The decisions made by government officials can have a significant impact on the American infrastructure, from building roads and bridges to setting standards for technology. Few politicians have engineering degrees.
ASME Federal Fellows, a government program, places engineers into government positions. The Washington, D.C.-based program appoints one-year terms to mechanical engineers. These can be either in the congressional staff or in federal offices and agencies like the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the U.S. Departmant of Homeland Security. The engineers are able to explain how environmental issues, infrastructure issues, and energy affect government officials, who may not otherwise have the technical know-how.
Government agencies have used mechanical engineers:
– Examine security issues like protecting critical infrastructure from attacks and natural disasters, improving airport security and preventing weapon shipment using container ships.
Enhance the American workforce by creating STEM education programs for children in grades K-12.
– Support the development of legislation on new technology such as digital media copyright laws or initiatives that support nanotechnology.
ASME Federal Fellows receive valuable insights into politics and administration in return. This can help them improve their performance in other areas.
Over the last 35 years, ASME Federal Fellows has placed more than 87 engineers in government agencies. ASME developed a new fundraising program to meet the growing demand for fellows from government agencies. “Engineering the Greater Good.”
For more information, visit www.asme.org.
