WSE welcomes Sustaining MembersThe Western Society of Engineers is pleased to welcome two new Sustaining Members: Packer Engineering, represented by Dr. Kenneth Packer, and Weldy-Lamont Associates, represented by Dennis Lamont. Chicagoland Engineering Forum luncheonsOn November 13 the Chicagoland Engineering Forum luncheon will feature a tour of McDonald�s Hamburger University in Oak Brook. The will be a presentation about menu management and nutrition information, and a speaker from the food engineering department will discuss engineering application in food preparation and food service for this fast food giant. The 90-minute tour will take place during the lunch hour. The December luncheon, December 4, will focus on the completion of the Wacker Drive reconstruction, which will be discussed by city officials involved in the project. On January 29, 2003, the Engineering Forum luncheon will feature a chemical engineer from Abbott Laboratories who will discuss an engineer�s role in pharmaceuticals as well as the latest information about Abbott�s projects, including a new drug for rheumatoid arthritis. These luncheons will take place at the Union League Club, 65 West Jackson Blvd., 11:30 am/social; noon/lunch. Cost: $25.00 for members, $30.00 for nonmembers. For more information, contact WSE office, [email protected], 312/913-1730, 913-1731 fax.
Washington Award recipientEugene Cernan, Captain, USN, Retired; and chairman and CEO of The Cernan Corporation, is the 2003 Washington Award recipient. Born in Chicago, Cernan earned his B.S.E.E. from Purdue University and his M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School before attending Wharton School of Finance and Northwestern University. Selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1963, Cernan has walked in space; flown to the moon; commanded a spacecraft; and assisted in the planning, development, and evaluation of the joint U.S./Soviet Union Apollo-Soyuz mission and test project. After retiring from the Navy in 1976, he formed the Cernan Corporation, a management consultant firm in energy, aerospace, and related industries. Cernan�s achievements in engineering, space science, and administration fields are numerous. During the Gemini 9 mission, Cernan stepped into space after moving to an equipment bay in the rear of the spacecraft where he put on a rocket-powered astronaut moving unit (AMU), which he tested at the end of a 125-foot tether. There, he set a record two-hour, nine-minute flight walk. On his second space flight, he was the lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital qualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module. In accomplishing all of the assigned objectives of this mission, Apollo 10 confirmed the operations performance, stability, and reliability of the command /service module and lunar module configuration during trans-lunar coast, lunar orbit insertion, and lunar module separation and descent to within eight nautical miles of the lunar surface. He made his third space flight as spacecraft commander of Apollo 17, the last scheduled manned mission to the moon for the United States and the first manned nighttime launch. During this mission, Cernan and his team made the moon their home for three days and launched the lunar module �Challenger,� which activated a base of operations for three highly successful excursions to the nearby craters and the Taurus mountains. The last mission to the moon established several new records for manned space flight that include: longest manned lunar landing flight (301 hours, 51 minutes); longest lunar surface extra-vehicular activities (22 hours, 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (249 pounds); and longest time in orbit (147 hours, 48 minutes). In keeping with the purpose of the Washington Award�recognition of devoted, unselfish, and pre-eminent service in advancing human progress�the Western Society of Engineers acknowledges Captain Cernan�s role in space exploration and travel. Cernan has logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, of which more than 73 hours were spent on the surface of the moon. He was the second American to have walked in space, having spanned the circumference of the world twice in a little more than 21�2 hours. He was one of two men to have flown to the moon on two occasions and, as commander of the last mission to the moon, Apollo 17, had the privilege and distinction of being the last man to have left his footprints on the surface of the moon. His work with NASA�s Gemini and Apollo programs demonstrated a human�s capacity for space flight and performance on the moon. In addition, he performed invaluable research while on the lunar surface, contributing to mankind�s knowledge of the moon. The Western Society of Engineers will present the Washington Award to Captain Cernan at the Chicagoland Engineering Awards Benefit on February 21, 2003, during National Engineers Week. New MembersThe WSE Board of Direction and the Admissions Committee welcome the following members into the Western Society of Engineers:
The following new members joined after the Young Engineers Forum:
UpdateOne year after the events of September 11, 2001, a $16 million study into the collapse of the World Trade Center has been initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The 24-month federal building and fire safety investigation will study the structural failure and subsequent progressive collapse of the World Trade Center, focusing on the building construction, the materials used, and all of the technical conditions that contributed to the disaster. For more information, go to http://wtc.nist.gov. In recognition of the one-year anniversary of September 11, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), participating with the Center for Collaboration and Education in Design, presents American Engineers Respond, an Internet-based public service announcement. The announcement highlights immediate reactions of engineers at Ground Zero to the tragedies of September 11 and details how engineers continue to play a major role in homeland security initiatives. To view this free presentation go to www.nspe.org or to www.e2ed.com/engineers911.html. Demographic forecastIf you have a new baby or grandchild, he or she will probably never attend overcrowded schools; the children born around 2000 make the up the smallest segment of today�s population in the United States, behind even senior citizens in their 70s. So structural engineers will not be building new schools ten years from now. On the other hand, today�s preteens are part of the birth rate increase of the early 1990s, and they face overcrowded schools and stretched resources. This means demand for secondary schools will peak around 2004 and university/post-secondary around 2008. Baby boomers born around 1955 are expected to live longer than ever, and soon for the first time in U.S. history there will be more seniors than children. This translates into need for medical facilities, retirement living centers, and recreational services. Add to these changing needs one more trend: a possible shortage of engineers. Declining numbers of engineering school graduates, which dropped 25 percent from 1985 to 2000, will collide with boomers� retirement plans and with growth in engineering opportunities. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts 138,000 additional engineering jobs in the next decade. Yet, according to Engineering & Technology Enrollments, published by the Engineering Workforce Commission, the number of foreign nationals enrolling in engineering bachelor�s degree programs is increasing significantly. In the fall of 2001 the enrollment level of foreign national students rose 18.6 percent at the freshman level and 14.7 at the graduate level. To prepare for the future, engineering firms need to be aware of how demographics affect employee recruitment and retention. 2002 salary surveyThe median total annual income for engineers rose 3.8 percent in the past year to $81,964, exceeding the 1.1 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index, according to the 2002 National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Income & Salary Survey Report. The report also revealed that professional engineers earned, on average, $15,000 more than engineers with no professional license or certification in 2001. For more information on the survey, go to www.nspe.org under �Shop NSPE.� MilestonesWSE member James D. Buckler, 40, died in September 2002. He was the sustaining member representative for Edwards & Kelcey. Life Member Valentine McGowan, a member since 1952, died in April 2002. WSE member James D. Buckler, 40, died in September 2002. He was the sustaining member representative for Edwards & Kelcey. Life member Ralph Michael, a member since 1953, died in October 2002. Archived Society News
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