Well, here we are in the middle of National Engineers Week -- and smack-dab in the middle of National Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day -- and we haven't blogged much about this annual, weeklong event established to promote the wonders of engineering to the world. (The exception is Donald Wunsch's piece about the future of AI, posted on Monday.) Shame on us for the oversight. UMR is known for its engineering, and we ought to be bragging about it to the world.
Apparently, we aren't the only ones who aren't singing the engineering profession's praises this week. Oh, there are a few shout-outs in the blogosphere about E-week. And the week has gotten a smattering of media attention, mostly from college and university newspapers. But reflective opinion pieces, like this one from Stanford Daily, are rare.
Perhaps that's no different than most E-weeks. It's never really taken off, like other national "professional" observances. Has it ever really been as big as, say, Administrative Professionals' Day or Boss's Day? Hallmark has no line of Engineers Week cards, that we know of.
Another drawback for E-week at UMR, where every week is E-week to an extent, is that this annual event falls at an unfortunate time: just days before the annual snake invasion that prefigures St. Pat's.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate engineering. As the Stanford Daily piece points out: "It’s an exciting time to be an engineer. Engineers are discovering broader applications of their work, especially as the lines that separate engineering from the pure sciences begin to blur."
We'd love to hear from all our engineering alumni out there. Tell us what's so great about engineering? It's National Engineers Week -- your chance to brag about your chosen career.
Sound off below.
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