March 2002

I sit to write this message having just come from the Engineer's Week Proclamation Luncheon, held annually at the splendid Union League in Philadelphia. Engineer's Week presents to us a wonderful opportunity to highlight to the non-technical world the almost limitless contributions that engineers have made for the betterment of society, and the valuable role that engineers play everyday in continuing with their creative activity. The art and science of engineering is generally not well understood by the public; a problem that perhaps hinders the recruitment of new engineering students and does little to enhance engineering's reputation. Exposure through the strip Dilbert (a recent one concerning quality assessment, which I found quite amusing, ended with "Who invited the engineer?"), and a movie or two (Apollo 13 and October Sky come to mind) is obviously not complete or accurate.

For several reasons, including their training, most engineers and scientists tend to be reserved and highly focused on objectivity, neither a characteristic of an engineering evangelist. Most scientific breakthroughs benefit from wide-spread press, while engineering achievements receive much less. Therefore, let me take this opportunity to encourage you to reach out to the non-engineering community where you can. Bring a non-engineer guest or two to an ASME or related activity, volunteer to speak about engineering at a local school or club, and be willing to identify yourself as an engineer as you speak up at public meetings or forums on issues related to engineering. The websites of ASME (www.asme.org) and ASEE (www.asee.org/precollege/default.cfm) contain a wealth of information on technical issues and engineering education and opportunities. I urge you to visit these sites to find this valuable information.

Several ASME-sponsored events have taken place since the last newsletter. On January 22, we joined with the AIAA to hear Arthur W. Ebeling, ASME Distinguished Lecturer as he spoke on "Indy Racing and the Effect of Aerodynamics on the Car." The event, held at Villanova, was preceded by a short talk given by Dan Vicario. A senior at Villanova University, Dan was the first-place winner of the recent "Old Guard" Oral Competition last fall at the ASME IMECE in New York. The event was attended by nearly 30 ASME and AIAA members and their guests and friends. On February 7, we joined forces with the ASME Trenton Section to hear a presentation by B. J. Gaylo, Former Deputy Program Manager for the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM).

On February 19 at Villanova, Ms. Marsha Ivins, a NASA astronaut and a veteran of five space flights, spoke on her experiences with NASA. For this annual Student Night event, she shared with the audience her colorful experiences from these flights and training. This talk was developed in part

2002-2003 Officers

The following section members will be the officers for the year 2002-2003.

Chair - Jim Tully
Vice Chair - Anastas Lazaridis
Secretary - John Chen
Treasurer - Fred Willis
Senior Director - Lou Fendo
Junior Director - Brett Strayer
The section is looking for additional members to assist in running the numerous section programs. If you would like to help with section operations, contact one of the section officers.

Industry Notes PHILADELPHIA, PA. -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced on January 10, 2002 that it has finalized the acquisition of Sharp Design Inc., Woodbury, N.J. Officials did not disclose the terms.

For over 15 years, Sharp Design Inc. has served the refinery, chemical, and utility industries in the region. Their staff currently numbers over 80 people.

Adding the Woodbury, N.J. office to Jacobs’ existing office in Philadelphia, gives Jacobs a major process engineering, maintenance, and construction presence in the greater Philadelphia area.