Engineering the Next Generation
Focused on the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) professionals, this blog explores the challenges and opportunities facing incoming engineers, as well as the “engineering crisis” that could be triggered as baby boomers exit the workforce. This blog also aims to connect new engineers to more experienced STEM professionals as a way of growing young careers and passing on the knowledge accumulated by veteran engineers over decades. Contributions to this blog come from engineers, professors, students, mentors/mentees, and EDN’s Suzanne Deffree, who moderates this blog. Contact her at suzanne.deffree@ubm.com if you wish to contribute a blog post.
Cornell Cup: Embedding design into young engineers' minds
In his breakfast keynote presentation opening the inaugural Cornell Cup USA student embedded design competition, presented by Intel, Bikas Narain, Intel, director of platform and software validation, said, “The future is so bright, it’s mind boggling.” Narain was speaking of two things: First, the growth of the embedded systems market, which by 2015 is expected to mass up to 1 ...... Read More
Comments (0)Cornell Cup: Be awesome all the time
On Thursday I’m heading to Orlando to cover the inaugural Cornell Cup USA college-level embedded design competition. The competition, presented by Intel, is based on the successful Intel Cup China that attracts more than 26,000 students. This week’s event was designed to provide an “expo” spirit that encourages students to construct any design they can dream up and crea ...... Read More
Comments (2)Kids say the darndest STEM things
We’re closing out this weekend’s USA Science and Engineering Festival after full 3 days of hands-on learning for kids and adults, alike. My home base for the weekend was at the UBM Electronics Innovation Generation booth, a prime location near the Curie stage. There I spent a good deal of time chatting with the swarms of kids and their parents who came by to tear apart iPods, VCRs, D ...... Read More
Comments (4)‘When you see what the kids can do, I don’t worry’
The final numbers aren’t in yet but word on the show floor is it that this weekend’s USA Science and Engineering Festival is expected to be the largest event in Washington, DC, this year - an election year, no less. I’m writing this from the edge of the UBM Electronic Innovation Generation booth and doing a bit of people watching on this last day of the festival. Behind me is ...... Read More
Comments (1)NY loves STEM
A new partnership between the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany aims to spur more STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) learning and interest in the state’s schools. NYSSBA and CNSE have teamed up to launch the “Be the Change for Kids Innovation Awards,” which they beli ...... Read More
Comments (1)The Woodstock of science and engineering
Got plans this weekend? If you are in the DC area, attend the 2nd USA Science and Engineering Festival, a free event open to the public. Being described as “the Woodstock of science and engineering,” the festival will include some of the greatest minds in STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) and aims to inspire a sort of grassroots approach to science and engineering by acting ...... Read More
Comments (2)Science and Engineering Festival coming April 28, 29
Naomi Price, managing editor for EDN sister Web site Innovation Generation, contributed the below guest post. She will be at the USA Science and Engineering Festival later this month, as well as other UBM Electronics editors. In less than two weeks, we’ll be unpacking boxes of old iPods and iPhones and setting them out for kids to tear apart. That’s the iPod Autopsy in a nutshe ...... Read More
Comments (0)Game on for tech
As a kid, I played sports, mostly softball and hockey. I also did well in school, especially in math and science. Are these traits related? Both require a sort of aggressiveness balanced with the ability to work well on a team, be it a defensive line or lab group, as well as individually. For the best of the best, there is also the desire to grow and improve your skills, in part pushed by a drive ...... Read More
Comments (2)Pay for 2012 engineering grads up, hiring on rise
Good news for the class of 2012: Not only is hiring of recent graduates on the rise, according to the April salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), median pay for this year’s graduates will be higher than that of the class of 2011. The survey found that engineering grads can expect the highest pay of all disciplines. Median salary for such engin ...... Read More
Comments (6)Take that, engineering crisis!
I’m a New Yorker in California this week for the DESIGN West conference. Normally it is never more apparent that I am not only a New Yorker, but a stereotypical cynical New Yorker, than when I’m in the Golden State surrounded by stereotypically cheerful locals. But even with this week’s rain, I find myself, dare I say it, sunny and optimistic on one of the key topics I cover h ...... Read More
Comments (19)TI teams with universities for analog research lab, ups internships and training for new grads
Texas Instruments today introduced TI Silicon Valley Labs, a research center tasked with conducting advanced research and development in analog and mixed-signal through recruitment of top talent and close collaboration with universities and customers. Research projects ranging from analog signal processing for ultra-low power pattern recognition to rearchitecting power management for future cloud ...... Read More
Comments (0)IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference, March 9
March is a big month for STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) here at EDN. We have our “Engineering the next generation” cover story out with an accompanying editorial about how the electronics industry can address the so-called engineering crisis (concerns about the low number of incoming engineers as compared to the high number of engineers expected to exit the workforce in t ...... Read More
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