PE Journal

Future City Competition Featured on "News Hour"

Last night's "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" featured a excellent story about the National Engineers Week Future City Competition. If you missed it, be sure to check out the story online.

Licensure Mobility

Do you practice in a number of states and wish it was easier to maintain your licenses, or are you about to work in a new state and don't look forward to the anticipated hassles of getting licensed?  Then you need to look into the NCEES Model Law program for designation as a "Model Law Engineer".

NCEES has created the Model Law program, which allows registrants to submit their qualifying information to a central registry. Once you achieve "model law engineer" status, you will find it substantially easier and quicker to receive licensure in a number of states that recognize the "model law engineer" program and fast-track requests for licensure by comity.

I know some of you are asking why we don't simply have a national license and get rid of the requirement to go from state to state to obtain a license. While this would be substantially easier for each of us, the 10^th Amendment to the US Constitution and subsequent US Supreme Court rulings deem licensure of engineers and other professionals (doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.) as a states right.  Each state has the right and responsibility to set the standards for licensure in their state.

Since it's unlikely that we'll repeal the 10^th Amendment, the NCEES Model Law program is the next best thing.  You can check it out at www.ncees.org

Giving Back

Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to give back to your community or your profession in some way this year? Have you done it? Frankly, it’s rather easy to give back. Opportunities are all around you. Your time and unique skills as an engineer are sorely needed, whether in your child’s classroom, in your community, or with a program offered by your NSPE chapter, state society, or national headquarters.

Why give back? Beyond the instant personal satisfaction you get from contributing, you honor your profession and yourself. Do you want to give back, but don’t know where to go? NSPE and its partners in Engineers Week have just what you are looking for. EWeek offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities that reach a diverse cross-section of our youth and young adults. From Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day to the Future City Competition, you can find a program that reaches a group you’re interested in and fits your available time commitment. Go to the “Get Involved” section of the EWeek Web site to see the list of programs where you can help. Or contact your chapter and/or state society office to find out what’s going on in your community.

When you’ve given back, take the time to log in your volunteer hours through the Million Hours Campaign. As part of our legacy project for Engineers Week 2009, NSPE has pledged one million volunteer hours in our community this year. Help us reach our goal. Logging in your volunteer hours is quick and easy, but you can be sure the satisfaction of volunteering will last much longer.