building your future in engineering 2010

Building Futureyour in

3Building Your Future in Engineering

BUILDING Your Future in EngineeringTable of Contents:2. Opportunities in Engineering

6. Qualifications-based Selection ~ How to Hire Consulting Engineering Services

8. MATHCOUNTS

9. The Art of Being Successful

10. Should Engineers Get an MBA?

12. When I grow up, I want to be a project manager.

14. Savannah Looks to the FutureGrowing Engineers through H.V. Jenkins High School & Industry Partnership

17. Auburn University

20. Georgia Institute of Technology

22. Mercer University

24. Southern Polytechnic State University

25. 2010 Salary Survey of Northeast & South Atlantic Engineering Firms

26. The Technical College System of Georgia Takes a Regional Approach to Meeting Georgia’s Engineering Technology Needs

30. The University of Georgia

32. Introduce a Girl to Engineering 2011

32. Georgia Engineering Foundation

2 October 2010

4 October 2010 5Building Your Future in Engineering

E NG I N E E R S ’ C R E E D

As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professionalknowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment ofhuman welfare.

I pledge:• To give the utmost of performance;• To participate in none but honest enterprise;• To live and work according to the laws of man and the

highest standards of professional conduct;• To place service before profit, the honor and standing of

the profession before personal advantage, and the pub-lic welfare above all other considerations.

In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make thispledge.

The Georgia Engineerm a g a z i n e

Publisher : A4 Inc.1154 Lower Birmingham RoadCanton, Ga. 30115770.521.8877e-mail: [email protected]

Managing Editor:Roland Petersen-Freye-mail: [email protected]

Associate EditorRobin Abreee-mail: [email protected]

Art Direction/DesignPamela S. Petersen-Freye-mail: [email protected]

Buidling Your Future in Engineering is a publication of the Georgia Engineering Alliance233 Peachtree StreetHarris Tower, Suite 700Atlanta, Ga 30303

Gwen BrandonExecutive Director

E-mail: [email protected]

This is an annual publication of The Georgia Engineer magazine of which it is a part.

The Georgia Engineering Alliance is an engineer-ing association management company of whichthe following are members:

ACEC/G American Council of EngineeringCompanies

GSPE Georgia Society of Professional Engineers

ASCE American Society of Civil EngineersASHE American Society of Highway

EngineersGMCEA Georgia Minority Civil Engineers

AssociationITE Institute of Transportation EngineersITS Intelligent Transportation SocietySEAOG Structural Engineers Associaton of

GeorgiaGEF Georgia Enginering Foundation

Oppor tuni t ies in EngineeringPlanning for this little publication isexciting and rewarding. e participa-tion by everybody has been terrific andit shows the enthusiasm of our univer-sities, our professors, our mentors, andcounselors. You might have thoughtthat with the current slow economysome of the freshness and importanceof this annual publication might havelost some steam, but to the contrarythere is a deep understanding of theimportance of engineering in our lives.

If we can get just a few highschool students to say “Yes, I can!” to math, and “Yes, I am going tocompete in MathCounts,” this publication will have achieved itsgoals.

e Georgia Engineering alliance shows the way in creating an at-mosphere of working with and for engineers in all of their many disci-plines and skills. It is an organization of immense importance to ourprofession and to future engineers in representing our interests in thehalls of congress. It has created important guidelines and honors thoseprinciples always, as stated in the Engineers’ Creed, below.

e future looks bright, and the opportunities are there to takeadvantage of. our students have something to look forward to andwill have chosen a profession of great importance and influence in oursociety.

Roland (Pete) Petersen-Frey

www.gaengineers.org

ACEC/G American Council of EngineeringCompanies of Georgiawww.ACECGA.org

ASCE/GAAmerican Society of Civil Engineerswww.ascega.org

GEFGeorgia Engineering Foundationwww.gefinc.org

GMCEAGeorgia Minority Consulting Engineers Associationwww.gmcea.org

ITS/GAIntelligent Transportation Societywww.itsga.org

SEAOGStructural Engineers Association of Georgiawww.seaog.org

ITE/GAInstitute of Transportation Engineerswww.gaite.org

WTSWomen Transportation Seminarwww.wtsinternational.org

GSPEGeorgia Society of Professional Engineerswww.gspe.org

ASHE/GAAmerican Society of Highway Engineerswww.ashega.org


ear Clients, Prime Engineers, andstudents,

assume for the moment that yourcommunity needs to accomplish a

“project”; say it is a road, water/sewer plantor lines, master plan, watershed study, industrial park, orsome other capital project. You need a consulting firm toperform the tasks to successfully accom-plish the project. how, then, do you hirethe engineer? It’s simple: select the mostqualified engineering firm and negotiate acomplete scope of work and a fair fee. sim-ple, huh? Does it require effort? Yes. Butisn’t the success of your project worth it? Ifthe project doesn’t matter, then the qualifi-cations of the engineer don’t matter. Forprojects that matter, the generally acceptedprocess to select an engineer is referred toas Qualifications-Based selection, or QBs.

Qualifications-Based selection meansyou consider a variety of competing engi-neering firms, rank them in the order of qualifications, andnegotiate a scope/fee with the top ranked firm. QBs is re-quired by the federal government in the selection of designprofessionals under provisions of the Brooks Law. eamerican Public Works association, which is primarilycomposed of public sector officials, endorses QBs and rec-ommends its use in professional services procurements. eamerican Bar association endorses QBs in their model pro-curement code. state agencies endorse QBs (includingDot, Board of Regents, EPD, DCa, and GsFIC). Boththe Georgia Municipal association (GMa), which consistsof city government agencies, and the association CountyCommissioners of Georgia (aCCG) have endorsed QBs inprocuring professional services. as you may suspect, all ofthe professional societies (engineers, architects, landscape ar-chitects, etc.) support QBs.

In some communities, a city or county may have an on-going relationship with an engineer. If the engineer has aunique understanding of a particular facility or, for example,a water/sewer system, it is sensible to continue in that rela-tionship. ese relationships are like those with the

city/county attorney, for example; you do not hire a new at-torney whenever a new legal issue arises (while you may ifthere is a complex issue requiring special expertise). QBs involves a few basic steps: • notify engineering firms of your need by inviting a

statement of qualifications (Request for Qualifications,RFQ) or a specific project proposal (Request for Pro-posals, RFP).

• use a panel (say three to five people) toevaluate the qualifications/proposalsand select three to five firms for an in-terview.

• on a single day, interview the short-listed firms to get a better understand-ing of their qualifications and thepeople assigned to your project. allowtime for questions and listen carefullyto answers.

• Immediately aer the interview, dis-cuss the merits of the firms and rankthem in order of qualifications.

•Meet with the top ranked firm to negoti-ate the terms of a contract, including scope of work andfee. You should devote considerable time to understand-ing the scope of work—be sure you know what you wantand make sure it is in the scope of work.

• If unable to reach agreement with the top ranked firm,terminate negotiations in writing and begin negotiationswith the second ranked firm. is gives the communitya powerful tool in the negotiations.

What is not part of QBs? QBs is not a simple request for alump sum fee for an ill-defined project. QBs is not a requestfor a technical proposal and a lump sum fee proposal. Whynot? once price is introduced into the proposal evaluation,qualifications are frequently discarded and selection is on thebasis of cheap fee. If fee is considered prior to negotiationswith the best-qualified firm, respondents frequently will re-duce the scope of work or use the least experienced and low-est paid staff to execute the minimum scope of work. Qualityis driven out, and the ultimate goal—a successful project—isjeopardized. higher construction costs and/or the increasein annual operating cost will far exceed the reduction in engi-

Qualifications-based selectionhow to hire Consulting Engineering services

By Gwen D. Brandon, CAE | President | Georgia Engineering Alliance

Georgia Engineering Alliance Member Associations:

american Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (aCEC/G), omas D. Gambino, PE, PresidentGeorgia society of Professional Engineers (GsPE), Luther o. Cox, Jr., PE, Presidentamerican society of Civil Engineers (asCE), Jo ann Macrina, PE, Presidentamerican society of highway Engineers (ashE), tim Matthews, PE, PresidentGeorgia Engineering Foundation (GEF), Jeff amason, PE, PresidentGeorgia Minority Consulting Engineers association (GMCEa), Birdel Jackson, PE, PresidentInstitute of transportation Engineers (ItE), David W. Low, PE,PresidentIntelligent transportation society (Its), anthony Bradford, Presidentstructural Engineers association of Georgia (sEaoG), Kurt swensson, PE, PresidentWomen’s transportation seminar (Wts), Beth ann schwartz, PE, President

neering fee.time and again, QBs has proved to be the method that

has the highest likelihood of leading to a successful project.If you don’t care about a successful project, it doesn’t mat-ter. If you want a project that is successful and serves yourcommunity effectively for the long term, use QBs in select-ing your consulting engineering services.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Georgia Engineer-

ing alliance should you have any questions regarding QBs,or visit the QBs Georgia steering Committee’s Web sitewww.QBsGeorgia.com.

sincerely,Gwen D. Brandon, CAEPresident | Georgia Engineering alliance

Scope of Services Provided by the Georgia Engineering Alliance

• office administration ~ e GEa office offers a permanent mailing address/phone number and has a perma-nent repository for files and historical records/documents.

• e Georgia Engineer Magazine ~ e magazine is mailed to the association’s members, based on a list providedto GEa. e magazine is published six times per year with a circulation of approximately 10,000. e associa-tion may appoint two members to the Editorial Board and is entitled to one or two pages in the magazine fornews of the association (provided by the association).

• Georgia Engineers Legislative Coalition ~ e Georgia Engineers Legislative Coalition meets monthly andserves as a clearinghouse for legislative issues affecting engineering. an association may have two people partici-pate in the Coalition. Legislative reports are prepared during the legislative session for Coalition members via e-mail.

• Georgia Engineers Week Committee ~ e Georgia Engineers Week Committee coordinates the activities forEngineers Week. an association has two seats on the Committee which meets monthly to organize student out-reach, publicity, Web site, awards, special lunches, and the E-Week banquet.

• other additional services ~ GEa offers other services including web hosting; meeting planning/registration;database management/communications; bookkeeping; and administrative support.

For 10 years, the Georgia Engineering Alliance has represented the engineering profession in Georgia by facilitatingcollaboration among various engineering societies on issues of mutual interest. Included among these interests, GEAhas been highly successful in helping to educate various clients and procurement agencies on the value of QBS. GEAalso provides administrative and program management services to GEA member organizations. For information on howyour organization may participate, please contact Gwen Brandon, President, at the GEA office 404-521-2324.

Gwen D. Brandon

he biggest challenge any of us have in cre-ating a successful career or firm is that wehave been told so many things that are

just not true. Like: if you know the rightthings to do and do them you’ll be successful.It’s totally a myth. or: how smart you are de-termines your success. another myth. We all

know really smart people who are not very successful, andpeople who aren’t very smart that are very successful.

here’s a short list of some of the other things we’vebeen told, all of which simply are not true: it’s about work-ing hard; or working smart, not hard; some people are justlucky; being in the right place at the right time; it’s who youknow; it takes money to make money; it’s all about customerservice; or having a unique niche; or providing a uniqueservice. e list could be a lot longer.

aer all is said and done, it comes down to two things:your attitude and your vision.

attitude is key for many reasons. number one, if youdon’t have a good attitude, nobody will want to be aroundyou and you need other people if you want to be a success.More importantly, your attitude literally determines whatyou attract. so, happy, joyous, enthusiastic people, attract tothemselves events and circumstances that support them inbeing happy, joyous, and enthusiastic.

In like manner, unhappy, frustrated, irritable or angrypeople, attract to them events and circumstances that sup-port them in being unhappy, frustrated, irritable or angry. soit’s really critical, if you want to be successful, to generate aspositive an attitude as possible. Build your success on a foun-

dation of faith, trust, possibility, and abundance.Your vision is also key for the same reason. You will at-

tract to you events and circumstances that are a match for thedominate pictures you hold in your mind. Most people spendtheir time worrying about how things are. If you do that,you’ll just keep creating more of how things are.

Instead, create in your mind a picture of how you wouldlike it to be, your personal vision of success, and then, liter-ally make believe that is your reality. act as if it has alreadycome true. If you have a hard time with that, just fake ituntil you make it. With these two ideas, it really could bequite simple! v


e art of Being successful

The Georgia Society of Pro-fessional Engineers greatestdistinction lies in itsrole as the birth-place of MATH-COUNTS.MATHCOUNTS

officiallybegan in thefall of 1983with an esti-mated 4000schools from 47states participat-ing. TodayMATHCOUNTS

is a nation-wide edu-cationalprogramthat in-volvesmorethan300,000middleschool stu-dents, “eMathletes,” compet-ing to solve mathe-

matical problems and equations. ereare Mathletes representing all of the

fiy states and the District of Co-lumbia, Guam, Puerto Rico,

the Virgin Islands, stateDepartment schools,

and Department ofDefense schools par-

ticipating in this re-warding programand competition.

In an effort to en-hance america's

global competi-

tiveness, MathCounts inspires excel-lence, confidence, and curiosity in u.s.middle school students through funand challenging math programs. Withthe generous support of all GeorgiaMathCounts sponsors and volun-teers, the Georgia MathCounts com-petition is hosted by the Georgiasociety of Professional Engineers at thelocal and state levels. MathCounts isproviding today’s students with thefoundation for success in science, tech-nology, engineering, and mathematicscareers.

e 2011 Georgia MathCounts

Competition will be held at the Geor-gia tech student Center in atlanta,Georgia on Friday, March 25, 2011.over 200 students from the 12 regionsin Georgia will attend. e mathleteswith the top four highest scores will

advance to the national Math-Counts Competition to represent

the state of Georgia. In May2010, Georgia’s MathCounts

team ranked 9th in the nation at thenational Competition held in or-

lando, Florida (Georgia’s team fin-ished in 14th place at the 2009

MathCounts national Competi-tion). Georgia team member, EdwardPark an 8th grader, was a Math-Counts national Quarterfinalist that

MathCountsfinished in 6th place. With the sup-port of the Georgia engineering com-munity, the 2011 Georgia team canplace even higher at the 2011 nationalMathCounts Competition in Wash-ington, D.C. May 5-8, 2011.

MathCounts is a national en-richment, club, and competition pro-gram that promotes middle schoolmathematics achievement throughgrassroots involvement in every u.s.state and territory.

Currently in our 28th year, Math-Counts is one of the country's largestand most successful education partner-ships involving volunteers, educators,industry sponsors, and students. Presi-dent Barack obama and former Presi-dents George W. Bush, William J.Clinton, George h.W. Bush, andRonald W. Reagan have all recognizedMathCounts national winning teamsat White house ceremonies. eMathCounts program has also re-

ceived two White house citations asan outstanding private sector initiative.

Contact the Georgia society ofProfessional Engineers at 404-521-2324 to sponsor and volunteer for the2011 MathCounts Programs acrossthe state of Georgia. Visitwww.gspe.org/mathcounts.htm tolearn more about the Georgia Math-Counts Competition. v

MATH really COUNTS in engineering.

the College of Engineering at Georgiatech. at is the same advice that theCareer services office at Georgia techgives. “unless they have a strong desirefor an advanced degree or know thatthey need it to get the type of job theywant upon graduation, I recommendthat our students get several years ofwork experience beyond graduationprior to pursuing an advanced degree.is helps them to make an informeddecision regarding graduate schooland, if desirable, the type of graduateprogram they wish to pursue,” advisesMarge Dussich, associate director oftech’s Career services.

taking time to work is seen as anecessity for many hiring managers.“Whether it’s an MBa or engineeringspecialty, an engineering graduateshould not hurry to jump into a career.use this time to learn as much as youcan,” says Mike Polak of Memorialuniversity Medical Center in savan-nah.

Is the role of an engineer changingwith industrial companies who have toimplelement new practices and newtechnology so that in the future theMBa will be a necessity? “Engineersoen become the primary manager ofchange with an organization,” addsRon nash of InterWest Partners.“What is changing today is the factthat technology is a pervasive compo-nent in most industries. e businessleader now has the additional challengeof getting the most leverage out oftheir proprietary technology as wellusing technology adroitly to supportmost all of their business processes.e best way to develop an under-standing of broad classes of technologyis to obtain an undergraduate degree inengineering.”

a study ofCEos todaywill reveal manymore of themwith engineeringdegrees than wasthe case only acouple of decadesago. “It is an oddity,but practically a fact, thatyou can get this technology andbusiness education in only one way—an undergraduate degree in engineer-ing followed by a masters degree inbusiness. e reverse order does notwork,” says nash. “an engineering de-gree opens up possibilities for advanceddegrees in many disciplines, businessbeing only one of them. I have heardan engineering degree described as "theliberal arts degree for a technologicalage. ere is a lot of truth to that.”

While some believe that the MBagives engineers a broad grounding thatis missing from their technical degrees,Jacobs disagrees. “Engineering doesgive you a broad education; gives yougreat exposure to underpinnings orframework of how things are done.Getting an MBa depends on what youwant to do. I am a big proponent of aBs/Ms five year program to give some-one a more technical ability. “

“For those that ended up in theperfect area of focus as a result of theirundergraduate degree choice, theyshould consider themselves lucky,” saysMcClenaghan. “ey should

seriously con-sider an ad-

vanced degree intheir technical

field. again, at this point, do what willdifferentiate you the most in an ever in-creasingly competitive job market in away that aligns you with your goals anddesires.” v


he answer is a resounding—maybe.Engineers in the field and currentMBa-candidates say that it all de-pends on the individual and their ca-reer aspirations. “For me, thedecision to pursue an MBa stemmed

from a desire to tackle larger and more abstract strategicproblems instead of the structured ‘engineering type’ prob-lems I was accustomed to,” says Charlie Briston, an MBastudent at Georgia tech. “the strong analytical capabilitythat engineers possess is highly valued in the businessworld, but it is imperative that you also understand theother, more qualitative, aspects. these qualitative skills arewhat engineers stereotypically lack; we like black and whiteanswers, but in the business world, it’s not typically thatsimple.”

Making the decision to get an advanced engineering de-gree or an MBa means taking a hard look at personal goals.“In a world without resource constraints, an MBa compli-ments most any other degree or set of degrees an individualobtains,” says sean McClenaghan of ChB Capital. “how-ever, the reality is, most individuals feel like they are time orresource constrained and can only afford one advanced de-gree. In that situation, the answer to the question regardingwhether engineers should obtain an MBa versus an ad-vanced engineering degree is—it depends.”

Getting an MBa to supplement a person’s undergradu-ate engineering education certainly makes sense to engineersconsidering starting their own business or doing consulting.“ey are the ones most likely to benefit from the MBa,”says allen Ecker, retired vice president of scientific atlanta.“If you are going to start your own business, you better un-derstand the fundamentals of business as well as the techni-cal and engineering side. You can be great at finding asolution, but that solution must be workable from the busi-ness side. Ed Rogers, a corporate strategy manager with uPsechoes those sentiments, “an M.s. in an engineering disci-

pline is the best bet for engineers on technical, scientific oracademic career tracks. But engineers with management,consulting or entrepreneurship aspirations would probablybenefit more from an MBa.”

Randy steele, an engineer working on his MBa degree,knew that his career path at siemens needed more business-based knowledge. “My rationale for going back to get myMBa was based on several factors at siemens. I've steppedfarther from the technical fields and more into the businessside of things,” says steele. “My new role has developed to in-corporate things like project management, forecasting, costestimation, and proposal development and taken a step awayfrom the nuts and bolts. While not every company discussesblade design, flowrates, or bearing clearances, nearly every-one sets and meets budgets, has profit and sales goals, andmanages projects. In that sense, business is a lot like math,it’s a language that is common across all industries.”

however, not everyone agrees that the MBa is a neces-sity for engineers to succeed in business. "here in siliconValley, Ms/PhD-level engineers, with and without MBa de-grees, are very common on the management teams of newtechnology companies. Graduate degree choices are driven,in part, by what you want your core skill set to be and howyou will use it to distinguish yourself in the business worldearly on in your career,” says Deb Kilpatrick, Vice Presidentof Market Development at CardioDX Inc. "In my own expe-rience, a PhD program provided me with a strong technicalfoundation for solving complex problems across multiple do-mains. is, along with a lot of ‘on the job’ learning, has en-abled me to migrate from the R&D side into commercialmanagement roles without an MBa. however, the reversemigration is not so prevalent.”

across the board, MBa students and practicing engi-neers seem to agree that each person should work in the fieldbefore making the decision. “My advice would be to first goout and work for a couple of years and decide then what youwant or need to do,” suggests Larry Jacobs, associate dean in

Should EngineersGet an MBA?

tEach individual needs to de-velop the key questions thatthey need to consider whenmaking this decision. Someof these questions may in-clude:• What do I really want todo?

• How certain are you in thedirection you want to takeyour career?

• In addition to your on-the-job performance and re-sponsibilities, what will bestdifferentiate you in both theshort term as well as longterm over the course of yourcareer?

• What is the quality andreputation of the institutionfrom which you are plan-ning to obtain your ad-vanced degree?

13Building Your Future in Engineering12 October 2010

t various stages of our youth, wedreamt about any number of loy pur-

suits—becoming a doctor, lawyer, as-tronaut, teacher, actor, architect, or even

engineer. some people know from a veryyoung age what they feel they are destinedto be. others take years before they findtheir passion. Kids may say the darndest

things, but likely one thing they don’t say isthat they want to be a project manager whenthey grow up.

once in the profession, however, this isexactly what many engineers aspire to be-come—or still land into by accident. Indeed itis a very exciting and rewarding role to stepinto. But project management is more than aquality product, innovative solutions, client re-quirements, or even meticulous dollar tracking.It is especially more than an elevated title manyassume arrives with juicy perks. Project man-ager is a role of many dimensions, and projectmanagement is a skill we will always be learning—no matterhow many years we’ve been practicing it.

at ZweigWhite, we conduct research within the indus-try and aggregate that data so firms can use it to improve theway they run their businesses. Whether we look at a singleyear’s results or analyze the trends over a ten year span, we havea very unique perspective worth sharing. our 2010 ProjectManagement survey of architecture, Engineering, Planning,& Environmental Consulting Firms is hot off the press—andhas revealed what we think are some very unnerving detailsand shocking developments.

Certainly the events of the last year and a half may havetransformed the way we run our firms. ey may even havealtered the way we view our profession and our clients. But inwhat ways has it changed how we now deliver our design andservices? With a stronger focus on the bottom line and com-petition fiercer than ever, internal project managementmethodologies and practices warrant a closer look.

Even if economic circumstances did not influence dramaticadjustments, it is still worthwhile to compare, validate, and im-prove our practices and policies.

Whether you are a civil, environmental, or structural engi-neering firm—projects are what you do for a living. It’s theartful delivery of your professional services and it’s the way youfuel the firm’s growth. to take it for granted would be veryunwise.

some of the most interesting statistics from the survey in-clude:• Requirements tied to promotion. What sort of

qualifications should a good project managerhave? how many years of experience? Whatsort of skills? only 54 percent of participatingfirms claim to have formal requirements forproject managers. is has sunk from an all-time high of 79 percent in 2008. since Zweig-White’s first Project Management surveywent out in 1998, only 1999 scored lower (49percent).

• Investments in training. Both thecorporate respondents (68 %) and the PMsthemselves (36 %) resoundingly acknowl-

edged that investing in training was the most importantthing the firm could do to improve project manage-ment. Most firms have completely cut this elementfrom their budgets. Even in the good years, only tenpercent of training or roughly $600 per employee wasallocated to project management skills development.

• Causes of rework. With fees already cut to thebone, performing rework is the surest way to gobble upany hope of profitability and growth. Firms cited unmetclient expectations (60 %) and inadequate Qa/QC (50%) as the leading culprits. First-time clients were a dis-tant third (30 %) by comparison. ese are project man-agement issues—and all within our control.

Business change usually follows a radical event—and firmspledge to move forward differently, smarter, and better. oncethe industry has recovered from this current tense environ-ment, many will attempt to capitalize on the lessons they’velearned and refine legacy routines.

We do not need to wait for an economic rebound to as-

When I grow up, I want to be a project manager

sess and refashion the way we run our firms. Fortunately, we,as leaders, have the opportunity to transform our practices asearly as next week. so what can we do?

• Appreciate the role. If you want to serve as a proj-ect manager, or if you want to give this chance to an eagerprofessional in your firm, there are responsibilities and ex-

pectations applicable to both sides of this equation. someof these may be more than many project managers bar-gained for—the stuff they don’t teach in school. under-standing the sheer breadth of the role is critical, and firmshave to provide support and authority where it counts.

• Change our perspective. understand the value be-hind the investment—whether it is in project manage-ment, leadership, business development, or technicalareas—training benefits our entire firm. It is not a sunkcost and it is not a burden we have to somehow cram intobusy schedules. It’s a business necessity because the onlyway a firm will grow is if its employees grow.

• Respect our profession. We are responsible forthe advancement of our profession. Being active in ourassociations, collaborative in our learning, and progres-sive in our technologies are all good ways to do this. Butit also includes viewing and defending our services as pro-fessional—and not as a commodity where we areashamed for what we charge. v

AChristine Brack

By Christine Brack | Principal | Zweig White


motors, designing circuits, and building batteries. ey studythe generation of electricity and tour a local power plant. eupper Classman Camp consists of daily trips to a variety oflocations implementing different types of engineering. stu-dents are exposed to careers in the engineering field and spendtime interacting with engineers on the job. Rising senior Je-remy Young was quick to comment on his interest in camp.“is camp exposed me to the various aspects of engineeringand helped me narrow down the type of engineer I want to be.I was eager every morning to find out what we would do thatday that would grab my attention. some topics seemed unin-teresting at first, but the speakers were passionate about whatthey do and made the topics inviting.”

is summer brought about a new phase to the program.With the help of the industry partners at Georgia Power, thesummer internship program became a reality for one student.e intern was able to work side-by-side with engineers in theutility industry, experiencing the day-to-day demands of thecareer. Plans for the future will be to identify more summerinternships for rising seniors. Currently, the internship pro-

gram has been hampered by the age and safety requirementswithin the industry.

Business/industry partners include Georgia Power;army Corps of Engineers; u.s. Coast Guard; savannah areaGeographic Information system; hussey, Gay, Bell & DeY-oung; o’Brien & Gere; LnG/El Paso Corporation; EMCEngineering; thomas & hutton; Gulfstream aerospaceCorporation; and WPC, a terracon Company. Post-sec-ondary education partners include Georgia technical Insti-tute, savannah technical College, and savannah stateuniversity.

Great things can happen for students when educationand business/industry work toward common goals! thepartnerships that support these future Coastal engineers areintegral to the success of the program, which will ultimatelybe “Engineers for savannah.” these partners don’t just givefinancial support, they give their time and expertise to workwith teachers and students, and really contribute to what thestudents are learning about the ‘real-world’ work of an engi-neer. v

a large percentage of the current Engineering workforce is rap-idly reaching retirement age. In addition, Engineering stu-dents, especially students to fill Co-op positions withinindustry in the Coastal area are hard to come by. In responseto this increasing need, several industries with engineeringneeds formed a collaborative partnership with h.V. Jenkinshigh school to discuss how the partnership could begin togrow engineers, beginning in the 9th grade and continuingthrough post-secondary institutions. Georgia technical Insti-tute partners with armstrong atlantic state university to offera dual degree program at its savannah campus. h. V. Jenkinshigh school offers its school of Engineering students a cur-riculum rich in advanced academics in addition to the ProjectLead the Way Engineering curriculum. is program beganwith a pilot group of students in september 2008 and is nowserving its third cohort of students. e h.V. Jenkins school of

Engineering is a specialty Program offered by the savannah-Chatham County school system and is open to eligible stu-dents from throughout the county. Engineering industrypersonnel serve on the business education advisory commit-tee (BEaC) and meet quarterly to help guide the implemen-tation of the program. Members serve as volunteers for GetInto Energy Camp (freshman camp), Engineering Camp (up-perclassmen camp), as guest speakers, conduct field trips andmentor students with engineering-related research. Industryvolunteers take it very seriously—growing engineers for theCoastal area is critical!

two five-day summer camps are held for the students inthe program: rising Freshman Camp and upper ClassmanCamp. students who attend the rising freshman camp are ex-posed to engineering activities and careers related to energy.students participate in hands-on activities such as building

savannah Looks to the Future: Growing Engineers through h.V. Jenkins high

school & Industry Partnership

As part of their Civil Engineering experience, students designand test Lego bridges for their strength


Auburn University

and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

auburn university is one of the nation’s premierLand, space, and sea Grant research institutionsblending arts and applied sciences. e university con-tinuously changes to accommodate today’s needs, while remaining trueto its unique traditions and spirit.

Located in auburn, alabama, the main campus is known for itscutting-edge facilities, beauty, and sense of family. With a fall 2009 en-rollment of 24,602 students from all fiy states and approximatelyeight countries, the institution is large enough to offer a world of diver-sity in people and programs, yet small enough to feel like home.

e Engineering and technology Edu-cation program in Georgia, delivered bycertified teachers, embraces contempo-rary methodology and delivery meth-ods. hands-on activities are a main-stayin these programs that teach our stu-dents about engineering. e teachersthrough professional development expe-riences, state-of-the-art classroom/labo-ratories, up-to-date curriculum, andsupportive leadership are providing op-portunities for students to come to gripswith engineering processes, concepts,and careers. Experiences with robotics,CaD, CaM, CnC, CIM, laser engrav-ing, prototyping, simulations, fluidics,precision measurement, and electronics(just to mention a few of the topics cov-ered) provide Georgia’s students withrelevant and meaningful applications ofmath and science concepts. is pro-gram answers the “why do I need toknow this” question for many of today’sstudents. e program has been shownto keep students in school because of theapplied nature of the activities. e pro-gram works closely with the engineeringcommunity to reflect what is currentlytaking place in our engineered world.

e middle school program has aseries of courses, typically nine weeks inlength. e sixth grade course is titled“Exploring technology.” is coursecovers a broad spectrum of technologiessuch as design, problem solving, engi-neering careers, portfolio developmentand more. e seventh grade course ti-tled “Invention and Innovation” looks atfurther development of design capabili-ties for the man made world, and stu-dents participate in activities thatinvolve studying inventions, and inven-tors, as well as discovering the differ-ences between inventions andinnovations. students find themselves

thinking about and search for their placein today’s technological world. eeighth grade course is titled “technolog-ical systems” and through a myriad of re-search methods (journals, the internet,use of media center materials,parent/grandparent interviews, the dis-covery channel and other contemporaryprograms) begin to experiment withelectrical, mechanical, and fluid systemsas well as continuing to look at designconcepts. ey construct, model, exper-iment, and then record data in their en-gineering notebooks. ey operate,analyze, re-engineer, and at times per-form destructive tests on objects theybuild. ey begin to take a real seriouslook at the world in which they exist.

e high school engineering andtechnology program consists of a varietyof what is called pathways.e pathways are as follows: 1. Engi-neering, 2. Manufacturing, 3. Electron-ics, 4. Energy systems, and 5.Engineering Graphics and Design. Eachpathway is comprised of a series of threerequired courses and an opportunity totake a fourth course entitled “Research,Design and Project Management”and/or complete an internship in ourWork Based Learning (WBL) program.e local school systems study the localcommunity and determine the best pro-gram fit. e system along with the En-gineering and technology Educationinstructor then determine what pathwaythe system will deliver. e system mustthen provide a laboratory space and thelab must be minimally but adequatelyequipped for the teacher to deliver thepathway. Engineering careers, concepts,systems, and recording methodology, areresearched, studied, and applied. e ap-plication involves not only scale modelsbut also full-sized operational proto-

types that are designed, constructed,tested, redesigned, retested, and moreoen than not entered into a competi-tion. a few examples of the large scaletype of activities include robotics, sub-mersibles, electrathon vehicles, hover-cra, and solar vehicles. students are alsoexposed to research, design, and fabrica-tion that involve the use of a variety ofmaterials and multiple systems to solveproblems related to security, consumerneed, handicapped accessibility, pros-thetic need, and more. some solutionslead to patents, others to the scrap pile,and still others to consumer use.

e Georgia technology studentassociation (Ga tsa) is the co-curric-ular youth organization for this programarea. We can look at a typical year by theopportunities that this organization pro-vides to students involved in Ga tsa.e students that are actively participat-ing are provided not only leadership butalso competitive event opportunities.We can write about Ga tsa as a seriesof installments for the year. e first in-stallment is the Chapter officer Retreatfor Excellence (CoRE) which takesplace in a Georgia location that provideslodging, meals, ropes courses both highand low and meeting rooms as well asrecreational space. CoRE typically hasover 525 chapter advisors and membersparticipating as a team to: 1. develop aprogram of work for the coming year, 2.participate in leadership classes, 3. par-ticipate in teambuilding events, 4. gaincompetition information, and 5. learnwhat it takes to become a successfulchapter. ey will then be ready to tackleinstallment two, which is tECh Day atthe Georgia national Fair (leadershipand competition opportunities). stu-dents take home ribbons and cash prizes.e next installment is the Ga tsa Fall

Georgia’s Middle & high school Engineering &technology Education Programs

By Ronald Barker, Program Specialist for Engineering & Technology, Georgia Department of Education


auburn has 1,176 full-time faculty, 154 part-time faculty,19,926 undergraduates, 3,689 graduate students, and 987first professional students, and offers degrees in 13 schoolsand colleges at the undergraduate, graduate, and professionallevels.

e university is ranked 39th among public universitiesnationwide, according to an annual survey released byu.s.news & World Report. e ranking marks the 17thconsecutive year the magazine has ranked auburn amongthe nation’s top 50 public universities.

auburn is home to the state’s largest engineering pro-gram, producing nearly half of its engineering graduates. En-rollment in 2008 included 3,383 undergraduates and 720graduate students. e 2009 u.s. news & World Reportranked the samuel Ginn College of Engineering undergrad-uate engineering program 28th and the graduate program41st among the nation’s public universities. e college is aleader in technological education and strives to give each ofits graduates the tools necessary to address the challenge ofthe future.

auburn Engineering houses nine departments, offering

15 majors and four minors. students can pursue graduate andundergraduate degrees in aerospace engineering, biosystemsengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, com-puter engineering, computer science, electrical engineering,environmental science, industrial and systems engineering,materials engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer andfiber engineering, and wireless engineering.

auburn graduates are recognized by employers for theirability to hit the ground running—a testament to the col-lege’s commitment to providing students with a solid foun-dation in engineering fundamentals, as well as real-worldproblem solving experience.

e college offers the nation’s first and only bachelor’sdegree in wireless engineering, graduating the first studentsin 2004. It was also the first program in the southeast tooffer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in soware engineeringand the only state university offering a polymer and fiber en-gineering program.

a new automotive engineering and manufacturing minorprepares students for careers in the nation’s rapidly evolvingautomotive industry. e college’s unique Business-Engineer-ing-technology minor brings together students from businessand engineering to expose them to workplace strategies thataddress today’s fast-paced business climate, where engineersand business leaders are oen called on to work togetheracross borders and time zones. new global education opportu-nities are allowing auburn engineering students to advancetheir engineering education around the globe—from spain toGermany to australia.

Beyond the classroom, students gain hands-on, real-world experience though our undergraduate research pro-gram and in student competitions that include Formula saEcompetition cars, Baja saE all-terrain vehicles and saEaero Design unmanned airplanes, as well as fuel cell pow-ered cars, robotics, ergonomics, materials handling design,

and concrete canoes. auburn Engineering attracts some of the best and

brightest and is committed to helping fund their education.In 2008, auburn engineering students received more than$5.3 million in scholarships—with $3.3 million awarded bythe university and $2 million awarded through the collegeand its departments.

students from the Ginn College of Engineering com-prise approximately 25 percent of those who graduate withhonors university-wide and 80 percent of co-op students.e college ranks 15th nationally among all u.s. engineeringschools in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded toafrican-americans.

e Ginn College of Engineering reaches out beyond thecampus through its longstanding and well-respected graduatedistance learning program in a variety of engineering disci-plines. With an enrollment of more than 600 students, theprogram reaches students in 42 states, as well as Puerto Ricoand numerous military bases around the world.

Its engineering professional development program hasmore than 90 courses available for earning continuing edu-cation credits (CEus) through distance learning and theyare accepted by 41 state professional engineers and land sur-veying boards. e program is an educational test leaderwith partners such as Boeing, IEEE, and the american soci-ety of Engineering Educators.

auburn professors are some of the hardest working inthe nation. e college is home to 156 faculty—97 percentwho are tenure/tenure track professors.

It is highly ranked in research funding per faculty mem-ber and is among the top 40 in the nation in research expen-ditures. In fact, the college accounts for approximately halfof auburn’s annual research expenditures.

e college is home to 15 research centers and numer-ous laboratories. Research areas include aerospace engineer-ing, bioprocess/environmental engineering, fibertechnology, food safety, highway/asphalt technology, infor-mation technology, materials processing, microelectronics,nanotechnology, occupational safety and ergonomics, pulpand bioresources, technology management, transportationtechnology, vehicle electronics, and wireless engineering.

With a host of generous, loyal sponsors and supporters,auburn’s College of Engineering constantly expands its fa-cilities and research to ensure that our students leave readyto develop solutions to today’s programs. ongoing invest-

ments in new research equipment, more than $30 million inrenovations and $108 million in new construction, adding225,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory and officespace, are ensuring that the college’s facilities remain state-of-the-art.

Cutting-edge facilities, talented and hardworking fac-ulty, solid academics and a world of opportunities for learn-ing outside of the classroom make auburn a leader inengineering education. It is not surprising that auburngraduates leave ready to make their mark.

e college has educated four of auburn’s six nasa as-tronauts, three directors of the Kennedy space Center, andthree members of the prestigious national academy of En-gineering. our graduates hold leadership positions in indus-try, academics and the public sector.

auburn university is known not only for its academicand research excellence, but for its impact on alabama andthe region as well. a recent study determined au had anearly $4 billion economic impact on the state of alabama,including a $ 1.5 billion impact on the economy and a $ 2.4billion impact in ‘human capital.’ au’s technical assis-tance Center, a collaborative Engineering / Business out-reach unit, performs hundreds of projects annually for stateindustry, generating millions of dollars in increased efficien-cies and saving or creating hundreds of jobs statewide. v

SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING FACTS

• Undergraduate students: 3,383• Graduate students: 720• Faculty: 162• Continuing Education Units: Yes • Tuition: http://www.auburn.edu/administration/business_office/pdf/tuition.pdf• Starting salary range for graduates with bachelor’s of engineering degree: $50,000-$70,000.


Georgia Institute of Technol-

GEORGIA TECHFACTS

• 444 Faculty Members• 7,900 Undergraduate

students• Average Salary: $60,000

(lowest $50,000 | highest$66,500)

• Professional DevelopmentHours: YES

• For Tuition Information, pleasecheck our Web site

Georgia tech is one of the premieruniversities in the nation. Located inthe heart of atlanta, students attendclasses within bustling city life, givingthem a one-of-a-kind college experi-ence. Georgia tech’s College of Engi-neering (CoE) offers the resources ofa major technological university and alocation in the heart of cosmopolitanatlanta. CoE is the largest of theGeorgia tech’s six colleges, enrollingmore than 60 percent of the studentsat Georgia tech and about half of alltenured and tenure track faculty at theInstitute. CoE offers more than 50different degree programs at the bache-lors, masters, and doctoral levelsthrough its main atlanta campus, insavannah, and at satellite campusesaround the world.

Georgia tech CoE students canpursue graduate and undergraduate de-grees in the schools of aerospace En-gineering, Biomedical Engineering,Chemical & Biomolecular Engineer-ing, Civil & Environmental Engineer-ing, Electrical & ComputerEngineering, Industrial & systems En-gineering, Materials science & Engi-neering, and Mechanical Engineering.also, with Georgia tech’s Bs/Ms pro-gram, students can obtain a Bachelor’sand Master’s degree in just five years.

e College’s engineering educa-tion programs offer a diverse studentbody and faculty committed to excel-lence in teaching and research. Georgiatech's College of Engineering has a

strong national and international rep-utation. CoE is the largest producerof engineering degrees awarded towomen and underrepresented minor-ity students according to the americansociety of Engineering Education(asEE) and Diverse Issues in higherEducation.

e College of Engineering isconsistently ranked among the coun-try’s top five engineering schools. Be-cause of its high academic quality andrelatively low cost, Georgia tech’sCoE is cited as one of the best valuesin american higher education by pub-lications such as the Fiske Guide toColleges, the Princeton Review, andthe Kiplinger Business Magazine. eCollege currently ranks fih in under-graduate engineering programs andfourth in graduate engineering pro-grams according to us news andWorld Report.

as the largest u.s. College of En-gineering, CoE is an exemplary leaderin engineering education, research, andservice taking on the challenges of to-morrow’s world. CoE provides an ed-ucational experience that preparesgraduates for a career not only in engi-neering, but other professions such asmedicine, law, business, and publicpolicy. Graduates of tech’s engineer-ing program are ready to contribute tothe global workforce immediatelyupon graduation and are prepared to‘hit the ground running.’

students have dozens of opportu-nities for hands-on, interdisciplinarytechnological research that give theman opportunity to work alongsiderenowned faculty on meaningful proj-ects with real human benefits. CoEgraduates are technologically profi-cient and innovative, broadly knowl-edgeable, and globally competent, with

the ability and resources to transcendgeographic, cultural, and ideologicalboundaries. From developing renew-able energy sources and models for pre-dictive health to designing robots thatreplace service dogs and new materialsthat are capable of bonding tendons tobone, Georgia tech engineers are lead-ers in shaping the way people live.across the globe, Georgia tech engi-neers are making a difference. take forexample, alumnus tracy hawkins,with a degree in Industrial and systemsEngineering from Georgia tech, shehas found her calling as a “humanitar-ian engineer.” Focused on providingclean water, tracy is a vice president ofFilterPure, which manufactures anddistributes ceramic water filters toclean contaminated river water to useas drinking water.

e College of Engineeringstresses the importance of innovationand entrepreneurship. Created and or-ganized by faculty, e InVenturePrize @ Georgia tech was developedto provide incentives, resources, and astructure for undergraduate studentinventorship, innovation, and entre-preneurship in a fun, high-profileevent. e annual competition helpspromote Georgia tech’s mission of"providing the state of Georgia with ...innovation ... it needs to shape a pros-perous and sustainable future andquality of life for its citizens."

In addition, tI:GER is a multi-disciplinary, engaged learning programintended for students interested in un-derstanding the innovation processesthat are used in commercializing tech-nologies. e program is a unique edu-cational collaboration betweenGeorgia tech and Emory universitywhich prepares students for the chal-lenges of commercializing new tech-

nology and delivering innovative prod-ucts to the marketplace. students who desire to study engineer-ing may prefer to attend a communitycollege, a historically black college oruniversity (hBCu), or a gender specificcollege. to encourage and accommo-date these students, the College of Engi-neering offers the opportunity totransfer to Georgia tech via the DualDegree Engineering Program (DDEP)and the Regional Engineering transferProgram (REtP. students studying atparticipating schools have the opportu-nity to transfer to Georgia tech’s Col-lege of Engineering aer three years.transfer students then complete theirengineering degree aer two yearsstudying at Georgia tech’s CoE. Listof participating colleges may be found

on the Georgia tech College of Engi-neering web site: www.coe.gatech.edu.

Georgia tech’s College of Engi-neering faculty comprises the brightestminds in the field. among the College’shighly trained faculty, nearly 45 percentare tenured/tenure track professors. ad-ditionally, the CoE faculty hosts 20 Re-gents’ Professors, 88 named Chairs andProfessorships, one Institute of Medi-cine (IoM) member, a Guggenheimaward winner, and 13 Georgia Researchalliance Eminent scholars. ere are 26national academy of Engineeringmembers on the Georgia tech faculty.since the nsF CaREER award was es-tablished for young faculty in 1995,more than 80 College of Engineeringfaculty members have received this pres-tigious honor.

With abundant funding and ahost of generous, loyal sponsors, CoEconstantly expands its facilities and re-search departments. Last year, Georgiatech’s College of Engineering receiveda record 1,134 new sponsored awards.For 12 years, Georgia tech has beenthe top public institution in engineer-ing research and development. CoEhas more than 70 interdisciplinary cen-ters including four national Centers ofExcellence.

CoE provides the technologicalengineering education and researchthat anticipate and meet the needs of acomplex global society. It is also dedi-cated to men and women who use theirknowledge and skills on behalf of im-proving the quality of life, solving com-plex societal problems, and findinginnovative solutions across a broadspectrum of challenges. Georgia techattracts a high quality of student atevery level and places a high value onfostering students’ engagement withthe world around them through re-search, co-op, and international experi-ences that give them a competitiveadvantage. v


ince its beginnings as a small Baptist university in 1833, Mercer university has become one of themost recognized private colleges in the southeast. For the last twenty years, u.s. news’ College Re-

port has ranked Mercer as a leading private southern university. Even more impressively, the PrincetonReview placed Mercer in the top ten percent of all colleges in north america and recognized its goodwillmission, nicknaming it the “College with a Conscience.”

Mercer’s services make its students well-rounded, caring individuals. students can participate in a varietyof student and Greek organizations, enjoy high-tech recreation facilities or cheer on Mercer’s distinguished athletics depart-ment, the only private nCaa I division in the south. With programs like “Mercer on a Mission,” students from all majorscan reach out to the community and help with charities like homeless shelters and habitat for humanity. Last year, Mercerbio-medical and civil engineering undergrads traveledacross the globe, providing life-saving measures like pros-thetics to amputees in Vietnam and installing water purifi-cation systems to villages in Kenya. students walked awaywith fulfilling, hands-on experience that will last forever.

MercerUniversity

The small classes and intimate learn-ing experiences offered at Mercer,coupled with a faculty that not onlyhas excellent technical knowledge

but also the highest level of commit-ment to students, guides an environ-

ment in which innovative andethically sound engineering practicesnaturally develop. Mercer’s programallows each student to become the

best engineer and the best person heor she can be.

Despite being a relatively young program, Mercer’s en-gineering department has flourished since 1985. e collegeoffers a wide selection of undergraduate and graduate de-grees including biomedical, computer, electrical, environ-mental, mechanical engineering, and industrial engineering.For those looking to fair more on the management side ofengineering, Mercer offers bachelor degrees in industrialmanagement as well as Master’s degrees in engineering man-agement, technical communication management (online)and technical management.

Mercer also caters to ambitious engineering undergradswith its dual-degree, Bs/Ms program and students can receivebachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years.

Without the use of teaching assistants and small class-room settings, students build close relationships with distin-guished professors who hold the highest degrees attainablein their fields.

also, Mercer students focus on hands-on training early,beginning at the freshmen level. By the time undergradsreach their senior years, most devote their time to independ-ent projects and compete in national engineering competi-tions. students present their engineering accomplishmentsat societal conferences and network with outstanding con-tacts.

undergrads utilize Mercer’s high-tech engineering labsand facilities to study basic mechanical, electrical, electro-magnetic, solid state, and optical and nonlinear phenomena.Each student team in the school’s innovative senior designprogram is provided with dedicated private lab space tocomplete their projects.

Mercer enjoys the contributions of the Mercer Engi-neering Research Center, or MERC, a non-profit operat-ing unit that supplies high technology applications tocustomers like the air Logistic Centers, air Force Re-search Laboratory, army, navy, state and local govern-ments, and industry.

Mercer’s strong relationship with the national Engi-neering advisory Board (nEaB) allows students to show-case work at nEaB meetings and network with nEaBmembers. e school's close partnerships with WarnerRobins air Force Base, the Mercer university ResearchCenter, and the national Engineering advisory Board helpstudents make professional contacts and land dream jobs.

With an emphasis on charity and generosity, Mercerstudents graduate not only with abundant practical and the-

oretical knowledge but walk away with the highest of ethicalstandards to bring to the engineering field.

e single most helpful tool Mercer’s engineering programhas offered are their wonderful professors. all professorshave an open door policy. ey are so kind, understanding,and patient while helping students learn the material. asidefrom the professors, the program itself not only provides thein-depth skills needed but it also provides a broad scope ofengineering. e first two years are filled with courses thatopen us to all engineering focuses such as thermodynamics,autoCaD, and circuits. en, the last two years focus on theselected major. Projects, labs, and working in groups haveprovided me with the ability to work, communicate, and dohands on acitivites with others in my current full time posi-tion. Mercer has a great engineering program which hashelped get to me where I am today. – Jennifer Nguyen, 2009 Industrial and Systems EngineeringMajor, currently works at Frito Lay v

MERCER FACTS

Number of Full-time Faculty: 33Dean: Wade H. Shaw, Ph.D., P.E., (478) 301-2459

UNDERGRADS: 400-450 undergradsProfessional Engineering Hours: No.Distance Learning: Yes. DL offers hydrid and On-line-only graduate courses and degrees

Scholarship for Engineering Education (SEE)This scholarship is a forgivable loan program of-fered to Georgia students studying in an ap-proved bachelor of science in engineering degreeprogram at Mercer. The award is $3,500 per ac-ademic year. Students must agree to work inGeorgia as an engineer upon graduation to avoidloan repayment.

9-2010 ESTIMATED Undergraduate CostsTuition & Fees $30,560Room/Board 9,338Personal Expenses & Transportation 2,000Books & Supplies 1,200Total $43,098


Located just ten minutesoutside the perimeter,Southern PolytechnicState University is a

prime choice among stu-dents eager to expand

their knowledge of tech-nical skills while also

prepping themselves forvarious engineering ca-

reers in the future. Estab-lished in 1948 and once

a branch of GeorgiaTech University, SPSU be-came its own accredited

SouthernPolytechnicState University

four-year college in 1980 and one of the first colleges in the nation to offer the Bache-lor’s of Engineering Technology degree. Since then, Southern Polytechnic University hasremained true to its mission and its namesake; the ‘poly’ in Polytechnic comes from the

Greek work ‘Polus’ meaning “many.” Likewise, SPSU students are exposed to abundantskills and training courses, providing them with the most diverse education for ample ca-

southern Polytechnic state university offers Bs engi-neering degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Construc-tion, systems, soware, and Mechatronics. It offers Bsengineering technology degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Elec-trical, Computer, telecommunications, and Industrial.

sPsu students receive a core liberal arts education thatallows them to communicate clearly and persuasively in ad-dition to solving scientific problems critically and analyti-cally. sPsu teaches its students the importance ofdeveloping an international perspective in a global market-place.

sPsu students enjoy a smaller classroom setting withexperienced faculty members. e faculty has extensive real-world experience and most hold doctorate level degrees inengineering. With just under 30 students to a classroom andno teaching assistants, students receive individual attentionfrom the most qualified people in the engineering field.Moreover, sPsu keeps up with other reputable engineeringacademies, consistently winning top honors in student com-petitions at the regional, national, and international levels.sPsu also hosts some of the state’s brightest students; its ap-plicants’ sat scores are among the highest in the universitysystem of Georgia for entering freshmen.

sPsu doesn’t disappoint its students and keeps up withthose ‘big-wig’ institutions in Georgia. all sPsu studentsenjoy affordable housing and residence halls conveniently lo-cated on campus. additionally, students appreciate amenitieslike complimentary and spacious recreation centers as well aswell-stocked libraries and extensive research facilities.

Recently, sPsu has upgraded its asphalt and testinggear with its state of the art asphalt Performance tester andis one in a handful of schools that has this technology. In ad-dition, the engineering department has significantly ex-

panded its mechatronics and computer integrated manufac-turing laboratories to include multiple multi-axis roboticsfor use in undergraduate research.

and, since all sPsu engineering students are requiredto successfully complete a capstone research/design projectprior to graduation, the availability of cutting-edge equip-ment allows undergraduates to enhance their educational ex-perience.But above all, sPsu provides its students with a diverse at-mosphere, host-ing studentsfrom all national-ities and ethnici-ties. Each sPsustudent has achance to net-work and explorewithin a commu-nity of workers in which they will collaborate with in the fu-ture. v

~Eric Brisse | Civil Engineering Major | 2011 Civil Engineering Technology

SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY FACTS

Fall 2009 undergraduate enrolled students:soware Engineering 125Construction Engineering 83Mechatronics Engineering 180systems Engineering 4

undergraduate starting salaries for 2010:soware Engineering $54,417Construction Engineering $56,600

Fall 2010 In-state tuition for undergraduates:12 hours $2,59015 or more hours $3,088Fees $ 598

Fall 2009 out-of-state tuition for undergraduates:12 hours $7,84615 or more hours $9,658Fees $ 598Professional Development hours Yes.


mean median lower quartile upper quartileCivil Engineer

Entry-level $50,716 $50,500 $46,600 $55,000Project engineer $67,934 $64,500 $60,335 $73,008Project manager $90,831 $86,738 $78,905 $100,000Department manager $104,922 $101,581 $91,520 $119,000Principal $142,390 $128,419 $109,230 $156,000

Structural EngineerEntry-level $51,199 $52,100 $46,150 $55,732Project engineer $70,319 $68,500 $61,375 $74,200Project manager $92,677 $90,000 $80,184 $95,000Department manager $115,556 $110,000 $100,932 $120,018Principal $126,237 $122,600 $99,840 $150,000

Electrical EngineerEntry-level. $50,940 $51,000 $47,000 $55,100Project engineer $80,370 $76,000 $65,275 $90,000Project manager $99,204 $87,500 $77,000 $104,260Department manager $137,904 $106,000 $103,688 $175,000Principal $206,000 $200,000 $150,000 $200,000

Mechanical EngineerEntry-level. $52,906 $54,080 $53,000 $56,000Project engineer $69,900 $61,568 $59,369 $71,500Project manager $98,516 $86,400 $78,000 $106,080Department manager $132,504 $117,520 $100,000 $124,824Principal $152,942 $150,000 $103,050 $162,000

Geotechnical Engineer/ScientistEntry-level $43,759 $45,200 $36,000 $52,686Project engineer $58,300 $59,350 $51,521 $65,000Project manager $88,666 $85,000 $67,000 $91,000Department manager $88,645 $90,000 $68,785 $106,000Principal $80,000 $120,000 $40,000 $120,000

Environmental Engineer/ScientistEntry-level $49,002 $50,000 $45,000 $54,995Project engineer $60,937 $57,500 $56,013 $69,680Project manager $86,143 $84,403 $75,248 $95,507Department manager $99,932 $94,050 $87,360 $102,500Principal $132,767 $142,600 $108,884 $148,773

2010 salary survey of northeast & south atlantic Engineering Firms

e following is the fih edition of ZweigWhite’s salary survey of south atlantic Engineering Firms. is report shows basesalaries for employees in engineering firms throughout Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, northCarolina, south Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. e salary survey of south atlantic Engineering Firms has been pre-pared in partnership with three state chapters of the american Council of Engineering Companies (aCEC/FL, aCEC/Ga,and aCEC/MD). e following is a summary of the design/technical staff annual base salary.

mean median lower quartile upper quartileTraffic/Transportation Engineer

Entry-level $53,468 $52,600 $50,000 $57,000Project engineer $68,977 $68,640 $65,000 $74,825Project manager $94,224 $91,499 $82,947 $97,778Department manager $116,673 $112,008 $105,500 $120,480Principal $168,477 $140,000 $116,480 $176,800

PlannerEntry-level $47,111 $48,880 $44,800 $50,000Project engineer $65,466 $65,728 $62,760 $74,900Project manager $85,868 $78,637 $65,000 $90,000Department manager $112,948 $110,000 $98,625 $119,600Principal $156,900 $125,000 $125,000 $176,800

GIS ProfessionalEntry-level $40,265 $40,000 $35,000 $47,190Project engineer $59,265 $53,000 $52,000 $71,000Project manager $96,233 $83,200 $69,427 $125,000Department manager $106,995 $108,940 $97,000 $125,008Principal * * * *

Land SurveyorsInstrument Person I $37,275 $37,440 $31,117 $40,800Survey Technician $43,779 $39,627 $37,176 $52,300Field Survey Party Chief $54,338 $50,500 $46,708 $58,500Project Surveyor $74,239 $69,680 $65,000 $80,038Survey Department Manager $92,509 $87,360 $81,948 $98,800

Civil Engineering TechnicianEntry-level. $39,665 $37,440 $33,800 $45,000Mid-level $42,684 $40,000 $37,000 $47,840Senior-level $60,932 $59,003 $50,939 $63,800

Mechanical Engineering TechnicianEntry-level $35,976 $29,848 $28,080 $50,000Mid-level $45,269 $44,000 $40,123 $47,507Senior-level $82,797 $66,300 $60,281 $87,000

CADD/GIS OperatorEntry-level $37,375 $36,600 $33,488 $41,600Mid-level $43,474 $41,080 $37,440 $51,313Senior-level $56,035 $58,406 $50,000 $60,528

Field TechnicianEntry-level $36,112 $33,280 $31,200 $41,200Mid-level. $48,259 $52,000 $38,688 $59,726Senior-level $60,256 $65,000 $46,743 $69,831

* Based on a sample too small to yield meaningful values.

For more information about our other publications, newsletters, seminars, and/or consulting services, please contact us.ZweigWhite | 321 Commonwealth Road | suite 101 | Wayland, Ma 01778

tel: 508-651-1559 | Fax: 508-653-6522 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.zweigwhite.com


eorgia’s industry, es-pecially the energysector, depends on

education to sup-ply its growingneed of workersskilled in engi-

neering technology. Engineering tech-nology, as opposed to pure engineering,focuses on the application end of thetechnical job functions continuum (seediagram below). e 26 colleges of thetechnical College system of Georgia(tCsG) specialize in researching andadding new programs that fill the em-ployment needs of the businesses and in-dustries in their service delivery areas.

e most recent example of thistype of collaboration took place innortheast Georgia where augusta tech-nical College launched its new nuclearEngineering technology (nEt) pro-gram. is shows how a tCsG collegeworking closely with business and in-dustry responded to the shortage ofqualified workers in the energy sector.e nEt program allows augusta techstudents to earn an associate degree innon-licensed operations and mainte-nance work in the growing nuclear in-dustry.

Plant Vogtle—operated by south-ern nuclear and jointly owned by Geor-gia Power Co., oglethorpe Power Corp.,the Municipal Electric authority ofGeorgia and Dalton utilities—is lo-cated near Waynesboro, a part of au-gusta tech’s service area. Last year PlantVogtle became the first u. s. utility inthree decades to receive approval tobegin construction on new units. etwo Westinghouse advanced Passive1000 (aP1000) Pressurized Water Re-actors will provide the state an addi-

tional 1,215 megawatts of power each. In addition to southern nuclear, the sa-vannah River site just across the riverfrom augusta also requires a reliablepool of trained nuclear workers. how-ever, the nuclear industry must focus be-yond increasing the quantity of workers;it must also concentrate on increasingthe quality of its workforce. e nuclearRegulatory Commission sets stringentstandards workers must meet. to achievethis dual goal, augusta tech beganworking closely with southern nuclearand other representatives of the nuclearindustry.

Rick hall, augusta technical Col-lege’s Vice President of academic af-fairs, was more than happy to assist inthe collaboration and immediately puthis team into action to help fill the two-year engineering worker pipeline. hallstated that the result of the collaborativeefforts between southern nuclear andthe college led to a planned sequence ofcourses that meets the defined educa-tional requirements of the Institute ofnuclear Power operations (InPo)

uniform Curriculum Guide, which is acurriculum to standardize associate de-gree nuclear training across the nation.

augusta technical College Presi-dent terry Elam spoke highly of thevalue of the nEt program and the qual-ity jobs that it will bring to the college’sgraduates. “We were honored to put to-gether a team at augusta tech to de-velop the nuclear Engineeringtechnology program,” said Elam. “etremendous support that we have re-ceived from southern nuclear and oth-ers involved gave us the chance toprovide our students an exceptional op-portunity to become a part of an in-de-mand and lucrative field.”

e technical colleges’ educationalemphasis on the practical aspects of en-gineering versus the four-year focus ontheoretical or analytical aspects sets thetCsG programs like the nEt apartfrom the traditional four-year universityengineering programs. tCsG graduateslearn to take ideas and turn them intomarketable products, where a baccalau-reate graduate might be more readily

e technical College system of Georgia takes a Regional approach to Meeting Georgia’s Engineering technology needs

prepared for a career in research and de-velopment of new products and tech-nology.

“our partnership with augustatech on their new nEt program is atremendous milestone in southern nu-clear’s workforce development plan,”said andrew Bouldin, the southern nu-clear Workforce Development Coordi-nator. “Last year our human resources,with support and assistance from acrossthe fleet, presented a workforce devel-opment plan to address southern nu-clear’s pipeline needs, which are mostcritical in the skilled areas. our educa-tional partnerships, such as our strongrelationship with augusta tech, are keyin sparking interest in nuclear careersand preparing future nuclear workers.

“e program has many benefits tosouthern nuclear,” added Bouldin. “Itprovides a meaningful opportunity forlocal high school graduates to prepare forcareers in nuclear energy, and it creates apotential pipeline of candidates for up-coming positions at Plant Vogtle.”

“Representatives from southernnuclear worked with the college presi-dent and vice president of academic af-fairs along with deans and instructorsto evaluate current course offering andensure that the learning objectivesfrom the Institute of nuclear Poweroperations. uniform Curriculum wasaddressed,” said Charlie nesbitt,aP1000 training Deployment Man-ager. “the resulting new nEt programconsists of enhanced existing courses aswell as newly developed nuclear-spe-cific classes.”

is nEt degree is part of an an-swer to the engineering shortage inGeorgia and fits perfectly in the area thataugusta technical College serves. It fol-lows previous programs in the Informa-tion and Engineering technologyDivision at augusta tech that haveproven to be pacesetters in workforce

development, like Electronics and Com-puter Engineering technology (ECEt)and Mechanical Engineering technol-ogy (MEt).

ECEt and MEt have graduatedstudents who are continuing their ed-ucation through articulation agree-ments with four-year colleges likesouthern Polytechnic state university(sPsu) in Marietta. the leadership atsPsu understands the value of articu-lation agreements with students whohave earned a tCsG associate of ap-plied science degree and want to add totheir education and build their careerchoices.

e development and implementa-tion of these programs demonstrate thattCsG is ready and willing to serve theindividual needs of Georgia’s businessand industry. In addition, these pro-grams provide opportunities for stu-

dents to obtain stable and lucrative ca-reers in the field of engineering technol-ogy in as little as two years. v

TCSG colleges help meet Georgia’s engineering technology workforce needs, the ap-plication end of the spectrum, by working closely with business and industry to de-sign programs of study tailored to the specific needs of local and regional employers.

G

Report’s Best Colleges 2008 and being name as the fourthbest-valued university by Kiplinger magazine last year.

With expansive learning centers, including the newlybuilt 100,000-square-foot tate Center two, award-winningfood services, and exceptional recreation and health centers,uGa students receive an unparalleled college experience. Inbetween classes, students can study on the beautiful, historicnorth Campus or walk the quaint streets of downtownathens, where stars like John Mayer and R.E.M. caught theirfirst big breaks.

as a classical liberal arts university and a land grant in-stitution, the university of Georgia has been a leader in agri-cultural engineering since the 1930s with degrees at thebachelor’s, master’s and PhD level. In the early 1990s, uGa’sengineering program added biological engineering to its listand in 2006 added degrees in environmental, biochemical,and computer systems engineering to respond to the grow-ing needs for energy, human health, and technology educa-tion in today’s society. Currently, engineering undergrads atuGa can pursue bachelor’s degrees in the following disci-plines; B.s and M.s in Biochemical Engineering, B.s inComputer systems Engineering, B.s and M.s in Environ-mental Engineering, B.s. and M.s in Biological Engineering,

B.s and M.s in agricultural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Bio-logical & agricultural Engineering.to enhance its impressive array of educational offerings,uGa’s engineering program continues to add new coursesand introduce innovative teaching methods such as synthesisand design courses and virtual reality educational tech-niques. uGa’s engineering faculty specialize in a range ofleading research areas such as biophotonics, waste manage-ment, sustainable systems, bioenergy, microfluidics, nanoma-terials, electrochemical systems, engineering ecology, andengineering education. Many engineering students engage inundergraduate research experiences with faculty mentors.

uGa provides an engineering education in a liberal artsenvironment. is environment prepares graduates to betechnically excellent in science, mathematics, analysis andsynthesis, to have an innovative curiosity for creative adapta-tion from learning, unlearning and relearning, and to have ahumanistic consciousness grounded in humanities, arts, andsocial sciences. Engineering academic programs encouragestudents to think both critically and creatively. and becausethe program is small, engineering students at uGa developmentoring relationships with faculty as a part of a wellrounded educational experience.unlike its technical-school counterparts, engineering under-grads at uGa benefit from a learning environment that imi-tates the diversity of the society in which they will live andwork. students build a network of friends and faculty thatexcel in every field from business to law and other sciencemajors like infectious diseases and biology that will helpthem advance throughout their careers.

overall, uGa’s engineering program develops each ofits students into active and engaged engineers who will beunafraid of a challenge and ready to enter practice aer grad-uation. v

31Building Your Future in Engineering

Founded in 1785, the university of Georgia prides itself as being the nation’sfirst state-chartered university and the birthplace for public education. today,the university of Georgia still impresses, hosting some of the most remarkableand enthusiastic students in the nation. uGa students annually receive someof the most prestigious scholarships awarded to american undergraduates. In

2007, uGa was the only public university to have two recipients of the Rhodes scholarship, giving uGa a total of 21 Rhodesscholars in its history. one student received a 2008 Barry M. Goldwater scholarship, giving uGa a total of 33 Goldwater re-cipients, and one student received a 2008 harry truman scholarship, bringing the total number of uGa truman winners to15. a student also received a Morris udall scholarship in 2008, the third in recent years. In the 2007-2008 academic year,uGa was the only public university in the country with winners of Rhodes, truman, Goldwater, and udall scholarships.uGa also consistently ranks high on the list of top 50 public universities in the nation, placing 20th on u.s news and World

The University of Georgia

30 October 2010

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FACTS

Georgia Resident out-of-state Residenttuition and Fees $7,736 $26,946typical Residence halls 4,772 4,772typical 7-Day Meal Plan 3,688 3,688tuition, Room & Board $17,196 $35,406Estimated Books & supplies 1,030 1,030Estimated Living Expenses 1,510 1,510total Cost $19,736 $37,946

average starting salaries: 50-55K/yr.Professional Development hours: no


or the 11th consecutive year, the Geor-gia tech’s Women-in-Engineering(WIE) program, IBM, and profes-sional women in the engineering field

in Georgia will collaboratively sponsorthe Georgia’s Introduce a Girl to Engineer-ing Day (IaG) on February 12, 2011,from 10am to 2pm. In the past two

years the event has been held at the Georgia techhotel Conference Center at technology square.e 2011 event will be held on the main Georgiatech campus student Center, offering students aglimpse of campus life. e IaG event offers mid-dle school girls (Grades 6th, 7th and 8th) an op-portunity to participate in hands-on engineeringactivities and booths with the assistance of Gt fe-male college students and professionals in the Georgiaengineering community. Previous activities have in-cluded building solar panels, taking apart hair dryers,monitoring and moving traffic through computersimulations, and, the returning favorite, computercontrolled robot dinosaurs. associations such asthe society of Women Engineers (sWE), ameri-can society of Civil Engineers (asCE), and amer-ican society of heating and Refrigeration Engineers(ashRE) have manned display booths giving the girlsa glimpse of what different types of engineers do for a living.Entities such as IBM, Georgia Power, and Georgia Dot havealso set up booths and shared the exciting world of engineer-ing in action. e hands on activities and booths are designedto ignite an early interest in engineering. e students are alsotreated to a luncheon program with an engineering theme.

Introduce a Girl toEngineering 2011

typically, over 200 middle-school students are involved, from40 to 50 schools throughout Georgia, including homeschooled students. space is available for at least ten booths,with five to six hands-on activities going on at the same time.e parents are also included in the IaG day program througha separate Parents presentation that helps get them ready toprepare their daughters for a future in Engineering.

In 2010 IaG started an Engineers Bowl, which appearsto be a successful new tradition at the luncheon program. Inthis event the girls compete as tables of ten (led by a Gt stu-dent mentor) to correctly answer multiple choice questionsrelated to science and engineering. two of the questions thatwere asked this past year are: (answers below)

1.e standard unit of measurement used formeasuring force is which of the following? a)Watt,

B)Kilogram, C) newton or D) Mile

2.Which president also worked as an en-gineer? a) abraham Lincoln, B) Ronald Rea-gan, C) Jimmy Carter or D) George W. Bush

e winning table all received gi certifi-cates for Bed, Bath and Beyond. (Even

though they are future engineers, theyare still girls and all girls love BB&B!)

an optional scholarship pro-gram is also a part of the annualevent. scholarships are awarded todeserving students for math and

science camps throughout thesoutheast, including Georgia techsEngineering and Computing tECCamp and the nasa space Camp inhuntsville, alabama. Forty-nine stu-

dents submitted scholarship applica-tions for the scholarships last year.

It would be best to hear the benefits of this eventand the scholarships from last year’s nasa Camp

scholarship winner from Creekland Middle school inCanton, Georgia:

scholarships are awarded based on a combination of grades(20% all grades, 30% math and science grades), extracurricu-lar activities and awards (25%) and a 750 word essay (25%)that answers a question related to Engineering.

If you are interested in hosting a booth or becoming apart of the energetic women of Engineering in Georgia thathost this event, please contact Georgene Geary, IaG Chair,at 404-608-4712 or sandy song, WIE, at 404-385-1862 orvisit the IaG Web site at www.engineersweek.com. e IaGCommittee typically meets the last Wednesday of the monthat noon, at Georgia tech’s WIE office. (answers to ques-tions: 1-a, 2-C)

IaG: to introduce and inspire young women to naturally in-corporate engineering, science and mathematics into their fu-ture aspirations. v

F February 12, 2011

Dear IAG Committee,

Thank you for the opportunity you afforded me to go to Space Acad-

emy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

I spent a fun-filled week making new friends and participating in sev-

eral educational activities. The space and robotics track which I par-

ticipated in was awesome! We were divided into teams to design and

program a robot for space exploration. As engineers, we built objects

to attach to our robots. In our role as programmers, our challenge was

to program the robot to complete its duties. During the week, we be-

came more familiar with our robots and the importance of robotics in

past, present, and future space exploration. At the conclusion of the

week, we participated in a simulated Space Shuttle mission. We could

choose to work in the orbiter, Mission Control, or the International

Space Station. As the Mission Scientist in Mission Control, I was

responsible for helping the scientists in the International Space Sta-

tion when problems arose. During the week, we also participated in

other activities such as watching IMAX movies about space, swim-

ming, and learning about the history of the space program.

Thank you again for this experience which I will remember for the

rest of my life. I greatly appreciate the scholarship and the honor you

gave to me.


e Georgia Engineering Foundation (GEF), chartered in1971, is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization dedicated to help-ing future engineers through philanthropic and educational en-deavors related to engineering throughout Georgia. GEF ismade up of professional engineering societies and their indi-vidual members, and colleges/universities in Georgia.

For over 35 years, the Georgia Engineering Foundationhas awarded college scholarships to worthy Georgia studentswho are preparing for a career in engineering or engineeringtechnology. since 1985, over 600 students have receivedscholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. In 2009, schol-arships totaling $50,500 were awarded to 39 worthy engi-neering scholars.

all scholarships are competitively awarded based on thestudent’s demonstrated competence in academics, interest indeveloping a career in engineering, financial need, and schooland community involvement. scholarship and program fund-

ing comes from engineering societies, named scholarships/en-dowments, individuals, and corporations. applications are ac-cepted from april 1st through august 31st each year, andawards are presented at the annual Banquet in november. tofind out more about the requirements, please visit us on theWeb at www.GEFinc.org.

GEF is also involved in pre-collegiate programs and sup-ports the efforts of MathCounts and the Exploring En-gineering academy—a science appreciation two weekworkshop for seventh and eighth graders at Georgia tech.GEF also gives to the Benjamin E. Mays high school, theRockdale Magnet school, and the uGa science Fair.

For more information on the Georgia EngineeringFoundation or to find out how you can get involved, pleasevisit our Web site at www.GEFinc.org or call (404) 521-2324.

building your future in engineering 2010

Documents

georgia engineerm

georgia engineer magazine

annual publication

z i n epublisher

n e e r s c r e e das

futuregrowing engineers

e participation

little publication isexciting