A quorum is the minimum number of voting members from a deliberative group allowed to make decisions on behalf of that group.
This episode covers the skills commonly used by practicing engineers.
In 2001, Edward F. Crawley of MIT published a report that discussed engineering skills, titled “The CDIO Syllabus: A Statement of Goals for Undergraduate Engineering Eduation.” (pdf)
The top-level skill categories identified by Crawley were:
Technical Knowledge and Reasoning
Personal and Professional Skills
Interpersonal Skills
CDIO (conceiving, designing, implementing, and operating)
In 2003, Catherine Kelly studied the career paths of MIT undergraduates over a span of 35 years, producing a report titled “Some Trends in the Career Paths Followed by Alumni of the MIT Mechanical Engineering Department”. (link)
According to the Kelly report, approximately two-thirds of each graduating class from MIT’s Mechanical Engineering Department will find employment as engineers and managers. As the number of years beyond graduation increases, the percentage of engineers decreases, while the percentage of managers increases.
Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce published a 2011 study on STEM careers, noting that 10 years after graduation, 46 percent of STEM graduates have left the field.
Brian references a 2014 article from the ABA Journal claiming that 24% of those who passed the bar in 2000 were not practicing law a dozen years later.
Kristen Wolfe authored a 2004 thesis, “Understanding the careers of the alumni of the MIT Mechanical Engineering Department,” in which she surveyed MIT alumni about the skills they used in day-to-day engineering practice.
Brian notes that a good deal of his work involves trying to fight his own confirmation bias.
In 2015, Kelly Wang produced a thesis, titled “Study on the Careers of MIT Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Alumni.” This report confirmed many of the findings from the 2004 Wolfe study.
In response to an email from listener Andrew, we’ve generated the following list of recommended YouTube channels:
Thanks to TechCrunch for use of the photo titled “TechCrunch Disrupt Europe Hackathon.” Opening music by John Trimble, and concluding theme by Paul Stevenson.
In this episode of The Engineering Commons, we discuss transitions experienced by Adam, Carmen and Jeff during the past year. Brian participates in our round-robin discussion, but it seems his 2016 was fairly routine.
Adam has been residing in his new estate since mid-November, and is still uncovering new surprises on his property.
Carmen plans on retiring by age 35, or by the 800th episode of this podcast. (His 35th birthday will come first, unless we start releasing episodes at a much faster pace.)
In this episode of The Engineering Commons, we answer questions from listener Jared about coping as an engineering student.
Carmen informs us that making accurate estimations is an important engineering skill.
In this episode, we answer questions from listener Jared about surviving the math-science death march encountered in the typical engineering curriculum.
It’s normal to “just get by” in some of your engineering courses; not every class will speak to your academic strengths and professional interests.
Engineering schools seeking in the United States and Canada that seek ABET accreditation are reasonably free to choose math requirements for their engineering degrees; ABET only requires “one year of a combination of college level mathematics and basic sciences.”
It is common for engineers to use only algebra during their professional careers, but the training received in advanced math seems to prove beneficial.
Jeff made heavy use of note cards while preparing for his area exams.
Carmen benefited doing his engineering homework as part of a study group, while Brian found open-ended research projects the best way to master important material.
Even when the semester is not going well, it’s important to avoid writing off a class entirely.
Brian finds value in watching the slightly unconventional YouTube videos of ElectroBOOM, while Carmen enjoys the educational aspects of Alan Wolke’s electronics tutorials.
Someday, in the distant future when he has more time, Jeff would like to construct the coffee-can radar developed by Gregory Charvat.
Spaced repetition is a learning method that revisits material in accordance with a schedule designed to maximize retention.
Thanks to Jimmy Harris for use of the photograph titled “Oriel College, Oxford.” Opening music by John Trimble, and concluding theme by Paul Stevenson.
The gang discusses how one acquires the skills most frequently used by engineering professionals.
