A 21st Century Imperative: Increasing the Number, Quality, and Diversity of Engineering Graduates Charles M. Vest President, National Academy of Engineering President Emeritus, MIT Summit: Assuring Michigan’s Knowledge-Based Workforce Ann Arbor October 13, 2009

Inauguration Day 2008

“We need to get back to making stuff based on real engineering not just financial engineering.” Thomas Friedman NYT Sept. 28, 2008

“We need to get back to making stuff based on real engineering not just financial engineering.” Thomas Friedman NYT Sept. 28, 2008 “Germany’s renewable energy industry, with more than 50,000 new jobs, now is second only to their auto industry.” Thomas Friedman NYT Sept. 15, 2009

“Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of our competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position.

“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing … after they have exhausted all the other possibilities.” --Winston Churchill

“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing … after they have exhausted all the other possibilities.” --Winston Churchill

First: Then: Develop Brainpower Unleash Innovation

DEVELOPING BRAINPOWER

How do we compare with the Rest of the World? A Problem Source: NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

And it gets worse … Engineering Graduates and US Population by Race

Immigrants have founded many Of our S&E Based Companies source: V. Wadhwa, Issues in Science and Technology, 2009

INSPIRE Developing Brainpower

Engineering Grand Challenges Make Solar Energy Economical Provide Energy From Fusion Develop Carbon Sequestration Methods Manage the Nitrogen Cycle Provide Access to Clean Water Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure Advance Healthcare Informatics Engineer Better Medicines Reverse Engineer the Brain Prevent Nuclear Terror Enhance Virtual Reality Secure Cyberspace Advance Personalized Learning Engineer the Tools of Scientific Discovery

Engineering Grand Challenges www.engineeringchallenges.org Energy Environment Global Warming Sustainability Reducing Vulnerability to Human and Natural Threats Expand and Enhance Human Capability And Joy Improve Medicine and Healthcare Delivery

IMPROVE EDUCATION Developing Brainpower

AP Passing Scores at 10 Dallas ISD Schools in Math and Science Source: The College Board

We can fix the K-12 Problem. Minority AP Passing Scores per 1000 Juniors and Seniors in Math, Science, and English for African-American and Hispanics in 10 Dallas ISD Schools, Texas, and U.S. First Year of AP Incentive Program Source: The College Board, Dallas ISD, Texas Education Agency, National Center for Educational Statistics (2005 U.S. enrollment data is estimated through extrapolation)

SIX-YEAR COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE SIX-YEAR COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE* Students who passed an AP exam compared to those who did not pass an AP exam** Texas Public Colleges or Universities ANGLO HISPANIC AFRICAN AMERICAN * % receiving B.A. degree within 6 years of high school graduation based on group of students graduating in 1998, and enrolling in a Texas Public College or University (67,863 students). ** Based on AP Exams in core academic subjects of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies Source: National Center for Educational Accountability

Putting the “E” in STEM K-12 engineering education should emphasize: A National Academy of Engineering Project K-12 engineering education should emphasize: Design Creative problem-solving process. It should include: Math, science, and technology concepts. It should develop 21st century skills: Systems Thinking Collaboration Communication Source: Engineering in K-12 Education, National Academies Press, 2009

Be Careful and disciplined. Putting the “E” in STEM Be Careful and disciplined. Data on effectiveness are sparse. Teachers are unprepared and overloaded. Our report raises more questions than it answers.

UNLEASHING INNOVATION

With New Jobs U.S. % Employment by Sector History and Projection Source: Stuart Feldman, IBM Research, Presentation at Carnegie-Mellon University, 29 June, 2005

21st century Innovation Life Sciences and Information Technology Globalization of R&D Education Workforce Macro Systems especially Energy 21st century Innovation A new Enabling Technology? Future of Venture Capital? Disruptive Technologies For Grand Challenges

21st century Innovation Evolution of current Innovation System Inducement Prizes Discovery Innovation Institutes 21st century Innovation Virtual Communities New Universities New Educational Organizations

Distributed Intelligence S&T Acceleration Globalization Life Sciences and Information Technology Relentless Change Grand Challenges Distributed Intelligence S&T Acceleration Globalization Internet Democracy Globalization of R&D Education Workforce Macro Systems especially Energy 21st century Innovation Future of Venture Capital? A new Enabling Technology? Disruptive Technologies For Grand Challenges Evolution of Current Innovation System Inducement Prizes Discovery Innovation Institutes To Be Determined by A New Generation 21st century Innovation New Universities Virtual Communities New Educational Organizations

Two Things we must do

Change the Conversation A National Academy of Engineering Project Engineers help shape the future. Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety. Engineers are creative problem solvers.

The Amazing Disappearing Rediscover The Amazing Disappearing Word

ENGINEER

We need to get it back into the vernacular. ENGINEER We need to get it back into the vernacular.

Why Young People should study Engineering

Why Young People should study Engineering This is the most exciting era in science and engineering in human history.

Frontiers of Technology Nano Bio Info Tiny Systems Macro Systems Energy Environment Health Care Manufacturing Communications Logistics

Why Young People should study Engineering This is the most exciting era in science and engineering in human history. Our future economy, health, security, and quality of life depends on S&E. It’s really interesting and rewarding.

Engineers can conquer Grand Challenges. Energy Environment Global Warming Sustainability Reducing Vulnerability to Human and Natural Threats Expand and Enhance Human Capability And Joy Improve Medicine and Healthcare Delivery

Why Young People should study Engineering This is the most exciting era in science and engineering in human history. Our future economy, health, security, and quality of life depends on S&E. It’s really interesting and rewarding.

The 15 Top Earning Degrees Starting Salaries 2009 Petroleum engineering $83,121 Chemical engineering $64,902 Mining engineering $64,404 Computer engineering $61,738 Computer science $61,407 Electrical engineering $60,125 Mechanical engineering $58,766 Industrial engineering $58,358 Systems engineering $57,438 Engineering technology $56,447 Actuarial science $56,320 Aeronautical engin. $56,311 Agriculture engineering $54,352 Biomedical engineering $54,158 Construct. Management $53,199 Source: CNNMoney.com, July 24, 2009

A FINAL THOUGHT

What is needed in K-12 Initiatives Evaluation Coherence Scale Sustained Effort

Thank you.