For the Media

Chicagoland Engineers Week seeks to educate and attract people to the engineering fields. This can't happen without publicity, though - please help us get the word out about this valuable event by using the following fact sheet and press releases in your own publications, websites, and other timely media.

Future City 2011-2012 Competition Season Underway

Can local middle schoolers do a better job of solving our nation's energy crisis than our world leaders? We'll find out! In addition to designing a city of the future using Sim City software and building a physical model of their city, this year's Future City Competition asks middle schoolers to research, design, and write about their method of providing electricity to their future city using an energy source that does not deplete natural resources and has limited impact on the environment for the essay portion of the contest. This year's essay is sponsored by National Engineers Week 2012 co-chair ASME.

The 2011-12 Future City Competition is expected to attract more than 33,000 students from 1,000 middle schools in regions located across the country. Registration deadline is Monday, October 31, 2011. Your help is needed! Future City is looking for engineering and technical professionals who may be interested in serving as mentors or judges. Go to www.futurecity.org for more information about Future City, or to register, or volunteer.

Click here to read the latest press release about Future City Chicago. For the Chicago Program go to www.futurecitychicago.org

Contact:

Tim Seeden - Executive Director
Western Society of Engineers
630-724-9770
e-mail: tim@wsechicago.org

Press Releases and Other Information

Future City Press Release

THE NOBEL PROFESSION
Robert B. Johnson, S.E., PE.
We Get No Recognition (paraphrase the late Rodney Dangerfield)

The Entertainment Awards Season has commenced. The Peoples Choice have been awarded. So have the Golden Globes. Soon the Grammys(tm) will be presented. It is then on to the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The media frenzy surrounding the Academy AwardsTM is just beginning. Various media outlets will feature numerous stories of the awards. All this hoopla surrounding a little statuette for a performance in a motion picture. Even what the actors will wear will make for news.

All the above is news????

The Other Academy Award!
The award will be presented at a gala dinner in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 21 2012. The DRAPER PRIZE is one of the world's largest and most prestigious engineering award. The award will be given to an engineer or engineering team who have contributed to the advancement of engineering knowledge and the betterment of the mankind through technology.
(Editors: see http://www.draperprize.org/news.php)

The Draper Prize is sometimes referred by many as the absent Nobel Prize of Engineering. (Interesting fact: Nobel was a self taught-trained mechanical/chemical engineer but there is no Nobel Prize for engineering. News reports of the past winners of THE DRAPER PRIZE have been sporadic at best while the Nobel Prize generally makes news, sometimes on the front pages of newspapers.

The next time you use your smartphone or watch your high-definition television there is a good chance you are viewing a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display. The 2012 recipients of THE DRAPER PRIZE will honor T. Peter Brody, George H. Heilmeier, Wolfgang Helfrich, and Martin Schadt which annually recognizes engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society, and is considered the Nobel Prize of engineering.

"The engineers we are honoring have created windows through which people are learning about and shaping our world," said NAE President Charles M. Vest. "The LCD is the human interface with much of today's technology and information."

LCD screens are used by virtually everyone in the modern world on a daily basis, and are the medium through which people get information from a variety of everyday devices – including calculators, clocks, computer monitors, smart phones, and televisions.

The next time you view a flat screen LCD TV you might remember the contribution(s) of these engineers and THE DRAPER PRIZE. Like so so so many Draper Prize recipients before them they will be unknown to the public.

The National Academy of Engineering in presenting the 2012 DRAPER PRIZE, the nation's highest awards for engineering, to Peter Brody, George H. Heilmeier, Wolfgang Helfrich, and Martin Schadt winning a half million dollars and the recognition of this nation's nearly 2 millions engineers are the real heroes. Unfortunately this major technology award appears to have been ignored by the most media outlets.

WHY?
Will your paper cover the winner of the 2012 Prize?? or least do a follow-up report prior winners?

So now, in an effort to help people understand just how important engineers are, engineers are reaching out across the nation (and this newspaper) to get this message to the press.
http://www.todaysengineer.org/2008/Dec/understanding.asp

I, for one, am thrilled that this message is getting out in engineering journals and periodicals. But, I am sorry that the media thinks that these messages are just not important enough to ever cover on their own and get out to the public in general circulation publications.

Lest you think these are the rantings of some disgruntled engineer I offer the following:

Let's have one year in which the movie theaters are closed and present no Academy Award's TM. Would our lives really change that much? Let's not present awards to the other entertainment celebrities.
On the other hand let's abandoned the use of the technology pioneered by past winners of the DRAPER PRIZE. No more time-release medical drugs to cure our ailments, pain and suffering. Robert Langer was the winner of the 2002 Draper Prize. For some of the past winners of the Draper Prize, Let's abandon the use of their pioneering engineering achievements. No more integrated circuits (1989 Draper Prize to Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce) to power-control most of our electronic devices. Let's stop all jet transport as the 1991 Draper Prize winners (Hans von Ohain and Sir Frank Whittle) were the engineer- inventors of the jet engine. Lest we complain about high gas prices, the 1997 winner, Vladimir Haensel, won the DRAPER Prize for the process (platforming) that produces low cost- high octane gasoline. If you use a digital camera you can thank Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for the invention of the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a light-sensitive component at the heart of digital cameras and other widely used imaging technologies. What about turning off the INTERNET! -Vinton Cerf, Robert Kahn, Leonard Kleinrock and Lawrence Roberts were 2001 winners for creating the INTERNET then in 2007 Tim Berners-Lee won the Draper Prize for creating the World Wide Web!
And are you using GPS to navigate? The 2003 Draper Prize went to Bradford W. Parkinson, Ivan A. Getting for their technological achievements in the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Have I made my case?
Let's begin to recognize who are the real leaders and heroes in our society. When we will begin to recognize them for their accomplishments?
Engineering is arguably, the source of the most direct and personal improvements in the quality of our lives than any other profession, yet the public (and most commonly the news media) overlook engineering awards and achievements, or give oblique credit to scientists or doctors or politicians for the advances in improving the quality of our lives. We celebrate entertainers and athletes for their achievements who contribute little if anything to the improvement of the human condition, yet regularly ignore engineers and engineering who have built our modern society.

The future of America rests NOT with those athletic superstars or entertainment celebrities garnering headlines and idolized by today's youth but with those scientists, technologists and engineers charting the new information age.

Submitted for your consideration
Robert B. Johnson, SE, PE
m.SEAOI www.seaoi.org
f.ASCE www.asce.org

cc. National Academy of Engineering
Editor's Note: Selected references:
"At Last, an Engineers Prize", Commentary Chicago SUN-TIMES, October 7, 1988
A similar version of this editorial appeared in the Chicago SUN-TIMES,
October 19, 1992.
The Chicago SUN-TIMES (through an Associated Press story, Thursday, October 7, 1993) did announce the 1993 winner in an article buried on page 11, albeit 50 words, 2 sentences long, while the Nobel Prize winners received front page coverage. I did not see any mention of the 1995 Draper Prize which was officially presented during National Engineers Weekr, February 20, 1996.
On October 18, 1997, Sun-Times Editorial Board member, Dennis Byrne had a commentary, "Well-Kept Secrets" noting the lack of press coverage of the 1997 Draper Prize Recipient, Vladimir Haensel
On October 19, 1999 the Wall Street Journal published a letter to the editor by Professor Henry Petroski, Duke University, Captioned, "ENGINEERING IS NOBEL TOO". In the commentary Professor Petroski decried the lack of news coverage of the Draper Prize noting. "It is engineering, not science, that bring the greatest benefits to mankind"

February 22, 2003 Washington Times
Nobels and Knaves
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20030222-22957647.htm (removed)
Selected Websites;
www.nae.edu
Summary of Past Recipients:
http://www.nae.edu/Activities/Projects/Awards/DraperPrize/DraperWinners.aspx

For a similar piece: "EYES ON THE WRONG PRIZE"
www.nspe.org/etweb/15-02viewpoint.asp ( removed)
Engineers Would Enjoy Some Appreciation
http://w3.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1990/feb07/22839.html

additionally
http://www.todaysengineer.org/careerfocus/july01te/july01depts/readerpoll.html
http://www.todaysengineer.org/careerfocus/Aug01te/aug01depts/readerpoll.html
PS.
Charles Stark "DOC" Draper was the engineer for whom the award was named. Draper was the father of the modern inertial guidance system without which our airliners, submarines, missiles and space shuttle could not function. (The inertial guidance system was essential to the moon landing program.)

CHICAGOLAND - An Engineering - Technology Center 2011-12
by Robert B. Johnson, SE Past Chairman Engineers Week- Chicago

When foreigners think of Chicago what is generally the first thing that comes to mind: The Gangster City? Though the gangster era is over 80 years ago, it has been tough to shed the crime image. With the demise of the "Al Capone's Chicago Exhibit" at Clark and Ohio streets maybe we can focus on some of our positive accomplishments. But hold on…..The summer of '09 saw the release of a motion picture on the life of John Dillinger (Public Enemies), so one might (sadly) expect a renewed interest in the gangster era. And this past summer (2011) I saw a Gangster Tour Bus traveling down Michigan Avenue.

The Chicago Fire of 1871 brought architects and engineers to rebuild the city. Today Chicago is sometimes referred to as the architectural capital of the United States if not the world. Visitors come from around the world to view our collection of skyscrapers and significant other structures. Chicago also is a convention center. It's central location and excellent convention facilities are enticing to host trade association meetings. More recently, visitors might think of Chicago as the home of Michael Jordan and the former World Champion Bulls. Then there's Oprah Winfrey and her national talk show. (Oops she's left town!) What about the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox? OH, let's not forget the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field We have the Chicago Bears and Soldier Field. Hey, the Blackhawks Hockey Team are now a winning hockey team claiming the 2010 Stanley Cup!!

In addition to all of the above, Chicago and the adjoining municipalities have a rich history of engineering achievement. All too often, however, our extensive engineering achievements are neither recognized nor celebrated. Notably, the reversing of the Chicago River is one of the engineering marvels of the world. Chicago's water filtration and distribution system for Cook and adjoining counties is the envy of many metropolitan centers. Chicago's transportation systems (highway and mass transit) though often congested are regarded as one of the better in the United States for urban centers. How many cities have mass transit within their highway systems? The first movable bascule-type bridge was pioneered by Chicago bridge engineers. Chicago is the "City of Bridges", for today we have more movable bridges than any place in the world. The first Ferris Wheel, by Pittsburgh bridge engineer George Washington Gale Ferris (born in Galesburg, IL) was constructed for the World Colombian Exposition (The White City) , held in Chicago in 1893. (The Ferris Wheel was America's response to the Eiffel Tower). I'm wondering if we might again have a chance to experience a ride in the original Ferris Wheel if the planned production (2013) of the movie – "Devil in the White City" incorporates special effects recreating the Ferris Wheel.

The Deep Tunnel Project (TARP) is a national civil engineering landmark. (Commemorated by a plaque on the southeast corner of the Michigan Avenue bridge over the Chicago River). It was in Chicago that the first true skyscraper was built and Chicago has one of tallest building in the world, the Sears Tower ( OOPS Willis). The Willis Tower still remains as the tallest structural steel building in the world.

Some of the technology used to build the tall buildings was pioneered in Chicago. Chicago can claim some of the tallest buildings constructed of reinforced concrete. The new Trump Tower is one of the tallest reinforced concrete structures in the world. It is Chicago structural engineers that are designing some of the tallest buildings in the world: Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world.

And now there is talk of a new tallest building (The Kingdom Tower) to be built in Saudi Arabia. That building will be designed by Chicago Architects/Engineers!

Many engineering/construction trade associations are headquartered in the Chicagoland area, as are several leading scientific, engineering research laboratories. You might not realize that pioneering work in magnetic recording occurred at one of these institutions (see MIDWEST ENGINEER, September/October 1995, "Marvin Camras - Father of Magnetic Recording" published by the Western Society of Engineers; ). Long forgotten is the fact that initial scientific experiments into the engineering principles behind manned flight to look place on the dunes at the southern end of Lake Michigan (see 1992-1993 directory, MIDWEST ENGINEER, "A Personal Reminiscence of Octave Chanute"; also see Chicago Tribune, Transportation Section, Sunday, June 23, 1996, "The Wright Stuff".). Chemical engineer Vladimir Haensel was recipient of the 1997 Draper Prize, sometimes referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Engineering'. In 1947, Haensel pioneered 'platforming' at Universal Oil Products, (now UOP), Des Plaines, Illinois. "Platforming" (Platinum- reforming) is basic in the production of low cost, high efficient gasoline. Spin-offs from this patented process include raw materials essential for the production of plastics. (See Dennis Byrne Commentary, "Well-kept Secrets", Chicago SUN-TIMES, October 19, 1997.). Pioneering work in numerous electronic achievements abound including; radio, television and cell phone technologies.

Ref Lee Deforest
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Lee-De-Forest

Robert Adler/Eugene Polley http://www.geocities.com/neveyaakov/electro_science/adler.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Adler
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/9664/1103/

Martin Cooper
http://www.cellular.co.za/cellphone_inventor.htm
Cooper is to be honored at the big Chicagoland eWEEK Banquet, February 24, 2012

ZENITH Electronics
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Zenith-Electronics-Corporation

Chicago and surrounding communities are home to leading technological universities and colleges. Finally, the Chicago area is home to some of the leading scientific and engineering corporations. Companies which design power, communications, transportation, environmental, and other engineering systems are located here.

As February 19-25, 2012 is NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK(tm) isn't about time Chicagoans paid homage to our engineering heritage. Let's look at the many ideas engineers have turned into reality to make Chicago (and the world) a better place to live.

And without Engineers and engineering achievements think about how your life would change.

"Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was."
— Theodore von Karman

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If you need additional information about NEW-2012 please do not hesitate to visit http://www.dupageeweek.iit.edu/

For additional information on Chicagoland Engineers Week activities visit the following WEBSITES:

http://www.swe.org/chicago/
http://www.SEAOI.org
http://www.iecweb.org/
http://posts.same.org/Chicago/

http://www.wsechicago.org
http://www.ilspe.com/
http://www.illinoisengineer.com/chapter-chicago.shtml
http://www.isasce.org/



For information on National Engineers WeekTM contact Anne Squire at TEL: 703-684-2852.

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10/2011




Devil in the White City reference
www.imdb.com/title/tt0959300