[Washington, D.C.]  Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Dan Lipinski’s resolution, H.Res. 917, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Engineers Week.  Founded by The National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951 and involving more than 100 society, government, and business sponsors and affiliates, including Boeing, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Council of Engineering Companies, National Engineers Week is celebrated across the country to raise public awareness of the important contributions engineers make to our nation and to inspire more young Americans to become interested in engineering.

“Engineers have helped us build boats to cross the seas, railroads to take us west, and the internet to communicate with the world,” stated Congressman Lipinski, who holds engineering degrees from Northwestern University and Stanford University.  “Today we need the innovative capabilities of engineers to confront the new challenges before us, such as developing American energy independence, finding solutions to confront global climate change, and making our nation more secure.”

Currently, there are more than 2 million engineers working in the United States, but the nation is lagging far behind many others, especially China and India, in the training of new engineers.  The National Academy of Science’s report entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm raised questions about America’s future technological competitiveness.  This report emphasized the need for the government to take a number of actions, including addressing the looming shortage of engineers.  Improving science, technology, engineering, and math education is one needed step and Congressman Lipinski has co-sponsored legislation that will address many of these education gaps.

“As an engineer I have a unique perspective on what we should be doing to bolster American competitiveness,” said Lipinski.  “When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, I was fascinated with figuring out how mechanical devices work.  I remember that my high school calculus and physics teachers at St Ignatius – Father Thul and Father Fergus –were the ones who helped mold this childhood fascination into an interest in engineering.  Providing this type of inspiration for the next generation of engineers is one of the main purposes of National Engineers Week.  We must continue to do all we can to encourage and inspire the boys and girls, men and women, who will be the American innovators of tomorrow, so that America continues as a leader in this increasingly competitive world.  And by passing this resolution today, we help contribute some needed inspiration.”