NSPE Update May 2021
Feelin’ Stronger Everyday
What a difference a couple of months makes! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling much more optimistic about the vaccine distribution and our path forward than I was at the beginning of the year. I’m feeling a strong sense of hope for the future, and I’m so relieved knowing that we are in a much better position in regard to public health and safety. The fear and frustration of 2020 are finally dissipating, and it is a great feeling!
I am also feeling excitement about NSPE and the future of our profession. Our new executive director, Monika Schultz, is on the job and hard at work bringing her leadership and expertise to bear. She’s been meeting virtually with NSPE members and leaders across the country as well as interacting with the heads of our fellow engineering organizations. It’s been fun to watch her immerse herself in all things engineering, and I’m really enjoying the ideas she’s bringing to the table. Between Monika’s leadership on the staff side and our outstanding board of directors on the volunteer side, I am very confident that we are in good hands for the year ahead.
Get Legislative Updates on the Committee Corner
The NSPE Government Relations staff is dedicated to ensuring that members stay informed of critical legislation and advocacy campaigns. The latest effort involves the launch of Committee Corner, a video series created to provide updates on legislative activity coming from Capitol Hill through the lens of the committee system.
Committee Corner will feature a video each week while Congress is in session. The latest episode No. 6 examines a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on a bill that could affect PEs working in the energy sector. Past episodes can be viewed on NSPE’s YouTube page.
| Are You a Top Advocate? The Government Relations staff recently announced the Top Advocates, who were recognized for their advocacy activity. Eight NSPE members achieved this top status in April by consistently participating in the NSPE Advocacy Center campaigns in March.Each NSPE Advocacy Center campaign is worth a certain number of points. The more campaigns a member participates in, the more points he or she earns. At the end of each month, staff tabulates the total number of points each participating member has accumulated. The top point-earners are recognized the following month.As a thank you for their high level of engagement and commitment to the profession, all top performers have been invited to an exclusive online event with NSPE and state society staff. |
New Jersey Student Wins MATHCOUNTS Title
Marvin Mao, an eighth-grade student from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, was named the 2021 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition champion during the virtual event held May 8-10. Mao will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
This year’s national competition engaged 224 students representing 56 US states and territories in four rounds: Sprint, Target, Team, and Countdown.
The runner-up for the individual competition was Bohan Yao, an eighth-grader from Redmond, Washington, who will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Ten finalists will receive $3,000 scholarships.
Mao is also a member of the first-place New Jersey team consisting of fellow eighth-grade students Evan Fan, Ying Lu, and Alexander Wang. The team will receive a trip to the US Space Camp. The California team finished in second place and the New York team placed third.
California Team Captures Math Video Award
A video combining algebraic equations with an exciting heist won the 2021 Math Video Challenge for a team representing the Elite Academic Academy in southern California.
Team members Bradley Carpiuc (eighth grade), Madelynn Carpiuc (sixth grade), Zoe Kim (eighth grade) and Cole Seelman (sixth grade) each won a $1,000 college scholarship for their “The Sanitizer Stealers” video during the challenge finals on May 9. The video is about a group of thieves who steal overpriced hand sanitizer from a store. The crime is caught on camera, and the owner uses math to piece together just how much the thieves got away with.
The Math Video Challenge is a national program sponsored by MATHCOUNTS and the Department of Defense (DoDSTEM). More than 200 students who advanced to the national level of the MATHCOUNTS competition voted to determine the winning video.
Access the 2021 finalist videos.
NCEES Revamps Records Program for Military, Spouses
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is allowing active-duty military and their spouses to transmit their NCEES Record to a state licensing board at no charge when military orders require them to relocate to that state.
The Records program provides licensed engineers and surveyors an easier and faster way to complete the comity licensure process. An individual’s Record is a verified compilation of his or her official academic transcripts, full employment history, professional references, and exam results. Once established, the Record includes most—if not all—of the materials needed to apply for comity licensure in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
“This new no-cost option will help members of the military and their spouses by simplifying and expediting the comity licensure process in their new state,” explained NCEES Chief Executive Officer David Cox. “Military transmittals will include a special designation to alert the receiving licensing board of their priority status. Applying for comity licensure through the NCEES Records program can often be completed and a license issued within a matter of days.”
In 2019–20, almost 40,000 engineers and surveyors transmitted their information to a state licensing board through the program.
Active-duty military and their spouses who are interested in learning more about the program or how to use it when they are restationed in a new state or territory should visit the Records section of the NCEES website or send an email for more information.
Nominations Open for the QBS Awards
Every year, ACEC and NSPE partner to administer the QBS Awards, recognizing public and private entities that make exemplary use of the qualifications-based selection process at the federal, state, and local levels. Award winners serve as examples of how well the QBS process works, and they help promote the practice in jurisdictions that do not use or underuse QBS to procure engineering services.
ACEC and NSPE are now seeking nominations for the 2021 QBS Awards by the deadline Monday, June 7. The awards are administered in three categories: federal government sector; state government sector; and nongovernment sector.
Nominations may originate from an ACEC member organization, an NSPE state society, a public or private entity, or an individual in the public or private sector. Self-nomination is not permitted.
Learn more and download a nomination form.
Save the Date: 2021 Virtual PECon
Get ready to join your professional colleagues for three days of learning and networking at NSPE’s Virtual 2021 Professional Engineers Conference, August 3–5. Registration will open by June 1.
Originally scheduled for Philadelphia, the conference shifted to a virtual format due to continued concerns for the health and safety of members, staff, and others during the COVID pandemic. The conference, as in 2020, will be held in conjunction with the celebration of PE Day on August 4.
The virtual format comes with several benefits. It’s easier for attendees to participate according to their own schedules, and it’s also more accessible and affordable due to the elimination of travel costs and reduction in registration fees. Even though the conference will be held in a virtual setting, emphasis will remain on exceptional content along with opportunities for connecting with colleagues and friends around the country.
Boost Your Career with NSPE’s Spring Webinars
This season’s NSPE webinars will take place on Wednesdays starting at 2 p.m. EST. The webinars are available to members for $99 ($129 for nonmembers) and will include an online discussion and a 10-question quiz for the sessions to qualify for continuing education credit.
May 19: Energy Storage: The Other Half of Renewable Energies
May 26: Catapult Your Win Rate by 50%
June 9: Tools to Ensure Effective Litigation Preparation and Testimony as an Engineering Professional
Check Out the Latest Issue of PE
Does Licensing Need a Shake-Up?
Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, the internet of things, and robotics are just a few of the latest technological advancements that are transforming society as part of a fourth industrial revolution. Is the current system of licensing engineers up to the task of protecting the public as these new technologies race ahead?
Yet Another Close Call
In an astonishing case that grabbed the public’s attention this winter, hackers attempted to poison a Florida town’s water supply. This incident highlights the cybersecurity risks facing water systems across the country. PE experts say vigilance, proactiveness, and funding are needed to protect the public from future attacks.
Don’t Miss…
- Meeting the Demand for Engineers. NSPE member Jeff Roman, P.E., offers insight on how to fill the pipeline to meet the increasing demand for engineers and simultaneously diversify our workforce.
- New Financial Services Member Benefit. NSPE has partnered with BHG to provide a robust suite of financial services to members including options for both personal and business loans, SBA 7(a) loans, and NSPE-branded credit cards.
- Apply for the George B. Hightower, P.E. Fellowship. 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.
- The Engineer’s Role in the COVID Response. A National Academy of Engineering webinar series explores the work of the innovators and companies pursuing the most impactful engineering advances related to the COVID pandemic crisis.
