We need the Engineers—
Here’s How We Should Help
Ray Almgren
VP, Developer and Academic Relations
ITEA 2007, San Antonio TX
You want leadership…
• Fact: 17% of Fortune
500 CEO’s have a
business degree
• Fact: 20% have
an engineering
degree
Source: US News and World Reports
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Brief History of Engineering in the US
• The pre-war Apprentice
• Vannevar Bush/ Frederick Terman
– “A Community of Scholars”
•
•
•
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Sputnik – October 4, 1957
1987 Peak Graduation Rate
1990  Wanning Interest, but Huge Economic Success
2000 The “Quiet Crisis”
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Today’s Challenges: #1
converging complexity, changing technologies
PC/WWW/Email
GPS Navigation
CD+RW
Mobile
Phone
PDA
DVD+RW
Automotive
Telematics
Unit
Satellite Car
Alarm/Radio
Games
AM/FM Stereo
Remote
Diagnostics
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Today’s Challenges: #2
Global Design to Manufacturing
• Design Anywhere, Build Anywhere is a fundamental challenge of this decade
• Common platforms and methods are critical to ensuring Speed AND Quality
Design/
Validation
Design/
Validation
Mfgrg
Design/
Validation
NI HQ
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Mfgrg
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Trends in Engineering Education
• Integrate theory with more hands-on
experiences
• Collaborative, project-based learning
• Design, design, design
• Creativity and Innovation
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Hands-on PBL for STEM Education
Measurement and
Instrumentation
PCI/PXI/USB DAQ
Circuit Design
and Simulation
NI ELVIS
Control, Simulation,
and Mechatronics
PCI
Systems
Signal and Image
Processing
NI CompactRIO
NI SPEEDY-33 DSP
Starter Kit (DSK)
NI and Wireless
Communications
Embedded Systems
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Software Engineering Trends
System design platform
C#
Abstraction
C++
C
Assembly language
Machine code
System complexity
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Abstracting System Complexity with Software
LabVIEW
LabVIEW
*
CC*
* does not include code to generate UI
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Human Transporter
Project
(Senior Design Project: 3 Students, 13 Weeks)
Theory
4 Weeks
Design
Prototype
8 Weeks
Deploy
1 Week
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Rigor/Relevance Framework
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Knowledge
5
4
3
2
Application
1
1
2
3
4
5
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Blaise/Daggett: Rigor and Relevance
Bloom’s
6
5
4
3
2
1
C
D
A
B
1 2 3 4 5
Application
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Critical Elements of “Engineering”
Programs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Economically Viable
A Vision and Plan for National Adoption
Comprehensive Curriculum
Major Public and Private Support
Integrated with Commercial Technology
Capable of Changing our Culture
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Some Great Examples
www.pltw.org
Project Lead the Way: Learning with
LabVIEW
Biomedical Sciences
Vernier
Sensor DAQ
Digital Electronics
NI Multisim
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The Infinity Project
• State-of-the-art classroom technology
• Exciting design examples
–
–
–
–
Build digital music instruments
Create new special effects for movies
Secretly encode messages between students
Turn PC into a cell phone
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II. Organization &
Programs
FIRST
 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public
charity
 Founded 1989, by inventor Dean
Kamen
 Headquarters in Manchester, NH
 Board Chairman John Abele,
Founder Chairman of Boston
Scientific
 $20 million operating budget
 2,000 corporate sponsors
 45,000 volunteers
II. Organization &
Programs
Range of Programs K-12
FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Vex Challenge
FIRST LEGO League
Junior
FIRST LEGO League
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Grade Level
8
9
10
11
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T-STEM Initiative
Texas Science Technology Engineering and
Math Initiative
$71M in public/private funding initiative to pilot
innovative ways to increase the number of
students who enter these career fields
T-STEM Goals
Create 35 T-STEM Academies
Establish 5-6 T-STEM Centers throughout Texas
Develop statewide best practices Network
Increase pool of highly qualified STEM teachers
and school leaders
Where are the Engineers of
2020?
nd
2
In
Grade
8 year olds
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25
Abstracting System Complexity with Software
LabVIEW
LabVIEW
*
CC*
* does not include code to generate UI
26
National Instruments Confidential
What to tell your Corporate Partners
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Invest ONLY in leveraged programs
Fund technology and curriculum
Work through Universities that work with you
Don’t just show up for Engineer’s Week
Have the CEO frequently contact state
legislators about STEM
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It’s OK
to have fun!
ni.com/academic
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