Food Shortages
Food shortages are a worldwide problem, and engineers are working to develop ways to address this issue. Biologists documented the lifecycle of various fruits and vegetables. Using this information, engineers invented ways to genetically engineer certain types of
fruits and vegetables. Their efforts increase crop yields so more food is available for people to eat. Engineers also use their knowledge to address other agriculture-related issues like proper irrigation, effective pesticides and efficient farm machinery.
WIDE WORLD of ENGINEERING
-Engineers build things we see
-Engineers build things we don’t even notice
-Engineers touch every facet of our lives
Look around your world. Engineering has touched everything you see, and just about anything you can imagine. Engineers design and build things we see and things we don’t even notice. Engineers have had their hands in the design, development, research and production of almost everything we touch.
This is a partial list of different types of engineering:
• Aerospace Engineers: Design and build aircraft. Whether it’s for commercial airlines or for NASA, they take care of our flying needs.
• Agricultural Engineers: Concern themselves with our nutrition. They design agricultural machinery, equipment and agricultural structures.
• Architectural Engineers: Design buildings to be strong and stand up against the forces of nature.
• Biomedical Engineers: Work closely with doctors to research and design medical equipment and materials.
• Ceramic Engineers: Convert materials into ceramic products. One of their most famous and frequently used inventions is the toilet bowl.
• Chemical Engineers: Use chemistry to create and improve materials, like plastics.
• Civil Engineers: Design and build structures, such as bridges and dams, that are used by the public.
• Computer Engineers: Design and create computer hardware, such as
microprocessors, and the software that makes them run.
• Construction Engineers: Oversee large construction operations, such as airports, malls, factories, high-rise structures and water treatment facilities.
• Electrical Engineers: Design electronic systems and the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment and devices.
• Engineering Managers: Lead teams of engineers and other specialists that are working on a project. They also focus on research and development operations.
• Engineering Physicists: Apply math and physics to research engineering.
• Environmental Engineers: Design solutions relating to environmental issues, such as alternative fuel resources, water and air quality.
• Geological Engineers: Study the composition and structure of the earth, and the history of past plant and animal life. They apply scientific knowledge and experience to design and analyze systems for the benefit of mankind.
• Geotechnical Engineers: A branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials.
• Industrial Engineers: Refine processes and equipment so they operate efficiently. They work to eliminate wastes of time, money, materials, energy, and other resources.
• Manufacturing Engineers: Design manufacturing operations and equipment to produce products such as the equipment that mixes cookie dough and forms it into cookies.
• Marine/Ocean Engineers: Design structures for use in and around the water.
.Material Engineers: Investigate the relationship between the structure and property of materials in order to improve existing products.
• Mechanical Engineers: Design and develop all things mechanical, such as automobiles, engines, motorcycles, dishwashers, and toasters.
• Metallurgical Engineers: Focus on the using the earth’s minerals and how they can be used by other types of engineering.
• Mining Engineers: Find deposits of coal, metals and minerals in the earth. They also design mines and mining equipment.
• Nuclear Engineers: Focus on the harnessing nuclear power and the management of nuclear power plants.
• Petroleum Engineers: Find oil and gas deposits and design the processes associated with extracting and refining them into products.
• Software Engineers: Design and create software applications for computers, such as presentation, word processing, accounting, and database products.
• Surveying Engineers: Determine the correct locations for projects, such as a highway expansion project, a bridge or a dam.
• Systems Engineers: Design and improves the operation of integrated systems involving people, materials, equipment, and energy. For example, they may design the flight patterns for commercial airlines.
WHAT ENGINEERS DO
- Design products
- Ensure quality
- Design, plan and supervise construction
Engineers design products. They design the machinery to build those products, as well as the factories in which those products are made. They also invent ways to ensure the quality of the products as well as the efficiency of the workforce and manufacturing processes. Engineers design, plan and supervise the construction of such things as buildings, highways and transit systems.
Like many scientists or physicians, engineers typically practice a specialty. Often, an engineers’ education determines their specialty. A specialty may also come from on-the job training and experience. A student’s interest will guide them toward the appropriate
specialty. For example, an undergraduate who is trained as a civil engineer may receive on-the-job training to become a surveying engineer.
Student interests offer clues about a potential engineering career!
If a student has an interest, then he or she should pursue a degree in that specific type of engineering. For example, a student may be interested in rock collecting and the earth’s minerals. This student may wish to pursue a career in geological or geotechnical
engineering.
Engineers help keep us healthy!
Let’s take a look at another example. Before doctors can prescribe and pharmacists can sell a prescription, engineers must research, design and develop the drug. They design the chemical compound necessary to make a drug effective. Engineers run tests and file the appropriate forms with the Food and Drug Administration to assure safety regulations are followed. They also determine how to manufacture large-scale batches of a drug. Pharmaceuticals are just one of the many fields where engineers have input in research, design and production.
Engineers help us get around!
Engineers play and important role in the design of automobiles. Mechanical engineers design the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes. A material science engineer may have designed the body of the automobile out of materials that can withstand deep impact. An environmental engineer may have aided in the design of the hybrid engine or recycled material used in constructing the car seats. An electrical engineer designs the wiring, sensors and gauges. A computer engineer designs the onboard computers that make everything run. An industrial engineer may have designed the manufacturing plant where the automobile was assembled. Quite an impressive team!
Engineering is a growing profession!
As long as we have problems to solve and needs to meet, there is a real need for engineers. Engineering students are being trained for jobs that don’t even exist yet. The engineering profession continues to grow and grow! In fact, engineering appears on virtually every Careers of the Future list – talk about job security!
Engineering Addresses Human Needs
Engineering is very dependent upon human need, and human need is ever changing. The profession changes as people and their needs change – that is why engineering is so fascinating.
PLACES TO LEARN MORE:
There are many great links to a bounty of information regarding engineering. Here are just a few:
- www.tryengineering.org
- www.careercornerstone.org
- www.asme.org
- www.asce.org
- www.jets.org
Indian Thoughts on Engineering:
1.Engine means prime mover, ngineering encompasses all goals, tasks and activities related with engine and engineer is one who undertakes engineering.
2.Vishwakarma, a son of Brahma is the model engineer. He has five sons: Maya (Blacksmith), Manu (Carpenter), Daivadnya (Goldsmith), Twashta (Tambat) and Shilpi (sculpture). These are Brahmins, thinkers, and were placed higher than other Brahmins called Purohit because Purohits earn livelihoods through religious activities whereas Vishwakarma though having all rights of Purohits earns his bread through another social services.
3,The history of India is full of golden pages (peak achievements)due to this inbuilt system. There were no ITIs, Polytechnic or Eng Colleges. The boy was trained right from childhood, an excellent natural outcome, keep in mind however that switching over from one Varna to another was a socially adopted practice, e.g., Ramayana and Mahabharat or Geeta, the unparalleled literature pieces of Vaidik Religion, available today are written by Shudras, Valmiki and Vyas respectively. The goals were service to humanity selflessly and not for money or power. That is why we could build Ellora caves, Ajantha caves, castles not only on land but deep in see.
4.Alas, greedy power hungry Indians played their cards under various excuses like Caste, Varna, etc., and compelled some sections of society to slavery, withdrawing their thinking, creative and innovative powers.
5.Then Macaulay came, he understood the strength of Indian Education system and systematically eradicated it to such an extent that even today we think in terms what he wanted us to think. We lost Indian ness.
6.Engineering is an all-encompassing term, to me. It includes all areas under the sky, may be medicine, social sciences and even Yoga. Can you assert strongly that sciences like medical, social, Yoga, etc., need no engineering?8.Engineering takes into account another very important role prevention of problems, visualise the future in terms of past and present and to see that the adverse-outcomes of these will be eliminated in future, hence no need of problem solving, as the problem does not exist.My dears the ultimate goal of engineering is total evolution of human beings.
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