[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1604-1605]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, as one of only a handful of engineers in 
Congress, I'm proud to once again sponsor a resolution honoring our 
Nation's engineers during National Engineers Week. Next week will mark 
the 61st annual Engineers Week and the 8th year I have introduced this 
resolution. I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Manzullo) for joining me in leading this bipartisan effort for the 
second consecutive year.
  The central goal of Engineers Week--attracting new students to 
engineering careers--has never been more important.

                              {time}  1050

  As a 2010 National Academies report explained:

       While only 4 percent of the Nation's workforce is composed 
     of scientists and engineers, this group disproportionately 
     creates jobs for the other 96 percent.

  Engineers drive our economy by designing and building everyday 
products, including bridges, airplanes, roads, computers, medical 
devices, cars, power plants--just to name a few. America's 2.5 million 
engineers have helped make our country great by solving problems and 
turning dreams into reality, and America's future depends on them.
  In these uncertain times, as we look for ways to promote job 
creation, educating America's youth about engineering and science needs 
to be a national priority. Each year, National Engineers Week seeks to 
do just this through events aimed at inspiring students and fostering 
public awareness of vital contributions made by engineers.
  These events, including the Future City Competition, Introduce a Girl 
to Engineering Day, and Discover Engineering Family Day, all impart an 
appreciation of the wonders of engineering to children of all 
backgrounds. The

[[Page 1605]]

importance of these events is underscored by a 2012 survey by the Intel 
Corporation that found American teenagers are more likely to consider a 
degree in engineering after learning about what engineers do.
  This year's theme is ``7 Billion People; 7 Billion Dreams; 7 Billion 
Chances for Engineers to Turn Dreams Into Reality.'' This theme 
emphasizes the potential for growth among the community of engineers 
worldwide. It also highlights a challenge to our position as a global 
leader in engineering.
  Last month, the latest Science and Engineering Indicators released by 
the National Science Board showed that the number of students obtaining 
engineering degrees in the United States continues to rise, but our 
production of new engineering degrees has been dramatically eclipsed by 
China, where 30 percent of all undergraduate degrees are in 
engineering, as compared to 4 percent in the United States. Inspiring 
bright young minds to consider careers in engineering is more important 
than ever for our economic competitiveness.
  Growing up in Chicago, I was fascinated with figuring out how 
mechanical devices worked. I remember how my high school calculus and 
physics teachers at St. Ignatius helped mold this fascination into an 
interest in engineering. These teachers, together with informal 
experiences at places like the Museum of Science and Industry and the 
Brookfield Zoo, helped motivate me to pursue an undergraduate degree in 
mechanical engineering at Northwestern University and then a master's 
degree in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University. One of 
the central goals of National Engineers Week is to provide this kind of 
inspiration for the next generation.
  During Engineers Week, I will be attending the Chicago Engineering 
Awards Benefit, where the Washington Award will be presented to a 
Chicago native and pioneer of the cell phone, Martin Cooper, and also 
where students will be honored for their participation in numerous 
competitions, including the Future City Competition. I am always 
greatly inspired when I go to this banquet to see one of the great 
pioneers of engineering talk about the work they've done, and to see 
the students and the work that they're doing today, and know the future 
of our country will be great with their help.
  Madam Speaker, I'd like to encourage all of my colleagues to 
cosponsor this resolution, but more importantly, to go home and 
participate in Engineers Week celebrations in your districts. This is a 
great opportunity for us to thank the engineers who contribute so much 
to our country and inspire the next generation of engineers that our 
country needs to stay competitive.

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