Prism Magazine is ASEE's monthly award winning flagship publication and is the most popular magazine covering engineering education in the United States.
ASEE Editorial Director Mark Matthews discusses his department's activities.
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Current Issue
February 2020
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Previous Issues
January 2020
- COVER: UNDER SIEGE
UNIVERSITIES—ENGINEERING SCHOOLS INCLUDED—BECOME FLASHPOINTS IN HONG KONG'S PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS. - POWER HITTERS
START-UPS, DEFYING ACADEMIC SKEPTICS, ENLIST BIG-NAME INVESTORS AS THEY VIE TO BE FIRST WITH A WORKABLE SOURCE OF FUSION ENERGY. - FROM HOTLINE TO FRONT LINE
AN INFORMAL NETWORK OF FEMALE ENGINEERING FACULTY STRIVES TO OPEN DOORS AT THE TOP—PARTICULARLY TO WOMEN OF COLOR.
December 2019
- COVER: COMPASS COURSE
A PAIR OF AIR DISASTERS EXPOSES ENGINEERING MISTAKES AND CATALYZES REAL-WORLD LESSONS FOR FUTURE PROFESSIONALS. - DON'T CALL IT A CELEBRATION
CANADA'S IRON RING RITE OF PASSAGE IS A SOLEMN REMINDER OF ENGINEERS' RESPONSIBILITY. - THE DRUDGE RETORT
SWAMPED INSTRUCTORS ARE TURNING TO—AND EVEN INVENTING—AUTOMATED GRADING TOOLS THAT SPEED FEEDBACK WHILE SAVING LABOR, ESPECIALLY THEIR OWN.
November 2019
- COVER: PEOPLE GET READY
AS CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS MORE ERRATIC AND EXTREME WEATHER, ENGINEERS JOIN INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORTS TO BUILD RESILIENCE. - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
RESEARCHERS RACE TO CLEAR DEBRIS FROM CLUTTERED SATELLITE LANES BEFORE ONE TINY COLLISION TRIGGERS A DISASTROUS CHAIN REACTION. - URBAN RENEWAL
A POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH ITS LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, AIMING TO TRIPLE ENROLLMENT FROM A STRUGGLING CITY.
October 2019
- COVER: THE NEW FACTORY FLOOR
INDUSTRY 4.0 PROMISES TO ADD NEARLY $1 TRILLION TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY BY 2025. - RUMBLING IN THE RANKS
TIRED OF SHOULDERING HEAVIER COURSE LOADS FOR UNEQUAL PAY AND PROMOTION, NON-TENURE-TRACK FACULTY SEEK FAIRER WORK ENVIRONMENTS—AND A SAY IN DECISION-MAKING. - LAB IN A BOX
HOW A DEVOTION TO ACTIVE LEARNING SPURRED THE CREATION OF nSCOPE, A LOW-COST ANSWER TO EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS.
September 2019
- COVER: SHERPAS OF SUPERCOMPUTING
AN ESSENTIAL, IF NOT YET WELL-DEFINED, FIELD IS EMERGING AT THE INTERSECTION OF RESEARCH AND THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINES THAT MAKE SENSE OF BIG DATA. - NATURAL-BORN EDUCATOR
STEEPED IN STEM AS A CHILD, ASEE'S PRESIDENT BRINGS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO ENSURING THAT ENGINEERING'S "HIDDEN FIGURES" GET THEIR DUE. - POWER PLAY
BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY FROM AN ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER COULD HELP PREVENT BLACKOUTS WHILE ALLOWING THE GRID TO RUN ON CLEAN ENERGY.
Summer 2019
- COVER: IN SEARCH OF THE NEXT MEAL
ENGINEERS GET CREATIVE TO COMBAT A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM OF HUNGER ON CAMPUS. - PRIME REWARDS
A STATEWIDE COMMITMENT TO EXPAND THE ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TALENT POOL HELPED WOO AMAZON TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WILL THE PIPELINE FLOW BOTH WAYS? - NEW TOOLS FOR THE TRADES
A BRITISH PROJECT SEEKS TO REENGINEER ONE OF THE LEAST DIGITIZED INDUSTRIAL SECTORS: CONSTRUCTION.
March + April 2019
- COVER: A FRAYED WELCOME MAT
ENGINEERING DEANS STRUGGLE TO ATTRACT FOREIGN GRADUATE STUDENTS DISCOURAGED BY THE TONE OF THE U.S. POLICIES AND RHETORIC. - RELIEF IN SIGHT
EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE GATES FOUNDATION LAUNCHED ITS REINVENT THE TOILET CHALLENGE, PROMISING PROTOTYPES MAY BE POISED TO TRANSFORM URBAN SANITATION—AND MAKE MONEY. - SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW
SCHOOLS INTRODUCE NONDEGREE—AND POST-DEGREE—CREDENTIALS TO EQUIP ENGINEERS FOR AN ERA OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND JOBS THAT MAY NOT YET EXIST.
February 2019
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January 2019
- COVER: FORCE MULTIPLIERS
WHEN THEY WORK WELL, COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN MINORITY-SERVING AND PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS CAN STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY THE ENGINEERING TALENT POOL. - STREET SENSE
TORONTO ENGINEERING SEEK TO TURN A WATERFRONT WASTELAND INTO A HIGH-TECH TEST BED—AND THE WORLD’S SMARTEST CITYSCAPE. - EXTENSION SERVICE
MIXING ALTRUISM AND BUSINESS PROMOTION, BRITAIN EMPLOYS SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO BATTLE DISEASE, ASSIST FARMERS AND HERDERS, AND BOOST ECONOMIES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
December 2018
- COVER: JUST ENOUGH BRAINPOWER
RESEARCHERS TRY TO REPLICATE THE HONEYBEE’S REMARKABLE NAVIGATING ABILITY IN DEVELOPING MORE EFFICIENT AND VERSATILE AERIAL DRONES. - FASTER, LIGHTER, STRONGER
AIDED BY ADVANCED COMPUTING AND CHEMISTRY, RESEARCHERS FIGHT THE FORCES THAT PREVENT OPTIMAL SPEED AND FUEL EFFICIENCY IN SHIPS AND BOATS. - AI HEADS TO CLASS
RESPONDING TO EXPLOSIVE DEMAND, A FLURRY OF NEW UNDERGRADUATE CONCENTRATIONS FOSTERS ETHICS ALONG WITH COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING SKILLS.
November 2018
- COVER: THE LAST STRAW
AS THE WORLD WAKES UP TO DAMAGE CAUSED BY PETROLEUM-BASED PLASTICS, ENGINEERS STRIVE TO DEVELOP EARTH-FRIENDLY SUBSTITUTES AND REMOVE DEBRIS FROM THE OCEANS. - MOONSTRUCK
A WHITE HOUSE DIRECTIVE HAS NASA RECALCULATING THE ROUTE TOWARD HUMAN EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. - PARADOX OF PROSPERITY
DESPITE A RAPIDLY GROWING ECONOMY, MANY UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN GHANA ARE UNEMPLOYED. ONE REASON IS A FAILURE TO MATCH ENGINEERING EDUCATION WITH THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY.
October 2018
- COVER: CLASS ACTION
COMMUNITY SERVICE MOVES FROM EXTRACURRICULAR PROJECTS INTO THE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM, ATTRACTING DIVERSE STUDENTS, TACKLING SOCIETAL PROBLEMS—AND MAKING SOME FACULTY MEMBERS UNEASY. - UNFRIENDLY SKIES
AIRLINES' DRIVE TO FILL THEIR PLANES CAN MAKE TRAVEL UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. - THE MIND'S EYE
A PILOT PROGRAM TO BOOST 3-D VISUALIZATION SKILLS—ONE THAT ANY ENGINEERING SCHOOLS CAN ADOPT—YIELDS BIG GAINS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS.
September 2018
- COVER: ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE: TIME TO SEPARATE?
HUGE DEMAND FOR CODING SKILLS ENCOURAGES A PUSH FOR INDEPENDENT COLLEGES OR DEPARTMENTS. BUT FINDING FACULTY WON'S BE EASY. - ENGINEERING BROUGHT TO LIFE
ASEE'S PRESIDENT ENLIVENS CLASSES AND PROMOTES DIVERSITY BY REFLECTING SOCIETY IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS. - STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
A NOW ENDED GOVERNMENT PROGRAM TO INVESTIGATE UFO SIGHTINGS POSES INTRIGUING QUESTIONS FOR ENGINEERS AND ASTROPHYSICISTS.
Summer 2018
March + April 2018
- COVER: ROOM TO GROW
INDOOR 'VERTICAL FARMING' COULD BE AN ANSWER TO URBAN FOOD NEEDS AND SHINKING AGRICULTURAL SPACE—IF COST AND ENERGY OBSTACLES CAN BE OVERCOME. - BRING IT ON
WHILE NOT EVERYONE IN WISCONSIN WELCOMES MANUFACTURING BEHEMOTH FOXCONN, EDUCATORS ANTICIPATE A VARIETY OF JOBS FOR ENGINEERING GRADUATES AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. - HEAD START
HIGH SCHOOL-COLLEGE COLLABORATIONS ARE PUSHING ENGINEERING SCHOOLS TO REIMAGINE THE STUDENT PIPELINE.
February 2018
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January 2018
- COVER: CYBER SCHOOL
AS DEMAND MOUNTS FOR GRADUATES WITH COMPUTER SECURITY SKILLS, THE QUESTION ARISES: WHAT'S THE RIGHT TRAINING? - HEARTS & MINDS
IN AN UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS EDUCATORS ARE HELPING VIETNAM BOOTSTRAP ITS ECONOMY BY TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERS. - BRAGGING RIGHTS
UP FOR PROMOTION? THESE TECH TIPS COULD HELP SPARE YOUR PORTFOLIO—AND SCHEDULE—FROM DISASTER.
December 2017
- COVER: A Grand Challenge? Maybe Not
…but the problem posed by America’s half-million homeless is ripe for engineering solutions. - Sustainable Skies
Breakthroughs in propulsion systems and power storage herald a new era of clean, green electric flight. - Real World 101
Courses in financial planning, job-search strategies, and other life skills help ease the transition from campus to profession.
November 2017
- COVER: ENGINEERING FOR CATASTROPHE
RESEARCH ON CONSRUCTION MATERIALS, COASTAL PROTECTION, AND POWER GRIDS COULD HELP PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND SPEED RECOVERY FROM NATURAL DISASTERS. - WILD BLUE YONDER
DECADES AFTER THE X-15 LAST FLEW, HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY IS ONCE AGAIN POISED TO TAKE WING IN WHAT SOME ARE CALLING A NEW SPACE RACE. - LOVE ME, LOVE MY TEACHING:
STUDENTS’ COURSE EVALUATIONS ARE A FACT OF ACADEMIC LIFE. HERE’S HOW INSTRUCTORS CAN COMBAT STEREOTYPES AND GENDER BIAS WHILE IMPROVING THEIR OWN EFFECTIVENESS.
October 2017
- COVER: PREFERRED PROVIDERS
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING START-UPS STRIVE TO PLUG THE GAPS IN U.S. HEALTH CARE WITH ADVANCES IN TREATMENT, MORE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY, AND COST SAVINGS. - Rx FOR SUPERBUGS:
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY MAY HOLD THE KEY TO BATTLING A CRITICAL GLOBAL HEALTH THREAT: ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT MICROBES. - SWEET INSPIRATION:
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MOTIVATE AND ENGAGE STUDENTS? RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT CANDY IS DANDY.
September 2017
- COVER: GREAT AI LEAP FORWARD
CHALLENGING U.S. LEADERSHIP, CHINESE INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND CONSUMERS ARE MAKING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A WAY OF LIFE. - MENTOR, BUILDER, PARTNER:
BEVLEE WATFORD’S ADVICE TO A STRUGGLING STUDENT SUMS UP HER MISSION AS AN EDUCATOR AND ACTIVIST ON BEHALF OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES: ‘WORK WITH ME. YOU CAN MAKE IT.’ - THIRSTY GIANT:
SOFT-DRINK BOTTLERS WORLDWIDE DEPEND ON DIMINISHING SUPPLIES OF CLEAN WATER. HERE’S HOW COKE COPES.
Summer 2017
- COVER: BUILDING BOOM
FUELED BY MAJOR GIFTS, EMPLOYER DEMAND, AND ENROLLMENT GROWTH, DOZENS OF ENGINEERING SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE UNDERGOING OR PLANNING MAJOR EXPANSIONS. OTHERS ARE STARTING FROM SCRATCH. - NO BARRIERS HERE:
U.S.-MEXICAN RESEARCH COLLABORATION FLOURISHES DESPITE POLITICAL STRAINS. - HEADS UP!:
COLLECTING DATA ON EVERYTHING FROM ATTENDANCE AND QUIZ SCORES TO LIBRARY VISITS, SCHOOLS BOLSTER AT-RISK STUDENTS LONG BEFORE THEY STUMBLE.
March + April 2017
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- COVER: BRAIN GAIN:
IRANIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE AN OUTSIZE FOOTPRINT AT U.S. ENGINEERING COLLEGES, CONTRIBUTING TO INNOVATIONS RANGING FROM SOFT ROBOTICS TO NOVEL IGNITION SYSTEMS AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT CEMENT PRODUCTION. WILL PRESIDENT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY DISRUPT THIS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PIPELINE? - REPLACED BY MACHINES:
WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PUTTING AUTOMATION ON STEROIDS, MORE JOB-MARKET DISRUPTION LIES AHEAD. WHAT’S THE ROLE OF EDUCATORS? - COURSE CORRECTION:
GEORGIA TECH’S PIONEERING ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE REVEALS A LARGE—AND UNMET—DEMAND FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION. WILL OTHER SCHOOLS FOLLOW SUIT?
February 2017
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- COVER: DOWN TO EARTH:
ASTROPHYSICIST FRANCE CÓRDOVA HAS BUILT A CAREER PERSUADING NONSCIENTISTS TO SUPPORT BIG AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL GOALS. HOW WILL NSF’S DIRECTOR FARE IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION? - THE DARK SIDE OF ‘OPEN ACCESS’:
PREDATORY JOURNALS—AND OUTRIGHT IMPOSTERS—LURE RESEARCHERS WITH PROMISES OF QUICK PUBLICATION.
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- CREATIVE COLUMBUS:
FROM THE ALE TRAIL AND MOUTH-WATERING DESSERTS TO A TOUCH-EVERYTHING KIDS’ MUSEUM, ART MAKER SPACE, AND BOTANICAL TREASURES, OHIO’S CAPITAL GIVES ‘LOCAL FLAVOR’ A WHOLE NEW MEANING. BRING AN APPETITE. - 124TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION:
WHERE ENGINEERING EDUCATION TAKES FLIGHT: FROM P-12 THROUGH LIFE.
January 2017
- COVER: QUBIT REVOLUTION:
ONCE THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION, QUANTUM COMPUTERS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON THE QUIRKY PROPERTIES OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES COULD SOON BECOME A REALITY. - MORE THAN TALK:
WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS WILD, ENGINEERS TAKE ACTION. - INSPIRATION CORPS:
BOSTON UNIVERSITY REIMAGINES K-12 ENGINEERING OUTREACH, DISPATCHING UNDERGRADUATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS SPEAKERS AND INSTRUCTORS.
December 2016
- COVER: MOVING PARTS:
HIGH COSTS OF TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY HAVE CITIES AND VISIONARIES RETHINKING HOW TO TAKE US FROM POINT A TO POINT B. - LIP SERVICE:
MACHINE TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGIES ARE SET TO CHANGE HOW TRAVELERS INTERACT WITH JAPANESE LOCALS LEADING UP TO THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS. - SINK OR SWIM:
A NOVEL ENGINEERING COURSE EMBEDS RIGOROUS MATH AND PHYSICS IN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.
November 2016
- COVER: THE BIG BREAKUP:
WHILE POLITICIANS AND ECONOMISTS ARGUE WHETHER BRITISH VOTERS’ DECISION TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION WAS WISE, BRITISH ACADEMICS FEAR A DAMAGING FALLOFF IN RESEARCH FUNDING, COLLABORATION, AND TALENT. - UNDERWHELMING FORCE:
POST-9/11 VETERANS WERE SEEN AS A NATURAL FIT FOR ENGINEERING, BASED ON THEIR TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE. YET JUST A SMALL FRACTION OF RETURNEES HAVE JOINED THE FIELD. WHY? - MAKER MOVEMENT 2.0:
EDUCATORS SEEK TO DERIVE STRUCTURED LEARNING FROM “FAIRES” AND “SPACES” WITHOUT SACRIFICING HIGH-SPIRITED CREATIVITY.
October 2016
- COVER STORY: DISRUPTIVE DEVELOPMENT:
AMERICA'S PREMIER FOREIGN AID SUPPLIER IS TAPPING ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS' CREATIVITY TO SOLVE GRAND CHALLENGES FROM DISEASE TO WATER POLLUTION—UPENDING TRADITION IN THE PROCESS. - NOT FEELING THE HEAT:
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE MAY BE WHAT OUR WARMING CLIMATE REQUIRES, BUT GETTING ENERGY MARKETS ON BOARD WILL BE TOUGH. - SIGNIFICANT OTHER:
NSF STRIVES TO GET ITS ‘BROADER IMPACTS’ CRITERION TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY BY RESEARCHERS.
September 2016
- COVER STORY: TOUGH FIBER:
STURDY, FAST-GROWING, AND EARTH-FRIENDLY, BAMBOO IS PROVING IDEAL FOR HOMES IN DISASTER ZONES AND CELEBRITY BUNGALOWS IN HAWAII. WILL IT CATCH ON IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.? - A GAME CHANGER:
THE ASEE PRESIDENT'S CAREER REFLECTS HIS EARLY REALIZATION THAT ENGINEERS CAN MAKE AN IMPACT. - INVENTION ROULETTE:
TO THE ALREADY HIGH HURDLES IN FRONT OF MEDICAL-DEVICE START-UPS, ADD ONE MORE: PRODUCTS MUST BE COST-EFFECTIVE.
Summer 2016
- COVER STORY: BACK TO THE FUTURE:
AFTER DECADES OF COLD WAR SANCTIONS, A THAW IN U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOINT RESEARCH AND EXCHANGES. - FLIGHT RISK:
NASA-LED RESEARCHERS STRIVE TO KEEP THE SKIES SAFE IN AN ERA OF LOW-FLYING COMMERCIAL DRONES. - STANDARDS OF PRACTICE:
PROPOSED CHANGES TO ACCREDITATION CRITERIA HAVE TOUCHED OFF A TEMPEST IN THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY.
March - April 2016
- COVER STORY: OFF CAMPUS CRUSADERS
A FEISTY BREED OF ACADEMICS RESPONDS TO CRISES, INVESTIGATES DISASTERS, AND SPEAKS TRUTH TO POWER THROUGH ENGINEERING. - TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM:
THE BEST GROUP PROJECTS MAY NOT REPRESENT THE MOST LEARNING. INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS AND SCAFFOLDING CAN HELP IMPROVE RESULTS.
February 2016
- COVER STORY: POWER PLAY:
ENGINEERS RENEW THE CASE FOR DIRECT CURRENT AS THE ANSWER FOR AN ERA OF MOBILE DEVICES, RENEWABLE ENERGY, BATTERIES, AND MICROGRIDS. - MADE TO MEASURE:
AN END TO GRADE GRUBBING? NOVEL ASSESSMENTS HELP ENGINEERING STUDENTS GAIN CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE BY FOCUSING ON WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN—NOT THEIR GPAS.
January 2016
- COVER STORY: A MATTER OF DEGREE:
JUST A FRACTION OF U.S. ENGINEERING GRADUATES SEE A MASTER’S OR PH.D. AS NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE, LEAVING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AS THE MAIN DRIVERS OF THE NATION’S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. - PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF:
ADVANCES IN DESIGN AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES COULD SIGNAL A COMING BOOM IN SUPERSONIC BUSINESS TRANSPORT. - NO ACCIDENT:
EMBRACING STANDARD INDUSTRY PRACTICE, ENGINEERING SCHOOLS SEEK TO IMPROVE LAB SAFETY BY TRANSFORMING THEIR CULTURES.
December 2015
- COVER STORY: GOING FOR BROKE:
WOMEN FACE A NUMBER OF HURDLES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INCLUDING - FOR MANY - THEIR OWN RELUCTANCE. - THE NEXT GREEN REVOLUTION:
ADVANCES IN PRECISION AGRICULTURE HASTEN A FUTURE OF FARMS WITHOUT FARMERS. - MARGIN OF ERROR:
AS LANDLINES FALL INTO DISUSE AND SURVEY RESPONSE RATES PLUMMET, POLLSTERS ARE SEARCHING FOR NEW WAYS TO MEASURE PUBLIC OPINION.
November 2015
- COVER STORY: INDUSTRIAL RX FOR HEALTHCARE:
BY NOTING AND FIXING INEFFICIENCIES, SYSTEMS ENGINEERS – RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS – ARE OUT TO SHOW THEY CAN MAKE MEDICAL PRACTICE CHEAPER WHILE IMPROVING QUALITY. - ROAD WARRIORS:
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS REFINE TRUCK DESIGNS TO MEET EVER STRICTER FUEL-ECONOMY TARGETS. - CLASSROOMS WITHOUT BORDERS:
AN 11-UNIVERSITY SERIES OF VIRTUAL COURSES REACHES ACROSS OCEANS AND CULTURES TO PROMOTE GLOBAL COLLABORATION AND SHARED LEARNING.
October 2015
- COVER STORY: EYES ON THE SKIES:
DEVELOPMENT OF A SPRAWLING TELESCOPE ARRAY HAS MADE SOUTH AFRICA A WORLD LEADER IN RADIO ASTRONOMY AND PRODUCED A PIPELINE OF SPECIALIZED ENGINEERS. - CIRCUIT BREAKERS:
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS TAP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM'S ELECTRICAL HARDWARE FOR DRUG-FREE TREATMENT OF DISEASE. - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:
THE CLEAR SKIES ABOVE HAWAII'S MAUNA KEA MAKE THE SITE IDEAL FOR A GIANT TELESCOPE. THAT'S ASSUMING ENGINEERS CAN SHIELD IT FROM EARTHQUAKES, FIERCE WINDS, AND EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
September 2015
- COVER STORY: GROUND SHIFT:
LOOKING BEYOND MINING AND COPPER EXPORTS, CHILE OVERHAULS 10 TOP ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN A BID TO JOIN THE WORLD'S ADVANCED ECONOMIES. - LEADING BY EXAMPLE:
ASEE'S PRESIDENT FOUND HIS CALLING AS A TEACHER AND HIS PASSION AS A LEADER. - IN-FLIGHT RECOVERY:
HOW AN OLD-LINE MAKER OF AIRCRAFT ENGINES DEFIED THE RUST BELT CURSE.
Summer 2015
March-April 2015
- COVER STORY: Growing Pains:
Ethiopia is pushing engineering education harder than any other country in Africa, creating challenges for its academics. - Driver's Ed:
On Virginia Tech's “smart” highway, researchers and students put pedal to the metal in an effort to improve cars, reduce collisions, and ease traffic. - Full Steam Ahead:
Engineering and art collaborations flourish, but which group is leading?
February 2015
- COVER STORY: Human Spare Parts:
A new engineering discipline looks ahead to the manufacture of personalized organs for testing or replacement. - Piercing the 20 Percent Ceiling:
Several enterprising engineering schools have figured out how to lift the number of female graduates beyond a dismal, decades-old norm. - Reality Knocks:
A graduate program trains engineering leaders by pushing them out of their comfort zones.
January 2015
- COVER STORY: Sea Change:
From melting polar ice to savage storms, the shifting global climate inspires new research – and opportunities – in naval engineering. - Checkered Careers:
If engineers like what they do, why do so many – including some of the best – work outside the field? An ongoing study seeks to understand the connection between engineering education and the workforce. - 'Bot Diggity!
Cheap yet sophisticated personal robots enliven an introduction to engineering.
December 2014
- COVER STORY: To Market, To Market
Since 2011, NSF's Innovation Corps has sent 365 research teams out of their labs to scout potential customers, and helped launch 208 start-ups. - Don't Miss A Beat
NYU researchers crunch data from cameras, sensors, and cellphones to capture the city’s pulse in real time. - STEM by Design
A novel cross-campus collaboration is forging a pathway to teaching through engineering – without sacrificing quality or prestige.
November 2014
- COVER STORY: The Switch from Hell
The way GM handled a fatal flaw provides grist for instructors in engineering ethics. - Damage Control
Self-healing polymers, coatings, and concrete hold promise in fighting corrosion, closing cracks in plastic, and repairing structures – from dams to tunnels. - To the Barricades
Seeing RED, NSF aims to overthrow outdated curricula and exclusionary practices by ‘revolutionizing’ engineering departments.
October 2014
- COVER STORY: Millennial Magnet
The Grand Challenge Scholars Program reaches cruising speed, attracting the altruistic, the entrepreneurial, and the bored. - Atomic Power? Mai Oui!
France’s future-generation reactor would recycle most of its spent fuel. Could the process revive the U.S. nuclear industry? - Driven to Distraction
From texting to tardiness to cheating, incivility and misconduct can disrupt learning. Here are some tips for controlling a class.
September 2014
- COVER STORY: 20 under 40
Today’s young faculty are powered by ideas - in the classroom and the lab. - Recovery Engineer
ASEE’s president draws a lesson from the post-Katrina revival at Tulane: Play to your strengths. - Tips for a Winning Research Proposal
Experts suggest ways to gain favor with funding agencies.
Summer 2014
- COVER STORY: Survival Course
African-American males represent a sliver of enrollment. More could succeed in engineering if schools understood what it takes to beat the odds. - STEM’s Unlikely Patron Saint
Indiana’s budget-slashing former governor is betting Purdue’s future on engineering and technology education. - Game On!
Simulations and mobile apps can help students grasp fundamental engineering concepts – including structural failure.
March + April 2014
- COVER STORY: Higher Reach
Proponents say an engineering Advanced Placement test would bring prestige, broaden the field’s Appeal, and assure better K-12 preparation. Will engineering schools agree? - Carbon Creativity
CO2 researchers discover productive ways to recycle a climate change culprit. - Where Dots Connect
A new institute at Britain’s oldest university takes an interdisciplinary crack at 21st- century problems.
February 2014
- COVER STORY: Road to Recovery
Aided by faculty in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere, Afghan engineering schools – women included – regain their footing. - Creative Spark
Engineering students pen haiku, hawk bad art — even propose marriage — in courses meant to stimulate ingenuity.
Special Double Issue: 2014 ASEE Annual Conference Issue
January 2014
- COVER STORY: CANCER WARRIORS
Engineers, life scientists, and medical doctors converge to fight a common foe. - MOTHER LODE OF INVENTION
Entrepreneurs hope online tech transfer sites can help universities pitch – and profit from – their discoveries. - PIPELINE TO PRACTICE
Undergraduate research experiences foster skills, confidence, and the desire to pursue engineering careers.
December 2013
- COVER STORY: Icon of the Air
Behind the B-52’s longevity: overdesign to start with, and inventive, painstaking engineering ever since. - Extra Jolt
Small federal subsidies can be a lifesaver for struggling start-ups. - Upward Mobility
Techniques for mastering MOOCs – from ‘lecturelets’ to stage presence.
November 2013
- COVER STORY: HOME SCHOOLING
After decades of sending its top talent abroad, Botswana invests capital and effort in engineering education. - BOOM OR BUBBLE?
Engineering schools wager that the job market will keep pace with swelling enrollments. Some economists aren’t so sure. - STEP ONLINE IN STYLE
Techniques for mastering MOOCs – from ‘lecturelets’ to stage presence.
October 2013
- COVER STORY: THE UNDEFEATED
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a leading champion of science and technology, has won battle after battle and is now at the peak of influence. Can she keep it up? - STAYING POWER
Breakthroughs in electrical storage technology are transforming the lowly battery. - WORK ETHIC
Industry experiences help lift a Canadian engineering school to star status.
September 2013
- COVER STORY: DELIVERING DIVERSITY
From classroom to cafeteria, rising international enrollments are changing the culture at U.S. engineering schools. - What's Her Secret?
As U.S. engineering programs struggle to close a stubborn gender gap, growing numbers of Muslim-world women are eager to join the field. - Hook, Line, & thinker
ASEE’s president brings a strong administrative record and a passion for research, advocacy – and fly-fishing.
Summer 2013
- Cover Story: 120 Years of Inspiration
A decade-by-decade tour of technological marvels and education milestones. - Hardy Perennials
As engineering education advanced through the decades, key debates kept recurring. - FORWARD THINKERS
From multidisciplinary new specialties to MOOCs, engineering education must meet expanding challenges and serve new constituencies.
Prism Magazine is ASEE's monthly award winning flagship publication and is the most popular magazine covering engineering education in the United States.
ASEE Editorial Director Mark Matthews discusses his department's activities.
- NEW Prism Magazine online
- PRISM Online PDFs (for members only)
- About Prism Magazine
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- Prism Article Index
- Advertise in Prism Magazine
- Special Prism Section on Whistleblowers
Current Issue
February 2020
Previous Issues
January 2020
- COVER: UNDER SIEGE
UNIVERSITIES—ENGINEERING SCHOOLS INCLUDED—BECOME FLASHPOINTS IN HONG KONG'S PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS. - POWER HITTERS
START-UPS, DEFYING ACADEMIC SKEPTICS, ENLIST BIG-NAME INVESTORS AS THEY VIE TO BE FIRST WITH A WORKABLE SOURCE OF FUSION ENERGY. - FROM HOTLINE TO FRONT LINE
AN INFORMAL NETWORK OF FEMALE ENGINEERING FACULTY STRIVES TO OPEN DOORS AT THE TOP—PARTICULARLY TO WOMEN OF COLOR.
December 2019
- COVER: COMPASS COURSE
A PAIR OF AIR DISASTERS EXPOSES ENGINEERING MISTAKES AND CATALYZES REAL-WORLD LESSONS FOR FUTURE PROFESSIONALS. - DON'T CALL IT A CELEBRATION
CANADA'S IRON RING RITE OF PASSAGE IS A SOLEMN REMINDER OF ENGINEERS' RESPONSIBILITY. - THE DRUDGE RETORT
SWAMPED INSTRUCTORS ARE TURNING TO—AND EVEN INVENTING—AUTOMATED GRADING TOOLS THAT SPEED FEEDBACK WHILE SAVING LABOR, ESPECIALLY THEIR OWN.
November 2019
- COVER: PEOPLE GET READY
AS CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS MORE ERRATIC AND EXTREME WEATHER, ENGINEERS JOIN INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORTS TO BUILD RESILIENCE. - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
RESEARCHERS RACE TO CLEAR DEBRIS FROM CLUTTERED SATELLITE LANES BEFORE ONE TINY COLLISION TRIGGERS A DISASTROUS CHAIN REACTION. - URBAN RENEWAL
A POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH ITS LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM, AIMING TO TRIPLE ENROLLMENT FROM A STRUGGLING CITY.
October 2019
- COVER: THE NEW FACTORY FLOOR
INDUSTRY 4.0 PROMISES TO ADD NEARLY $1 TRILLION TO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY BY 2025. - RUMBLING IN THE RANKS
TIRED OF SHOULDERING HEAVIER COURSE LOADS FOR UNEQUAL PAY AND PROMOTION, NON-TENURE-TRACK FACULTY SEEK FAIRER WORK ENVIRONMENTS—AND A SAY IN DECISION-MAKING. - LAB IN A BOX
HOW A DEVOTION TO ACTIVE LEARNING SPURRED THE CREATION OF nSCOPE, A LOW-COST ANSWER TO EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS.
September 2019
- COVER: SHERPAS OF SUPERCOMPUTING
AN ESSENTIAL, IF NOT YET WELL-DEFINED, FIELD IS EMERGING AT THE INTERSECTION OF RESEARCH AND THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINES THAT MAKE SENSE OF BIG DATA. - NATURAL-BORN EDUCATOR
STEEPED IN STEM AS A CHILD, ASEE'S PRESIDENT BRINGS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO ENSURING THAT ENGINEERING'S "HIDDEN FIGURES" GET THEIR DUE. - POWER PLAY
BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY FROM AN ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER COULD HELP PREVENT BLACKOUTS WHILE ALLOWING THE GRID TO RUN ON CLEAN ENERGY.
Summer 2019
- COVER: IN SEARCH OF THE NEXT MEAL
ENGINEERS GET CREATIVE TO COMBAT A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM OF HUNGER ON CAMPUS. - PRIME REWARDS
A STATEWIDE COMMITMENT TO EXPAND THE ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TALENT POOL HELPED WOO AMAZON TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WILL THE PIPELINE FLOW BOTH WAYS? - NEW TOOLS FOR THE TRADES
A BRITISH PROJECT SEEKS TO REENGINEER ONE OF THE LEAST DIGITIZED INDUSTRIAL SECTORS: CONSTRUCTION.
March + April 2019
- COVER: A FRAYED WELCOME MAT
ENGINEERING DEANS STRUGGLE TO ATTRACT FOREIGN GRADUATE STUDENTS DISCOURAGED BY THE TONE OF THE U.S. POLICIES AND RHETORIC. - RELIEF IN SIGHT
EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE GATES FOUNDATION LAUNCHED ITS REINVENT THE TOILET CHALLENGE, PROMISING PROTOTYPES MAY BE POISED TO TRANSFORM URBAN SANITATION—AND MAKE MONEY. - SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW
SCHOOLS INTRODUCE NONDEGREE—AND POST-DEGREE—CREDENTIALS TO EQUIP ENGINEERS FOR AN ERA OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND JOBS THAT MAY NOT YET EXIST.
February 2019
January 2019
- COVER: FORCE MULTIPLIERS
WHEN THEY WORK WELL, COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN MINORITY-SERVING AND PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTIONS CAN STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY THE ENGINEERING TALENT POOL. - STREET SENSE
TORONTO ENGINEERING SEEK TO TURN A WATERFRONT WASTELAND INTO A HIGH-TECH TEST BED—AND THE WORLD’S SMARTEST CITYSCAPE. - EXTENSION SERVICE
MIXING ALTRUISM AND BUSINESS PROMOTION, BRITAIN EMPLOYS SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO BATTLE DISEASE, ASSIST FARMERS AND HERDERS, AND BOOST ECONOMIES IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
December 2018
- COVER: JUST ENOUGH BRAINPOWER
RESEARCHERS TRY TO REPLICATE THE HONEYBEE’S REMARKABLE NAVIGATING ABILITY IN DEVELOPING MORE EFFICIENT AND VERSATILE AERIAL DRONES. - FASTER, LIGHTER, STRONGER
AIDED BY ADVANCED COMPUTING AND CHEMISTRY, RESEARCHERS FIGHT THE FORCES THAT PREVENT OPTIMAL SPEED AND FUEL EFFICIENCY IN SHIPS AND BOATS. - AI HEADS TO CLASS
RESPONDING TO EXPLOSIVE DEMAND, A FLURRY OF NEW UNDERGRADUATE CONCENTRATIONS FOSTERS ETHICS ALONG WITH COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING SKILLS.
November 2018
- COVER: THE LAST STRAW
AS THE WORLD WAKES UP TO DAMAGE CAUSED BY PETROLEUM-BASED PLASTICS, ENGINEERS STRIVE TO DEVELOP EARTH-FRIENDLY SUBSTITUTES AND REMOVE DEBRIS FROM THE OCEANS. - MOONSTRUCK
A WHITE HOUSE DIRECTIVE HAS NASA RECALCULATING THE ROUTE TOWARD HUMAN EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM. - PARADOX OF PROSPERITY
DESPITE A RAPIDLY GROWING ECONOMY, MANY UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN GHANA ARE UNEMPLOYED. ONE REASON IS A FAILURE TO MATCH ENGINEERING EDUCATION WITH THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY.
October 2018
- COVER: CLASS ACTION
COMMUNITY SERVICE MOVES FROM EXTRACURRICULAR PROJECTS INTO THE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM, ATTRACTING DIVERSE STUDENTS, TACKLING SOCIETAL PROBLEMS—AND MAKING SOME FACULTY MEMBERS UNEASY. - UNFRIENDLY SKIES
AIRLINES' DRIVE TO FILL THEIR PLANES CAN MAKE TRAVEL UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. - THE MIND'S EYE
A PILOT PROGRAM TO BOOST 3-D VISUALIZATION SKILLS—ONE THAT ANY ENGINEERING SCHOOLS CAN ADOPT—YIELDS BIG GAINS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS.
September 2018
- COVER: ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE: TIME TO SEPARATE?
HUGE DEMAND FOR CODING SKILLS ENCOURAGES A PUSH FOR INDEPENDENT COLLEGES OR DEPARTMENTS. BUT FINDING FACULTY WON'S BE EASY. - ENGINEERING BROUGHT TO LIFE
ASEE'S PRESIDENT ENLIVENS CLASSES AND PROMOTES DIVERSITY BY REFLECTING SOCIETY IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS. - STRANGE ENCOUNTERS
A NOW ENDED GOVERNMENT PROGRAM TO INVESTIGATE UFO SIGHTINGS POSES INTRIGUING QUESTIONS FOR ENGINEERS AND ASTROPHYSICISTS.
Summer 2018
March + April 2018
- COVER: ROOM TO GROW
INDOOR 'VERTICAL FARMING' COULD BE AN ANSWER TO URBAN FOOD NEEDS AND SHINKING AGRICULTURAL SPACE—IF COST AND ENERGY OBSTACLES CAN BE OVERCOME. - BRING IT ON
WHILE NOT EVERYONE IN WISCONSIN WELCOMES MANUFACTURING BEHEMOTH FOXCONN, EDUCATORS ANTICIPATE A VARIETY OF JOBS FOR ENGINEERING GRADUATES AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. - HEAD START
HIGH SCHOOL-COLLEGE COLLABORATIONS ARE PUSHING ENGINEERING SCHOOLS TO REIMAGINE THE STUDENT PIPELINE.
February 2018
January 2018
- COVER: CYBER SCHOOL
AS DEMAND MOUNTS FOR GRADUATES WITH COMPUTER SECURITY SKILLS, THE QUESTION ARISES: WHAT'S THE RIGHT TRAINING? - HEARTS & MINDS
IN AN UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS EDUCATORS ARE HELPING VIETNAM BOOTSTRAP ITS ECONOMY BY TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERS. - BRAGGING RIGHTS
UP FOR PROMOTION? THESE TECH TIPS COULD HELP SPARE YOUR PORTFOLIO—AND SCHEDULE—FROM DISASTER.
December 2017
- COVER: A Grand Challenge? Maybe Not
…but the problem posed by America’s half-million homeless is ripe for engineering solutions. - Sustainable Skies
Breakthroughs in propulsion systems and power storage herald a new era of clean, green electric flight. - Real World 101
Courses in financial planning, job-search strategies, and other life skills help ease the transition from campus to profession.
November 2017
- COVER: ENGINEERING FOR CATASTROPHE
RESEARCH ON CONSRUCTION MATERIALS, COASTAL PROTECTION, AND POWER GRIDS COULD HELP PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND SPEED RECOVERY FROM NATURAL DISASTERS. - WILD BLUE YONDER
DECADES AFTER THE X-15 LAST FLEW, HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY IS ONCE AGAIN POISED TO TAKE WING IN WHAT SOME ARE CALLING A NEW SPACE RACE. - LOVE ME, LOVE MY TEACHING:
STUDENTS’ COURSE EVALUATIONS ARE A FACT OF ACADEMIC LIFE. HERE’S HOW INSTRUCTORS CAN COMBAT STEREOTYPES AND GENDER BIAS WHILE IMPROVING THEIR OWN EFFECTIVENESS.
October 2017
- COVER: PREFERRED PROVIDERS
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING START-UPS STRIVE TO PLUG THE GAPS IN U.S. HEALTH CARE WITH ADVANCES IN TREATMENT, MORE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY, AND COST SAVINGS. - Rx FOR SUPERBUGS:
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY MAY HOLD THE KEY TO BATTLING A CRITICAL GLOBAL HEALTH THREAT: ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT MICROBES. - SWEET INSPIRATION:
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MOTIVATE AND ENGAGE STUDENTS? RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT CANDY IS DANDY.
September 2017
- COVER: GREAT AI LEAP FORWARD
CHALLENGING U.S. LEADERSHIP, CHINESE INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND CONSUMERS ARE MAKING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A WAY OF LIFE. - MENTOR, BUILDER, PARTNER:
BEVLEE WATFORD’S ADVICE TO A STRUGGLING STUDENT SUMS UP HER MISSION AS AN EDUCATOR AND ACTIVIST ON BEHALF OF UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES: ‘WORK WITH ME. YOU CAN MAKE IT.’ - THIRSTY GIANT:
SOFT-DRINK BOTTLERS WORLDWIDE DEPEND ON DIMINISHING SUPPLIES OF CLEAN WATER. HERE’S HOW COKE COPES.
Summer 2017
- COVER: BUILDING BOOM
FUELED BY MAJOR GIFTS, EMPLOYER DEMAND, AND ENROLLMENT GROWTH, DOZENS OF ENGINEERING SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE UNDERGOING OR PLANNING MAJOR EXPANSIONS. OTHERS ARE STARTING FROM SCRATCH. - NO BARRIERS HERE:
U.S.-MEXICAN RESEARCH COLLABORATION FLOURISHES DESPITE POLITICAL STRAINS. - HEADS UP!:
COLLECTING DATA ON EVERYTHING FROM ATTENDANCE AND QUIZ SCORES TO LIBRARY VISITS, SCHOOLS BOLSTER AT-RISK STUDENTS LONG BEFORE THEY STUMBLE.
March + April 2017
- COVER: BRAIN GAIN:
IRANIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS HAVE AN OUTSIZE FOOTPRINT AT U.S. ENGINEERING COLLEGES, CONTRIBUTING TO INNOVATIONS RANGING FROM SOFT ROBOTICS TO NOVEL IGNITION SYSTEMS AND ENERGY-EFFICIENT CEMENT PRODUCTION. WILL PRESIDENT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY DISRUPT THIS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PIPELINE? - REPLACED BY MACHINES:
WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PUTTING AUTOMATION ON STEROIDS, MORE JOB-MARKET DISRUPTION LIES AHEAD. WHAT’S THE ROLE OF EDUCATORS? - COURSE CORRECTION:
GEORGIA TECH’S PIONEERING ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE REVEALS A LARGE—AND UNMET—DEMAND FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION. WILL OTHER SCHOOLS FOLLOW SUIT?
February 2017
- COVER: DOWN TO EARTH:
ASTROPHYSICIST FRANCE CÓRDOVA HAS BUILT A CAREER PERSUADING NONSCIENTISTS TO SUPPORT BIG AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL GOALS. HOW WILL NSF’S DIRECTOR FARE IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION? - THE DARK SIDE OF ‘OPEN ACCESS’:
PREDATORY JOURNALS—AND OUTRIGHT IMPOSTERS—LURE RESEARCHERS WITH PROMISES OF QUICK PUBLICATION.
- CREATIVE COLUMBUS:
FROM THE ALE TRAIL AND MOUTH-WATERING DESSERTS TO A TOUCH-EVERYTHING KIDS’ MUSEUM, ART MAKER SPACE, AND BOTANICAL TREASURES, OHIO’S CAPITAL GIVES ‘LOCAL FLAVOR’ A WHOLE NEW MEANING. BRING AN APPETITE. - 124TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION:
WHERE ENGINEERING EDUCATION TAKES FLIGHT: FROM P-12 THROUGH LIFE.
January 2017
- COVER: QUBIT REVOLUTION:
ONCE THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION, QUANTUM COMPUTERS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES BASED ON THE QUIRKY PROPERTIES OF SUBATOMIC PARTICLES COULD SOON BECOME A REALITY. - MORE THAN TALK:
WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS WILD, ENGINEERS TAKE ACTION. - INSPIRATION CORPS:
BOSTON UNIVERSITY REIMAGINES K-12 ENGINEERING OUTREACH, DISPATCHING UNDERGRADUATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS SPEAKERS AND INSTRUCTORS.
December 2016
- COVER: MOVING PARTS:
HIGH COSTS OF TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY HAVE CITIES AND VISIONARIES RETHINKING HOW TO TAKE US FROM POINT A TO POINT B. - LIP SERVICE:
MACHINE TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGIES ARE SET TO CHANGE HOW TRAVELERS INTERACT WITH JAPANESE LOCALS LEADING UP TO THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS. - SINK OR SWIM:
A NOVEL ENGINEERING COURSE EMBEDS RIGOROUS MATH AND PHYSICS IN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING.
November 2016
- COVER: THE BIG BREAKUP:
WHILE POLITICIANS AND ECONOMISTS ARGUE WHETHER BRITISH VOTERS’ DECISION TO LEAVE THE EUROPEAN UNION WAS WISE, BRITISH ACADEMICS FEAR A DAMAGING FALLOFF IN RESEARCH FUNDING, COLLABORATION, AND TALENT. - UNDERWHELMING FORCE:
POST-9/11 VETERANS WERE SEEN AS A NATURAL FIT FOR ENGINEERING, BASED ON THEIR TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE. YET JUST A SMALL FRACTION OF RETURNEES HAVE JOINED THE FIELD. WHY? - MAKER MOVEMENT 2.0:
EDUCATORS SEEK TO DERIVE STRUCTURED LEARNING FROM “FAIRES” AND “SPACES” WITHOUT SACRIFICING HIGH-SPIRITED CREATIVITY.
October 2016
- COVER STORY: DISRUPTIVE DEVELOPMENT:
AMERICA'S PREMIER FOREIGN AID SUPPLIER IS TAPPING ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS' CREATIVITY TO SOLVE GRAND CHALLENGES FROM DISEASE TO WATER POLLUTION—UPENDING TRADITION IN THE PROCESS. - NOT FEELING THE HEAT:
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE MAY BE WHAT OUR WARMING CLIMATE REQUIRES, BUT GETTING ENERGY MARKETS ON BOARD WILL BE TOUGH. - SIGNIFICANT OTHER:
NSF STRIVES TO GET ITS ‘BROADER IMPACTS’ CRITERION TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY BY RESEARCHERS.
September 2016
- COVER STORY: TOUGH FIBER:
STURDY, FAST-GROWING, AND EARTH-FRIENDLY, BAMBOO IS PROVING IDEAL FOR HOMES IN DISASTER ZONES AND CELEBRITY BUNGALOWS IN HAWAII. WILL IT CATCH ON IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.? - A GAME CHANGER:
THE ASEE PRESIDENT'S CAREER REFLECTS HIS EARLY REALIZATION THAT ENGINEERS CAN MAKE AN IMPACT. - INVENTION ROULETTE:
TO THE ALREADY HIGH HURDLES IN FRONT OF MEDICAL-DEVICE START-UPS, ADD ONE MORE: PRODUCTS MUST BE COST-EFFECTIVE.
Summer 2016
- COVER STORY: BACK TO THE FUTURE:
AFTER DECADES OF COLD WAR SANCTIONS, A THAW IN U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS OPENS OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOINT RESEARCH AND EXCHANGES. - FLIGHT RISK:
NASA-LED RESEARCHERS STRIVE TO KEEP THE SKIES SAFE IN AN ERA OF LOW-FLYING COMMERCIAL DRONES. - STANDARDS OF PRACTICE:
PROPOSED CHANGES TO ACCREDITATION CRITERIA HAVE TOUCHED OFF A TEMPEST IN THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY.
March - April 2016
- COVER STORY: OFF CAMPUS CRUSADERS
A FEISTY BREED OF ACADEMICS RESPONDS TO CRISES, INVESTIGATES DISASTERS, AND SPEAKS TRUTH TO POWER THROUGH ENGINEERING. - TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM:
THE BEST GROUP PROJECTS MAY NOT REPRESENT THE MOST LEARNING. INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS AND SCAFFOLDING CAN HELP IMPROVE RESULTS.
February 2016
- COVER STORY: POWER PLAY:
ENGINEERS RENEW THE CASE FOR DIRECT CURRENT AS THE ANSWER FOR AN ERA OF MOBILE DEVICES, RENEWABLE ENERGY, BATTERIES, AND MICROGRIDS. - MADE TO MEASURE:
AN END TO GRADE GRUBBING? NOVEL ASSESSMENTS HELP ENGINEERING STUDENTS GAIN CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE BY FOCUSING ON WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN—NOT THEIR GPAS.
January 2016
- COVER STORY: A MATTER OF DEGREE:
JUST A FRACTION OF U.S. ENGINEERING GRADUATES SEE A MASTER’S OR PH.D. AS NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE, LEAVING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AS THE MAIN DRIVERS OF THE NATION’S RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. - PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF:
ADVANCES IN DESIGN AND ENGINE TECHNOLOGIES COULD SIGNAL A COMING BOOM IN SUPERSONIC BUSINESS TRANSPORT. - NO ACCIDENT:
EMBRACING STANDARD INDUSTRY PRACTICE, ENGINEERING SCHOOLS SEEK TO IMPROVE LAB SAFETY BY TRANSFORMING THEIR CULTURES.
December 2015
- COVER STORY: GOING FOR BROKE:
WOMEN FACE A NUMBER OF HURDLES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INCLUDING - FOR MANY - THEIR OWN RELUCTANCE. - THE NEXT GREEN REVOLUTION:
ADVANCES IN PRECISION AGRICULTURE HASTEN A FUTURE OF FARMS WITHOUT FARMERS. - MARGIN OF ERROR:
AS LANDLINES FALL INTO DISUSE AND SURVEY RESPONSE RATES PLUMMET, POLLSTERS ARE SEARCHING FOR NEW WAYS TO MEASURE PUBLIC OPINION.
November 2015
- COVER STORY: INDUSTRIAL RX FOR HEALTHCARE:
BY NOTING AND FIXING INEFFICIENCIES, SYSTEMS ENGINEERS – RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS – ARE OUT TO SHOW THEY CAN MAKE MEDICAL PRACTICE CHEAPER WHILE IMPROVING QUALITY. - ROAD WARRIORS:
ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS REFINE TRUCK DESIGNS TO MEET EVER STRICTER FUEL-ECONOMY TARGETS. - CLASSROOMS WITHOUT BORDERS:
AN 11-UNIVERSITY SERIES OF VIRTUAL COURSES REACHES ACROSS OCEANS AND CULTURES TO PROMOTE GLOBAL COLLABORATION AND SHARED LEARNING.
October 2015
- COVER STORY: EYES ON THE SKIES:
DEVELOPMENT OF A SPRAWLING TELESCOPE ARRAY HAS MADE SOUTH AFRICA A WORLD LEADER IN RADIO ASTRONOMY AND PRODUCED A PIPELINE OF SPECIALIZED ENGINEERS. - CIRCUIT BREAKERS:
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS TAP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM'S ELECTRICAL HARDWARE FOR DRUG-FREE TREATMENT OF DISEASE. - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:
THE CLEAR SKIES ABOVE HAWAII'S MAUNA KEA MAKE THE SITE IDEAL FOR A GIANT TELESCOPE. THAT'S ASSUMING ENGINEERS CAN SHIELD IT FROM EARTHQUAKES, FIERCE WINDS, AND EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
September 2015
- COVER STORY: GROUND SHIFT:
LOOKING BEYOND MINING AND COPPER EXPORTS, CHILE OVERHAULS 10 TOP ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN A BID TO JOIN THE WORLD'S ADVANCED ECONOMIES. - LEADING BY EXAMPLE:
ASEE'S PRESIDENT FOUND HIS CALLING AS A TEACHER AND HIS PASSION AS A LEADER. - IN-FLIGHT RECOVERY:
HOW AN OLD-LINE MAKER OF AIRCRAFT ENGINES DEFIED THE RUST BELT CURSE.
Summer 2015
March-April 2015
- COVER STORY: Growing Pains:
Ethiopia is pushing engineering education harder than any other country in Africa, creating challenges for its academics. - Driver's Ed:
On Virginia Tech's “smart” highway, researchers and students put pedal to the metal in an effort to improve cars, reduce collisions, and ease traffic. - Full Steam Ahead:
Engineering and art collaborations flourish, but which group is leading?
February 2015
- COVER STORY: Human Spare Parts:
A new engineering discipline looks ahead to the manufacture of personalized organs for testing or replacement. - Piercing the 20 Percent Ceiling:
Several enterprising engineering schools have figured out how to lift the number of female graduates beyond a dismal, decades-old norm. - Reality Knocks:
A graduate program trains engineering leaders by pushing them out of their comfort zones.
January 2015
- COVER STORY: Sea Change:
From melting polar ice to savage storms, the shifting global climate inspires new research – and opportunities – in naval engineering. - Checkered Careers:
If engineers like what they do, why do so many – including some of the best – work outside the field? An ongoing study seeks to understand the connection between engineering education and the workforce. - 'Bot Diggity!
Cheap yet sophisticated personal robots enliven an introduction to engineering.
December 2014
- COVER STORY: To Market, To Market
Since 2011, NSF's Innovation Corps has sent 365 research teams out of their labs to scout potential customers, and helped launch 208 start-ups. - Don't Miss A Beat
NYU researchers crunch data from cameras, sensors, and cellphones to capture the city’s pulse in real time. - STEM by Design
A novel cross-campus collaboration is forging a pathway to teaching through engineering – without sacrificing quality or prestige.
November 2014
- COVER STORY: The Switch from Hell
The way GM handled a fatal flaw provides grist for instructors in engineering ethics. - Damage Control
Self-healing polymers, coatings, and concrete hold promise in fighting corrosion, closing cracks in plastic, and repairing structures – from dams to tunnels. - To the Barricades
Seeing RED, NSF aims to overthrow outdated curricula and exclusionary practices by ‘revolutionizing’ engineering departments.
October 2014
- COVER STORY: Millennial Magnet
The Grand Challenge Scholars Program reaches cruising speed, attracting the altruistic, the entrepreneurial, and the bored. - Atomic Power? Mai Oui!
France’s future-generation reactor would recycle most of its spent fuel. Could the process revive the U.S. nuclear industry? - Driven to Distraction
From texting to tardiness to cheating, incivility and misconduct can disrupt learning. Here are some tips for controlling a class.
September 2014
- COVER STORY: 20 under 40
Today’s young faculty are powered by ideas - in the classroom and the lab. - Recovery Engineer
ASEE’s president draws a lesson from the post-Katrina revival at Tulane: Play to your strengths. - Tips for a Winning Research Proposal
Experts suggest ways to gain favor with funding agencies.
Summer 2014
- COVER STORY: Survival Course
African-American males represent a sliver of enrollment. More could succeed in engineering if schools understood what it takes to beat the odds. - STEM’s Unlikely Patron Saint
Indiana’s budget-slashing former governor is betting Purdue’s future on engineering and technology education. - Game On!
Simulations and mobile apps can help students grasp fundamental engineering concepts – including structural failure.
March + April 2014
- COVER STORY: Higher Reach
Proponents say an engineering Advanced Placement test would bring prestige, broaden the field’s Appeal, and assure better K-12 preparation. Will engineering schools agree? - Carbon Creativity
CO2 researchers discover productive ways to recycle a climate change culprit. - Where Dots Connect
A new institute at Britain’s oldest university takes an interdisciplinary crack at 21st- century problems.
February 2014
- COVER STORY: Road to Recovery
Aided by faculty in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere, Afghan engineering schools – women included – regain their footing. - Creative Spark
Engineering students pen haiku, hawk bad art — even propose marriage — in courses meant to stimulate ingenuity.
Special Double Issue: 2014 ASEE Annual Conference Issue
January 2014
- COVER STORY: CANCER WARRIORS
Engineers, life scientists, and medical doctors converge to fight a common foe. - MOTHER LODE OF INVENTION
Entrepreneurs hope online tech transfer sites can help universities pitch – and profit from – their discoveries. - PIPELINE TO PRACTICE
Undergraduate research experiences foster skills, confidence, and the desire to pursue engineering careers.
December 2013
- COVER STORY: Icon of the Air
Behind the B-52’s longevity: overdesign to start with, and inventive, painstaking engineering ever since. - Extra Jolt
Small federal subsidies can be a lifesaver for struggling start-ups. - Upward Mobility
Techniques for mastering MOOCs – from ‘lecturelets’ to stage presence.
November 2013
- COVER STORY: HOME SCHOOLING
After decades of sending its top talent abroad, Botswana invests capital and effort in engineering education. - BOOM OR BUBBLE?
Engineering schools wager that the job market will keep pace with swelling enrollments. Some economists aren’t so sure. - STEP ONLINE IN STYLE
Techniques for mastering MOOCs – from ‘lecturelets’ to stage presence.
October 2013
- COVER STORY: THE UNDEFEATED
Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a leading champion of science and technology, has won battle after battle and is now at the peak of influence. Can she keep it up? - STAYING POWER
Breakthroughs in electrical storage technology are transforming the lowly battery. - WORK ETHIC
Industry experiences help lift a Canadian engineering school to star status.
September 2013
- COVER STORY: DELIVERING DIVERSITY
From classroom to cafeteria, rising international enrollments are changing the culture at U.S. engineering schools. - What's Her Secret?
As U.S. engineering programs struggle to close a stubborn gender gap, growing numbers of Muslim-world women are eager to join the field. - Hook, Line, & thinker
ASEE’s president brings a strong administrative record and a passion for research, advocacy – and fly-fishing.
Summer 2013
- Cover Story: 120 Years of Inspiration
A decade-by-decade tour of technological marvels and education milestones. - Hardy Perennials
As engineering education advanced through the decades, key debates kept recurring. - FORWARD THINKERS
From multidisciplinary new specialties to MOOCs, engineering education must meet expanding challenges and serve new constituencies.
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