Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering To Host Panel Discussion About American Competitiveness

November 23, 2005
Contact: Chriss Swaney
(412) 268-5776

PITTSBURGH——“Is America Falling Behind?” when it comes to science and engineering, will be the discussion topic from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at a panel session hosted by Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering at the Engineering Society of Western Pennsylvania at 337 Fourth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.

A panel of engineering experts led by Carnegie Mellon Engineering School Dean Pradeep Khosla will discuss a broad range of ideas for maintaining the nation’s competitive edge and improving the quality of life for people around the world. Many companies say they’re facing an increasingly severe shortage of engineers. And it’s so bad, some corporate executives say, that Congress needs to boost funding for engineering education.

A recent report by The American Society for Engineering Education says that less than 5 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2004 were in engineering. By contrast, China in 1990 graduated almost 200,000 engineers, or 44 percent of their undergraduate degrees. The report also said that engineering innovations are vital both for keeping the country’s economy strong and for protecting its major infrastructure from attack.

“The new focus is no longer technology itself,” Khosla said. “I believe that broadening engineering education by enhancing technical course requirements with breadth requirements, such as courses in management, policy, finance and entrepreneurship will serve our students well.”

Other panel members include Bob Black, deputy executive director of The American Society for Engineering Education; Peter Faletra, assistant director of the office of science for workforce development for teachers and scientists for the Department of Energy; Alex G. Sciulli, senior vice president at Mellon Financial Corp.; and William J. Holstein, panel moderator and editor-in-chief of CEO Magazine.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. For more, see www.cmu.edu.