New Mexico roads are in terrible disarray, according to a new report by TRIPS, a national transportation research nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. The study found 56% of all highways and major roads in the state are in poor or mediocre repair due to a lack of funding, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. Poor roads cost each driver about $767 annually in additional vehicle operating costs.
State lawmakers are considering a bill to increase gas taxes in the state, which has some of the lowest tax rates in the region, to raise funds for repairs.
Bill Paves Way for More Solar Power Use
A bill that would provide electricity for New Mexico residents using local solar power infrastructure passed in the state Senate earlier this month, according to the Carlsbad Current Argus. Under the Community Solar Act, lower-income residents and renters could use energy generated by arrays known as solar gardens, which are smaller than utility-scale but larger than residential arrays. The bill is now in the House.
Senator Gay Kernan noted progress in solar energy use in the state, pointing out that Xcel Energy has already increased renewable energy by 50% to the New Mexico grid, 10 years earlier than is stipulated in New Mexico Energy Transition Act.
FAA safety engineer goes public to slam the agency’s oversight of Boeing’s 737 MAX
Haunted by the two deadly crashes of Boeing 737 MAX jets and his agency’s role in approving the plane, veteran Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety engineer Joe Jacobsen is stepping forward publicly to give the victims’ families “a firsthand account of what the truth is.” In a detailed letter sent last month to a family that lost their daughter in the second MAX crash in Ethiopia two years ago this week, and in interviews with The Seattle Times, Jacobsen gave the first personal account by an insider of the federal safety agency’s response to the MAX crashes. Jacobsen should have been among the FAA specialists who reviewed the MAX’s critical new flight control software during its original certification, which was largely controlled by Boeing. He’s confident that he and other FAA engineers would have flagged its serious design flaws.
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Wanted: 2021 NSPE Emerging Leaders
NSPE is fostering a new generation of engineers who can think strategically, build effective teams, and lead successfully through its Emerging Leaders Program. This intensive seven-month, professionally facilitated, the virtual program is now accepting applications until May 31.
Early-career professionals with 5-8 years of experience who are just beginning to lead and think strategically in the profession are encouraged to apply. The program graduated its first class of diverse, super achieving professionals in February.
Between August 2021 and February 2022 participants will learn how to be successful at higher levels of leadership responsibility. Participants will engage in 90-minute leadership training sessions each month with learning discussions and mentoring on topics such as ownership, team development, communication skills, giving/receiving feedback, and presentation skills. There will also be ample networking opportunities with peers and national NSPE national leaders.
Ethics Webinars for PEs and Those on the Licensure Path
Don’t miss NSPE’s upcoming ethics webinars on truthfulness and fidelity to employers and clients, with insight from Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq., NSPE’s senior director for ethics and professional practice and NAFE executive director, and other NSPE ethics experts.
April 7 Engineering Ethics–Canon III–Truthfulness
Learn from a variety of situations in which circumstances can tempt (and even encourage) engineers to dance around the edges of Canon III.
Presenters: Hugh Veit, P.E., Susan Sprague, P.E., F.NSPE, and Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq.
May 5 Engineering Ethics–Canon IV–Fidelity to Employers/Clients
Examine the duties to employers and clients, and circumstances under which those duties can be pre-empted by higher duties, especially to the public health, safety, and welfare.
Presenters: David Kish, Ph.D., P.E., Jeff Greenfield, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, and Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq.
NSPE is pleased to announce the 10 finalists for the 2021 Federal Engineer of the Year Award, honoring engineers employed by a federal agency with at least 50 engineers worldwide.
Instead of the traditional awards banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., this year’s ceremony will be a virtual awards event. FEYA winners will appear in a prerecorded launch of an awards video during the last week of February.
Congratulations to the finalists!
CDR Roberto Miguel Alvarado, P.E.US Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
Ian Grant, P.E.Tennessee Valley Authority
Joshua I. Henson, P.E.US Department of the Navy, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command
Steven M. Loken, P.E.US Department of the Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command
Silas C. Nichols, P.E.US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
MAJ Monica Y. Pickenpaugh, Ph.D., P.E.US Department of the Air Force, US Forces Korea
Jerzy W. Salamon, Ph.D., P.E.US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
MAJ Joel E. Trejo, P.E. US Department of the Air Force, Air Combat Command
Scott Turygan, P.E.US Department of the Army, US Army Europe
CDR Matthew J. Walker, P.E.US Department of Homeland Security, US Coast Guard
Licensing Reform Must Prioritize Public Safety, Says NSPE President
NSPE President Tricia Hatley has once again made the case for keeping public health, welfare, and safety at the forefront of efforts to reform occupational licensure and increase mobility.
In a recent column directed to state and local government leaders, Hatley warns of the risks of implementing one-size-fits-all universal licensure proposals that do not maintain necessary education and experience standards.
Most people agree professionals should be allowed to move across state lines and earn a living with the least cost and hassle possible. Likewise, most people want to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare by ensuring they are being served by qualified professionals who have the knowledge, skills and experience for the job. This is especially true in highly technical, high-impact professions that the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing represents like certified public accountants, architects, engineers, surveyors and landscape architects.
Here comes the rub: many of the universal licensing proposals being pitched to state lawmakers, including those put forth by the American Legislative Exchange Council and in Arizona, tend to focus exclusively on the first point—improving mobility—while disregarding the second—ensuring standards necessary to protect the public.
In other words, universal licensing mandates don’t consider the critical importance of substantially equivalent requirements between states. Instead, they dictate that states must accept a license issued by any state without regard for, understanding of, or any input in, the underlying minimum competency requirements behind the license.
For years, professional associations and regulatory boards lacked hard data that demonstrated the value of licensing. In 2020, the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) sought to fill that information gap by commissioning Oxford Economics to help better understand the nuanced impacts of licensing on professions and trade and vocational occupations. NSPE is a founding member of ARPL.
Across all professions and occupations, licensing is associated with a 6.5% average increase in hourly earnings, even after accounting for the job holder’s educational attainment, gender, and racial demographics.
Among professionals in technical fields requiring significant education and training, a license narrows the gender-driven wage gap by about one third and the race-driven wage gap by about half.
Those in trade and vocational occupations can expect a 7.1% hourly wage increase after becoming licensed, while those in a profession requiring advanced education and training can expect a 3.6% wage increase after becoming licensed.
ARPL will host a live webinar on February 24, 2021 (3:00 p.m. eastern standard time) to review findings and conclusions of the report and share new strategies for lawmaker outreach. Register now.
PEs Can Strengthen Autonomous Vehicle Safety
NSPE is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to rely on the expertise of professional engineers and follow recommendations in the Society’s Autonomous Vehicle Policy Guide as part of the federal safety frame work for automated driving systems.
In recent public comments, NSPE President Tricia Hatley informed the agency that NSPE is committed to creating a world where the public can be confident that engineering decisions affecting their lives are made by qualified and ethically accountable professionals. NSPE Position Statement No. 03-1772 states that the testing and deployment of AVs must include a professional engineer. The rationale for the position is rooted in a professional engineer’s ethical obligation to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.
The Society also recommends that the NHTSA implement a third-party verification process. A third-party verification process should establish that the ADS technology under review meets a minimal level of safety, as determined by an assessment of risk. This can be done through the submittal of risk assessments audited by a professional engineer who is in responsible charge of the third-party verification process.
Society Leadership on the Rise
NSPE’s Emerging Leaders Program has brought together 20 diverse individuals from around the country for a unique seven-month experience for early-career professionals who are just beginning to take on leadership roles. The program began August 2020 and will conclude this month. The application process for the 2021 Emerging Leaders Program will open in March.
Join NSPE leaders Tricia Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE and Rick Guerra, P.E., F.NSPE, as they discuss the future of engineering and how our changing world will impact the profession during a free webinar on Monday, February 22 (1 p.m.-2p.m. eastern standard time). Webinar participants can earn one professional development hour.
Engineers will play a vital role in the development and implementation of emerging technologies and tackling complex issues like sustainability and resiliency. All of these issues, challenges, and opportunities will have an impact on the workforce, licensure system and the specialization of our profession.
Engineers Week takes place February 21-27 and is a time to celebrate the important work of engineers and engage the next generation of innovators. Even with social distancing, you can make a difference.
Do you have all the answers and enjoy some friendly team competition? Would you like to get to know some NSPE members in a casual environment? We’ve got just the event for you!
On Friday, January 26, NSPE is hosting a one-hour trivia event with District Trivia. This will take place via Zoom from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (eastern standard time).
Random team assignments will let you get to know other NSPE members and work together to answer the questions and take on the other teams. The trivia content is engaging for a wide range of ages and interests and includes pop culture, current events, history, science, music, sports, arts, movies, television, and general knowledge.
As the pandemic continues taking a heavy toll, the profession finds new ways of reaching students—from a distance. MATHCOUNTS, DiscoverE, and other STEM outreach programs, are using virtual technology to provide creative initiatives and programs.
Leading for all the Right Reasons In Pennsylvania and other state societies, more women are taking on leadership roles. An enthusiastic passion for professional engineering is something they all share.
Don’t Miss…
COVID’s Impact on the Designer’s Standard of Care. The professional standard of care is the yardstick by which licensed design professionals’ conduct is measured. This column examines how COVID pandemic has altered the design paradigm.
The Risks of Weakening Licensure. The NSPE-led Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing has identified five key consequences to weakening licensure.
And the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Goes to… On February 2, the 2021 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering was awarded to LED light innovators for their groundbreaking engineering. Watch the live announcement.
FEYA Winner Shares Passion for Mentoring, Lifelong Learning
If Major Monica Pickenpaugh, Ph.D., P.E., of the US Air Force is an innovator in the development of drinking water distribution systems, she is equally passionate about making sure her thirst for knowledge reaches the next generations of engineers.
In recognition of her dedication to the profession, Pickenpaugh was named NSPE’s 2021 Federal Engineer of the Year Award winner during a virtual awards event on February 24. FEYA is the only award recognizing the exceptional achievements of engineers employed in the federal government, and the nominees for 2021 continued the legacy of representing outstanding engineers employed in the public sector.
In accepting the award, Pickenpaugh thanked everyone from her kindergarten teacher to her doctorate advisor, and she emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and mentoring. “I have learned that learning is a lifelong process to be passed on to future generations,” she said. “I believe it is our duty as engineers to continue to teach and mentor future generations of engineers as my teachers and mentors have done so well.”
As US Forces Korea’s (USFK) chief of construction, Pickenpaugh directed $5.7 billion of funded construction in the Republic of Korea. As part of a sharing agreement with the US, the construction program supports USFK commanders’ defense efforts through critical projects. She synchronized all US Armed Forces’ project requests to validate and fund key construction requirements vital to USFK’s mission. Prior to all planned project scheduling and coordination, she strategically advocated for use of the National Defense Authorization Act to allow construction authorization.
Because of the pandemic, the FEYA award winner was celebrated virtually, for the first time in its 42-year history.
“Each of those being honored today share these values and are dedicated to making the world a better, healthier, and safer place for all,” said NSPE President Tricia Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE in a recorded video message. “This award represents a great deal of respect and appreciation for their significant accomplishments, and for their adherence to the code by which all engineers should be guided.”
NSPE Delivers Policy Priorities to the White House
NSPE is urging the Biden Administration to develop common-sense climate change mitigation policies and make a swift investment in the nation’s infrastructure, among other recommendations.
In a letter sent on February 18, NSPE highlighted its vital role in society and the value of having PEs “play a lead role in creating, maintaining, and renewing infrastructure.” The letter encouraged the administration’s Domestic Policy Council to work toward the following goals:
Implementing a regulatory framework for emerging technologies that encourage innovation while continuing to protect the public;
Improving access to STEM education by allocating the necessary resources to develop or improve STEM education facilities for underserved students;
Developing equity and inclusion policies that use tools like professional licensing and certification, which have been proved to reduce the wage gap for women and minorities;
Promoting common sense climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability policies; and
Advocating proper investment in the nation’s infrastructure.
NSPE, House Lawmaker Partner on Engineers Week Resolution
NSPE’s Government Relations team worked for several weeks with Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and his staff to write the language for this year’s Engineers Week resolution. The Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Engineers Week resolution (H. Res 164) was introduced on February 25, with 19 original cosponsors.
Advocacy campaigns have been created for NSPE members to thank their representatives who co-sponsored the resolution and ask those who didn’t to sign on. Members can view and participate in the campaigns at the NSPE Advocacy Center.
Wanted: 2021 NSPE Emerging Leaders
NSPE is fostering a new generation of engineers who can think strategically, build effective teams, and lead successfully through its Emerging Leaders Program. This intensive seven-month, professionally facilitated, virtual program is now accepting applications until May 31.
Early-career professionals with 5-8 years of experience who are just beginning to lead and think strategically in the profession are encouraged to apply. The program graduated its first class of diverse, super achieving professionals in February.
Between August 2021 and February 2022 participants will learn how to be successful at higher levels of leadership responsibility. Participants will engage in 90-minute leadership training sessions each month with learning discussions and mentoring on topics such as ownership, team development, communication skills, giving/receiving feedback, and presentation skills. There will also be ample networking opportunities with peers and national NSPE national leaders.
Take the 2021 Milton F. Lunch Ethics Contest Challenge
Artificial intelligence, climate change, and the industrial exemption are all topics that can present ethical concerns and challenges. The 2021 Milton F. Lunch Ethics Contest is presenting an opportunity for NSPE members to put their ethics knowledge to the test on these issues.
Members can participate through their state societies and local chapters (including student chapters). State societies and local chapters are encouraged to consider using this contest as an activity to generate member discussion and spur greater interest in engineering ethics.
Participants can select from one of three issues to develop a submission (video, photo essay, poster, essay, or PowerPoint presentation) that demonstrates an understanding of the ethical issues involved. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to consider and cite in the submission the NSPE Code of Ethics and previous NSPE Board of Ethical Review opinions.
NSPE will award the author of the winning entry $2,000, a certificate, and recognition in PE magazine. All submissions must be received by Monday, April 26.
The NSPE Education Foundation is committed to ensuring the future of the engineering profession through the generous support of NSPE members and friends of the Society. There are several scholarships available to support the educational and ethical practice needs of engineering students and practicing professionals.
Undergraduate The Steinman Scholarship is awarded annually to undergraduates entering or continuing their junior year in a four-year ABET-accredited engineering program. The award is for $5,000. Multiple awards are potentially available. Apply by April 1.
The Auxiliary Legacy Scholarship is awarded annually to a female undergraduate entering or continuing their junior year of a four-year ABET-accredited engineering program. Apply by April 1.
Graduate/Undergraduate The George B. Hightower, P.E. Fellowship is awarded annually to a current engineering undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled in, or graduated from, an ABET-accredited engineering program. Apply by June 15.
Upcoming Webinars: Spring Ethics Series
The NSPE ethics webinars series is back for the spring season! This series will focus on the topics of competence, truthfulness, and fidelity to employers and clients with insight from Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq., NSPE’s senior director for ethics and professional practice and NAFE executive director, and other NSPE ethics experts.
The webinars are available to members for $99 ($129 for nonmembers). Each webinar will be held 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST and will include an online discussion and a 10-question quiz for the sessions to qualify for continuing education credit. *The ethics webinar series can be purchased as a discounted bundle until March 10 at 1 p.m. EST.*
March 10 Engineering Ethics–Canon II–Competence This webinar will explore examples of new materials, new techniques, and new technologies; consider relevant cases from the Board of Ethical Review; and review a case study. Presenters: William Lawson, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, Craig Musselman, P.E., F.NSPE, and Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq.
April 7 Engineering Ethics–Canon III–Truthfulness Learn from a variety of situations in which circumstances can tempt (and even encourage) engineers to dance around the edges of Canon III. Presenters: Hugh Veit, P.E., Susan Sprague, P.E., F.NSPE, and Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq.
May 5 Engineering Ethics–Canon IV–Fidelity to Employers/Clients Examine the duties to employers and clients, and circumstances under which those duties can be pre-empted by higher duties, especially to the public health, safety, and welfare. Presenters: David Kish, Ph.D., P.E., Jeff Greenfield, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, and Rebecca Bowman, P.E., Esq.
Study Shows Value of Licensing. The study Valuing Professional Licensing in the US found compelling data about the differences between occupational and professional licensing, especially as it relates to gender- and race-based wage gaps. The Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing hosted a webinar on February 24 to share the study’s findings.
Get Your 15 Free PDHs. Take advantage of the annual NSPE membership benefit of 15 free courses for 2021.
What Mars and Texas Tell Us About Engineering. NAE President John L. Anderson and NAE Senior Director Guru Madhavan examine the recent success of the Perseverance rover landing on Mars and the electric grid failure in Texas.
Severe drought conditions have the state searching for ways to address water shortages. New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department is requiring oil and gas operators to report how much water they use to drill and complete wells, even though water use by these operators accounts for less than 1% of the water used in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal reports. This measure stems from the Produced Water Act, a law passed last year.
In the community of Carlsbad, which has a severe water shortage, water is being pumped from multiple state-owned wells into the Pecos River for use in irrigation and for other purposes. And in the Navajo community of To’Hajiilee, where its aquifer has dried up over the past few decades, Bernalillo County and the Navajo Nation have made a deal that will pipe surface water to residents. To’Hajiilee is located 20 miles west of Albuquerque.
Governor’s Task Force Reports High Emissions in the State
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Climate Change Task Force released its second report this fall, which said New Mexico produces more than twice the national average of greenhouse gas emissions per capita. The high levels are “largely the result of our greenhouse gas-intensive oil and gas industry, which makes up a significant portion of our overall greenhouse gas emissions profile,” the report said. The governor’s goals include reducing emissions, increasing renewable energy, and decarbonizing the transportation sector.
NSPE Government Relations Staff Releases 2020 Advocacy Report
NSPE’s Government Relations staff has released its year-end report—By the Numbers—a semi-deep dive into how advocacy campaigns performed, which issues staff tracked and how often, and which members of Congress were most and least supportive of NSPE issues.
The report provides summaries of lessons learned and establishes best practices. It also draws some fact-based conclusions on who are NSPE allies on the Hill, and which offices need a little more prompting before they get on board. It’s an excellent capstone to an unexpected and difficult, but ultimately successful year!
Education Foundation Celebrates 60 Years of Giving Back
For 60 years, the NSPE Education Foundation has been a major source of support for the educational and ethical practice needs of engineering students, engineering teachers, and practicing professionals.
This past year, the foundation gave out five scholarships to deserving engineering students and supported young professionals in NSPE’s Emerging Leaders Program . In the coming year, the foundation will explore additional programs to broaden its reach and impact, and NSPE member support will mean more than ever before.
In this season of giving, and in honor of the NSPE Education Foundation’s 60th anniversary, a donation of $60 will help further its mission to support students, educators, young professionals, and the profession at large.
EJCDC E-505 defines individual task orders for specific professional assignments. In a task order, the owner and engineer agree to task-specific terms, such as scope of services, schedule, and compensation, for each specific assignment. When a task order is issued, no drafting or negotiating is needed for provisions such as indemnification, insurance, claims, dispute resolution, suspension, or termination because these provisions will have been negotiated previously and set in place in the E-505 Main Agreement and its exhibits.
The E-505 is designed for multiple or recurring assignments (“tasks”) related to one or several projects; it is similar to the E-500 Agreement Between Owner-Engineer for Professional Services in structure, terminology, and conditions. Updates to the EJCDC E-505 include enhanced and reorganized exhibits to the E-505 main agreement and task order form to reflect evolving contract practice and improve ease of use. This edition is published in four parts, which are included in a downloadable zip file.
Act now to take advantage of the annual NSPE membership benefit of 15 free PDHs. Access to the 2020 lineup of courses will end after December 31.
Members may earn credits by viewing the webinars from the comfort of their home or office and will receive an attendance certificate after passing a quiz with a score of 70% or higher. PDHs from these courses are recognized by most US states, including Florida.
Don’t have time to view the 15 free courses before December 31? Simply “purchase” the webinars by December 31 and add them to your NSPE member account. That way you can view them when you are ready. Webinars in your account can be accessed for up to one year.
