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	Guest Editorial Engineers, Change and Education	CSRF Newsletters Spring-Summer 2005 Fall-Winter 2004 Fall-Winter 2002 Spring-Summer 2002 Fall-Winter 2001 Spring-Summer 2001 Fall-Winter 2000 Spring-Summer 2000 Fall-Winter 1999 Spring-Summer 1999
	By Arthur J. Miller, PE, FFES, FCSI Education - - are we keeping pace with, ahead of or behind the curve? Certainly we can add a third item to that inevitable list of "death and taxes" and that is "change". Our profession is bombarded with change daily - technology changes, global impact changes, moral changes... are we able to keep up? At the risk of alienating my readers, I maintain that Engineers are the hub around which all of our man made environment revolves. That may startle you, but I submit that instead of the bumper sticker that says, "If you can read this, thank a teacher", we might substitute, "If you're still alive to read this, thank an Engineer." How important is engineering? Try this: Turn off your air conditioning... ...designed by engineers. Take a shower... ...water pressure and flow by engineers. Open your refrigerator... ...designed by engineers. Turn on your TV... ...engineers again. Take a bus, car, plane or train to work... ...all designed by engineers (including the roadways). Use your cell phone, take an elevator, use your computer... ...the answer is still the same, engineers.
	The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology defines engineering as " the profession in which the knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind." Wow!! But all this is just another reason CSRF has devoted its activities to expanding our design aids for the engineering sector. Unfortunately, as engineers, we have long been prone to look inward, to hide behind the complex technology curtain. As a profession, we must become more pro-active, more involved. Our educational systems including continuing education, must not just deal with technical expertise, but in relationships. They must deal with how we interact with owners, public entities, financiers, the lawyers and all the other professions that we meet daily. We need more emphasis on aesthetics, not just utility. Who says a bridge cannot be beautiful? We must be team players and team leaders with improved communication skills. We must come out of the "back room" and into the spotlight. Can we as engineers accomplish this? Absolutely... but not without concentrated effort from the very beginnings in college academics, to our professional and technical societies, to continuing education and in public forums. Each of us must be involved, and not wait for others to make a move. Our world is changing... our technology is changing... our profession is changing... we must embrace and help mold this change. About the Author: Arthur J. Miller, PE, FFES, FCSI, Immediate Past President of CSRF and Senior Vice President of AVART, Inc., a Miami, FL based consulting engineering firm. Mr. Miller can be reached at artava@bellsouth.net The CSRF newsletter is published for SPECTEXT® subscribers and others involved in design and construction. To obtain your copy of Creating a Common Language®, please contact the CSRF Support Center by telephone at 1-877- SPECTXT or 410-838-7561 or you may e-mail us at supportcenter@csrf.org © Copyright 2007, The Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc. Updated January 12, 2007.

Engineers, Change and Education