JPW 2011

I have attached my slide show from Junior Parent's Weekend.  In it I give some evidence for the central importance of chemical engineering in societal issues, such as health care and energy --even to the point that prominent chemists think that they should merge departments with chemical engineers!  I also give some advice that students should work on "quick draw" implementation of the technical skills that they have.  A number of examples of real world situations in which a chemical engineer can give first order quantitative insight are given.  A second recommendation is to better develop conversational skills that include being able to talk about engineering in a mature way and being able to link engineering into other aspects of society -- which necessarily include economic and financial topics.  A third recommendation is that students -- soon to be grads -- need to be able to tell a good "story" about anything that is on their resume and that activities not related to engineering are both important (and useful on a resume) and can differentiate them from others.

The pdf is here:  Challenges and opportunities for chemical engineers.

Welcome to 2010! The essence of the issue.

At the start of the new year, some topics seem hot and deserve attention. We shall see how many of them I can get to in the next few months (and how many of them seem hot.)

1. US economic advancement: The central role of engineers.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the increases in the wealth of society have tracked the productivity of workers. Engineers are the developers, keepers and operators of technology. So it stands to reason that if society is to continue to advance and help provide better lives for the less fortunate of the world, technology will play a critical role. The question is what is the next big (or sustaining) "thing"? I don't know, but in the mean time we could enhance competence and increase efficiency.

2. Engineering Healthcare: Not the various legislative activities that are now in the news, but the real problem --- which is, "what is the real problem?": (ans) We want to provide for all but it costs too much and we don't have capacity. Seems like some really good engineering and engineering economics could be applied to health care as a system to determine where the inefficiencies are, which costs really are too high, why technology does not seem to lower costs as in other situations(#?), and where the best opportunities for improvement. So IMHO, the first step needs to be "problem definition" which is always done in engineering before we try to solve a problem -- so that we know what problem we need to solve!

3. Outrunning the other Gazelles: Given the uncertain economic future, it is possible that most people will have to figure out a plan that provides a career. Your plan needs to allow you to outrun the other people who would otherwise be in the same situation as you. You don't need to outrun the Cheetahs! (which is fortunate since you may not be able to.)

4. (Great) Value added: What comprises a a College degree in Chemical Engineering and how to make sure you get it? (Wow this is a big one!)

5. Engineers don't spin (except in Physics) and we focus and define the issue at hand. (Or how you can help others to compare apples to apples, not to peaches or an occasional kumquat and how you know to avoid "talking points" )

6. You can't make money a molecule at a time and there is no benefit to you or society to paying more for something that you can already get for less. (At the end of the day, the objective function involves $$)

7. Climate(gate) and Climate change (There are many observations and lessons that can come from this episode.)

8. Dimensional analysis: How you can be the one in the room to risk your career and win!