Herff College hosts 7th annual Engineers' Week
By: Erica Horton
Issue date: 2/16/10 Section: News
Universary of Memphis students, faculty and staff with a taste for science can take a bite out of Celebrate Engineers Week, which kicked off yesterday and will continue through Feb. 19 at the Herff College of Engineering.
The University's event corresponds to National Engineers' Week, which started on Valentine's Day this year and lasts through Feb. 20. The college will focus on a variety of topics and host a series of speakers.
Each topic addressed this week at The U of M will answer a question about a certain subfield of engineering. Speakers will try to highlight exactly what their jobs in engineering include.
Tomorrow's speaker series highlights three locally prominent geotechnical engineers, who will help answer the burning question, "What does a geotechnical engineer do?"
Arron Civera, president of The University of Memphis' chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, said Engineers' Week is important.
"It draws awareness to the field and helps people get a better understanding of engineers and our obligation to the safety of the public," he said.
Engineers take an ethical oath, similar to the medical community's Hippocratic oath, with the Order of the Engineer, a society that focuses on unity and professionalism.
Engineers' Week, which is free and open to the public, has been celebrated at The U of M for seven years.
"Being an engineering college, we are in a position to directly affect the future engineers of America," said Roger Meier, associate professor of civil engineering.
The national week was started in the 1950s by the National Society of Professional Engineers. NSPE decided to host the awareness week in February, near George Washington's Feb. 22 birthday, because he is considered one of the nation's first engineers.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, engineering is one of the most popular majors for college students, with over 75,000 receiving a bachelor's degree and 8,100 receiving a doctorate in the field in 2007.
Recruitment is one reason the college is deeply involved in Engineers' Week.
Charles Bray, associate dean for undergraduate students at Herff College, said the college currently has 770 undergraduate and graduate engineering majors enrolled.
The University's event corresponds to National Engineers' Week, which started on Valentine's Day this year and lasts through Feb. 20. The college will focus on a variety of topics and host a series of speakers.
Each topic addressed this week at The U of M will answer a question about a certain subfield of engineering. Speakers will try to highlight exactly what their jobs in engineering include.
Tomorrow's speaker series highlights three locally prominent geotechnical engineers, who will help answer the burning question, "What does a geotechnical engineer do?"
Arron Civera, president of The University of Memphis' chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, said Engineers' Week is important.
"It draws awareness to the field and helps people get a better understanding of engineers and our obligation to the safety of the public," he said.
Engineers take an ethical oath, similar to the medical community's Hippocratic oath, with the Order of the Engineer, a society that focuses on unity and professionalism.
Engineers' Week, which is free and open to the public, has been celebrated at The U of M for seven years.
"Being an engineering college, we are in a position to directly affect the future engineers of America," said Roger Meier, associate professor of civil engineering.
The national week was started in the 1950s by the National Society of Professional Engineers. NSPE decided to host the awareness week in February, near George Washington's Feb. 22 birthday, because he is considered one of the nation's first engineers.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, engineering is one of the most popular majors for college students, with over 75,000 receiving a bachelor's degree and 8,100 receiving a doctorate in the field in 2007.
Recruitment is one reason the college is deeply involved in Engineers' Week.
Charles Bray, associate dean for undergraduate students at Herff College, said the college currently has 770 undergraduate and graduate engineering majors enrolled.