Turning Ideas Into Reality

WHY ENGINEERING

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That's what engineers do, in a nutshell! L. Sprague DeCamp said of engineers, "The story of civilization is, in a sense, the story of engineering - that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man's good."

The first engineers focused on military technology, designing weapons, such as sword and catapults, and sturdy medieval castles. Later engineers designed roads, bridges, dams, electric lights, internal combustion engines, computers -- the conveniences of our modern lives. The engineers of today are solving the problems of the 21st Century, cleaning the environment with plants and microbes, developing biofuels for cars and trucks, designing the cars and trucks that we drive to work and school, and enhancing the world in which we live.

You may be wondering about the difference between engineers and scientists. Perhaps Albert Einstein put it best when he said, "Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been." Students in Biosystems Engineering turn their ideas into reality in their freshman year. The University of Tennessee's innovative freshman Engineering Fundamentals, introduces students to the fundamentals of engineering in the classroom, while teaming them with our students on design projects. Projects from past years have included wooden bridges, cardboard chairs, catapults, and rubber band-powered cars! A sophomore in Biosystems Engineering is pictured above with the expandable bale mover he designed in the 3-D modeling package Mechanical Desktop.

What Do Engineers Do?

The best answer to this question may be "What don't engineers do?" The engineers of today are solving tomorrows problems, but in a variety of fields and ways. Some engineers create new products like combines, computers, and food products. Others conduct scientific research, working in laboratories or outdoors, perhaps monitoring water quality or developing safer food handling techniques. Other engineers test and evaluate new systems; a graduate student in Biosystems Engineering is shown at the right evaluating spray patterns from nozzles using the latest laser technology.

Some engineers choose to attend medical school or law school. Others enter the technical marketing arena, utilizing their engineering background to help sell products or educate others on the merits of a particular product. Many of the CEOs of major companies actually have engineering degrees.

In our increasingly high-tech society, the profession of engineering offers plentiful job opportunities, superior salaries and a high rate of professional satisfaction. A degree in engineering opens the door to a world of opportunity!

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14