Need your help...support the education of more energy engineers

For the past several months I have been engaged as a volunteer with energy engineering students at the University of North Texas. The department is new and staffed with some extremely talented people, including Dr. Mat Traum, Phd from MIT. Unfortunately as a new department with a new focus, there is a substantial need for donations to help build the program.
Folks, it is imperative that we support schools of engineering like this one. Our future depends on it. I have donated a computer server and my solar research apparatus with a large fresnel lens that students have been using this semester to do research in thermoelectric effect.
As I sat at my son's graduation, three years ago for his degree in mechanical engineering, I was shocked to see his graduation class was composed predominately of foreign students. Our energy independence is not just a matter of fuels, we have to invest in our intellectual property, the knowledge and skills to make the changes. I challenge this organization to step up and help this program grow and flourish.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on June 1, 2009 at 8:22am: Hey Steve,

I couldn't agree more that students need support to excel. But (there's always a but) with tuitions as high as they are, I believe the schools, or money pits as I call them, should be the ones to foot the bills.

Schools have become arenas of social reform, much to the detriment of the education process. As long as the schools continue to build massive endowment funds and squander the proceeds on useless affectations, they will not see $1 of additional support from me or my family.

The Light is Green!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Steve Morriss on June 1, 2009 at 9:24am: I'm sorry you feel that way. The kids I'm working with however do not deserve the negative attitude about their desire to make a difference by becoming well trained engineers. I can't change the system, but we can impact their situation as students. I would hope you could do more to help.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul on June 1, 2009 at 11:31am: Hey Steve,

I do what I can. We work with kids, mentoring, granting access to senior people, and eventually will have a real internship program. But Like I said, I think the schools can dig deeper. Heck I think the schools should start by looking at the ground before they pass the cup asking for handouts.

I have a real hard time sympathizing with institutions that have billions of dollars in endowments asking for handouts. Sure the market downturn hurt their portfolios too, but if they're going to pay basketball coaches millions of dollars per year, they can look someplace else for alms.

The coach said he brings millions of $$$ into the university, but we that state bought a hundred million dollar stadium and improvements -- he's still deep in the red by any reasonable standard of accounting!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Steve Morriss on June 1, 2009 at 1:00pm: I agree totally, the system is screwed up so...it's unbelievable. The only priorities center around everything but the quality of the products they produce. As I understand it, the universities have always played a balancing act to maintain enrollment against their admissions standards. If admissions drop they lower their admissions standards. This destroys the value and quality for everyone, as the professors get worked to death, hating every minute they spend trying to teach high school to college kids. I spoke with a lady that works there, they wrote a grant to fund assistance for the bottom level kids, completely ignoring the top level kids that may be struggling.
If those of us in the engineering community do not stand up, to let our voices be heard, then the jocks will. Better still, we make an attempt at raising awareness that we are losing the energy battles world-wide because we have failed to produce the intellectual critical mass required for innovation to spring from. Thanks for the comments.
I'll write an update soon on my solar steam project...things are looking very promising.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul on June 1, 2009 at 1:19pm: BTW, doing what we can requires a screening process. No one we work with has the slightest notion that they were 'entitled' to be where they are! In my 25 years I've seen my share of kids that thought they were 'ready' only to see them wast valuable resources, assets, time, and opportunities, ultimately to fall on their faces. I've become pretty adept at spotting talent. All the more reason I won't send $$$ to those that IMHO wouldn't know talent if if bit them on the ... ear, yeah ear :^); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gregory L. Smith on July 7, 2009 at 2:08pm: Until Colleges and Universities offer SOLAR design and engineering programs that include several aspects of the Solar development, why support them? Support goes to fill the needs of society and the students that graduate, but if they only learn of Mechanical and Systematic Engineering, they miss out on Electrical systems, miss out on Chemical Engineering and miss out on designing processes, so that they can help in the research processes that come to something more.
I developed a fully integrated Solar Program that offers Courses that no College has yet to offer. So why not offer new ideas and get the Boards of Regents to approve the Criterian Objectives of real Solar Engineering as well as the Labs that offer them the ability to get certification under NEC 741 or International Electrical Worker's Union's certification for Solar Systems? Unless you have a way to promote your graduates as "ready to provide solar installations" and have the certifications to back that up, what good is just a degree from an Engineer's school? You can work for any Industry, but will it be unique or exceptional? Not likely... NABCEP offers a limited but excellent Certification system, but who recognizes that? What certification is even necessary for most states? Oh, That's right! The Department of Energy doesn't have just one system of certification!!!! So unless the DOE changes and gets a singular system of control over industry, you won't have a viable system of education in the Universities or schools of higher education! But, Hey, maybe they have done it already and it isn't known??? I doubt it, but I can hope they will!
Otherwise, let me have a shot! I can do much better than some pencilpushing geek in Washington DC!~
If we're really serious about energy, we should start where the energy is the highest, ergo, Arizona, Texas and, yes, Oklahoma. Otherwise, why run a school? You can't get there from here if you start from nowhere! Gregor Smith gregors@att.net; ▶ Reply to This