The Citizen Engineer Presentation By Chris Brantley Director, Govt Relations & Operations IEEE-USA To the IEEE-USA Student Professional Awareness Committee,

The Citizen EngineerPresentation By

Chris BrantleyDirector, Gov’t Relations & Operations

IEEE-USA

To the IEEE-USA Student ProfessionalAwareness Committee, 2 March 2002

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Being a Citizen Engineer ImpliesRecognizing and Acting On

• Professional Responsibilities• Public Responsibilities• Enlightened Self Interest

IEEE Code of Ethics

1. to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;

5. to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences;

Stephen JobsCEO, Apple Computer

“I believe that people with an engineering point of view as a basic foundation are in a pretty good position to jump in and solve some of these problems. But in society, it's not working. Those people are not attracted to the political process. And why would someone be? ”

What Can Engineers Contribute?

• Engineers are “Problem Solvers”• Engineers understand technological complexity• Engineers understand risk• Most problems can't be solved with simple solutions, but require comprehensive systematic approaches; engineers understand systems engineering• Engineers are ordinary people, with typical needs and problems, who hold the right to vote.

Norm R. AugustineRetired CEO, Lockheed Martin

“Engineers today seem to be the stealth profession, the silent occupation.…If we as engineers are unwilling to responsibly speak out on issues within our realm of expertise, who then will?"

Who Is This Person?

Hint: Only 1 out of 43

Who Are These People?

Hint: Only 10 out of 535

Newt GingrichFormer Speaker of the House of Representatives

“Why is it so hard to get Washington to double the budget for federal scientific research? The answer is not logic but politics. I have found scientists and investors to be among the least effective lobbyists and have watched more focused special interests receive more money than they deserve while the future was starved of resources. ”

Technology Affects Policy(And Society) At All Levels

• (Local) Siting of cell phone towers/EMF hazard?

• (State) Model UCITA law and reverse engineering

• (National) Ballistic Missile Defense

Enlightened “Self Interest”(Serving the National Interest While

Addressing Professional Needs)

• Portable, Secure Pensions and Improved Vesting of Retirement Benefits.

• Federal Investments in Engineering Research and Development -- In 1999, DoD supported 37% of U.S. University computer science research (down from 63%) in ‘95 and 70% of university EE research.

• Immigration Policy -- Permanent Immigration vs. Guest Workers and the “Globalization” of the Engineering Workforce.

’s Policy Agenda(2002 Priorities)

• Homeland Security/Critical Infrastructure Protection (Aviation, Energy & Cyber Security, the Public Health Information Infrastructure)• Federal R&D Investments• Education (K-12 Math & Science, Employment- Related Education & Retraining)• Immigration Reform/Guestworker Visas• Retirement Security (401K savings and advice)

How You Can Make A Difference

• Be Informed and Up to Date on the Issues (and Help Educate Others)• Become A Grassroots Advocate• Get Involved With Your Professional Society• Get “Political”

Be Informed - Follow Your Government In Action

• National Periodicals On-Line (Washington Post, New York Times, San Jose Mercury News, etc.)• FirstGov (http://www.firstgov.org)

• The Executive Branch (http://www.whitehouse.gov)

• U.S. House of Representatives (http://www.house.gov)

• U.S. Senate (http://www.senate.gov)

• CSPAN (http://www.cspan.org)

• Congressional Legislation/Record (http://thomas.loc.gov)

Be Informed -- IEEE/IEEE-USA Resources

• IEEE Spectrum• IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology• IEEE-USA News and Views (with Spectrum)• IEEE-USA Policy Perspectives http://www.todaysengineer.org/policyperspectives

• IEEE-USA Eye on Washington email update http://www.ieeeusa.org/emailupdates

• IEEE-USA Policy Forum On-Line http://www.ieeeusa.org/forum (news, alerts, positions, whitepapers, programs and activities)

Become a Grassroots Advocate

• Write Letters to the Editor• Write Letters to Your Representatives/Senators• Respond to IEEE-USA Action Alerts• Attend (and Speak At) a Public Hearing• Visit With Your Representatives in Congress (IEEE-USA CARE Project) and the State Legislature• Recruit Friends and Colleagues to Do the Same (Build a Personal Network)

Get Involved With Your Professional Society

• Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) -- http://www.wise-intern.org - Also Internships on Capitol Hill (e.g. House Science Committee, member office) and the White House.

• IEEE-USA Congressional Fellowships http://www.ieeeusa.org/forum/govfel/

• Join an IEEE-USA Policy Committee - Career Policy, Intellectual Property, Licensure & Registration, Communications and Information, Energy, Medical Technology, R&D, and Transportation.

Politics and Policy

The people who get to make decisions aboutpolicy are those who have been successful first at politics. How do you get “political”?

• Vote• Ask the candidates to support your issues.• Give your ($$) support to candidates who do.• Volunteer to work on political campaigns.• Run for public office.

My Latest Hero

DMCA Protest(29 March 2000)

You Can MakeA Difference Too!

If Not You,Then Who Will?

AND

For More InformationChris Brantley

Director, Gov’t Relations & OpsIEEE-USA

1828 L Street, N.W, Suite 1202Washington, DC 20036Phone: 202-785-0017

Email: [email protected]: www.ieeeusa.org/forum__________