Today is Martin Luther King Day. The first one was on January 20, 1986 as a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King. Through fifteen years of the persistent efforts of Congress Members John Conyers (Michigan), Shirley Chisholm (New York) and an army of other supports, Martin Luther King Day legislation was passed in 1983. A number of changes were required for it to be acceptable as a federal holiday. The date was changed to the third Monday in January, rather than his birthday of January 15, so as to distance it from Christmas and New Years. Several states resisted celebrating the holiday for various reasons. Several southern states included celebrations for various Confederate generals on that day. Arizona voters didn’t approve the holiday until 1992 after pressure from a tourist boycott. Only recently in 2000 was it first officially observed in all 50 states.

Ironically in 2008, the original Martin Luther King Day of January 20 fell on the inauguration of the first acknowledged African American President. Barack Obama’s “This is your victory” election day speech spoke of a nation of hope “where all things are possible”. “Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a bit better than the one we inhabit today”.

Advocates of Martin Luther King Day promote it as a day to focus on service activities using the motto “make it a Day ON, Not a Day Off!”. In fact, the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act designates the holiday as a national day of volunteer service, asking “Americans of all backgrounds and ages to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy by turning community concerns into citizen action.”

Martin Luther King brought together a diverse cross-section of the American citizenry to break down barriers and join forces in a common cause of justice and equity. Unfortunately, we still have much further to go in achieving diversity and inclusion in engineering. Community service learning projects have been proven to be an effective tool in developing integrative thinking and societal context in engineering education, as well as a means of attracting and motivating underrepresented engineers. One of the most successful efforts is the EPICS (Engineering Projects for Community Service) program originated in the College of Engineering at Purdue and the 2005 winner of the National Academy of Engineering‘s prestigious Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education.

For more information, see the Engineering Pathway’s resources on Martin Luther King and community service learning. Or view our Engineering Diversity or our Computing Diversity educational community sites. View Michael Smith’s December 10th Engineering Education blog on the anniversary of his Nobel Peace Prize. The title of his Nobel lecture was “The Quest for Peace and Justice”.

Today in History – August 19, 1934 – First All-American Soap Box Derby.  This youth competition was inspired by photographer Myron Scott while he was covering a story on the soap box cars built by local boys for the Dayton Daily News. He was motivated to develop a similar program at a national scale. Not a whole lot has changed since then except that the event draws both girls and boys over a wider range of ages. The Derby has run nationally since 1934 and the World Championship finals are held each summer at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. The goal is to teach young people craft skills, the spirit of competition and perseverance to complete a complex project. The gravity-powered cars are required to use standardized wheels with precision ball bearings. Today, the rules allow a lot of freedom in the look of the car and its fairing. Modern cars can achieve speeds over 35 miles per hour, thus safety is a primary consideration in the design. Starting in 1993, the Derby went international with the Rally World Championship using a grand prix style competition. Laura Shepherd’s 1995 Soap Box Derby car is in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (photo, upper right).

I don’t believe that I have ever seen a wooden soap box, but they must have been an icon of the American scene at one time. Until the middle of the 20th century they were made of sturdy wood and were used after shipping for a wide range of reuse applications. I recall that politicians and preachers used to stand on a soap box as a makeshift speaking platform. A number of American inventions used them for early prototypes. For example, James Spangler made the first effective vacuum cleaner from an old fan motor attached it to a soap box stapled to a broom handle, using a pillow case as a dust collector. See my blog on the prototyping and the  first vacuum cleaner patent on February 18, 1901.

I’d love it if the Soap Box Derby competition challenges today’s youth to make more sustainable automobiles for future generations. Hybrids and automobiles using alternate fuels such as solar, biofuels or hydrogen are promising directions for research and development. The solar car, human powered vehicle and supermileage vehicle engineering student competitions at universities today help students develop integrative design and team skills, as well as provide engaging examples for the next generation of engineering students.

See the Engineering Pathway’s educational resources in automotive engineering and design or prototyping. For curricular resources, visit the Mechanical Engineering Education or the Design Engineering Education community sites .

Today in History – October 23-24 – TRON Legacy Exhibit at the National Science & Engineering Festival.

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has teamed up with Walt Disney Studios to co-create an interactive exhibit in Tent 102 at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, which will take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. each day.  The hands-on experience blends themes from the upcoming major motion picture TRON: Legacy with the NAE’s Grand Challenges for Engineering.

Exhibit-goers will be transported into the digital world of TRON: Legacy and examine where movie fantasy and reality intersect.  Visitors can try 3-D scanning and see how it’s bringing the real and virtual worlds closer together.  They’ll get a chance to do brain surgery on a computer-generated replica of a real brain, and experience a trip into the TRON: Legacy digital grid through an incredible 3-D light painting activity created especially for this exhibit. The NAE worked with Disney Imagineering research scientist Lanny Smoot (upper right photo) to develop the interactive demo.

TRON: Legacy is the stand-alone sequel to the 1982 motion picture TRON.  Both star Jeff Bridges as software engineer and video game developer Kevin Flynn, who was digitized by a laser and transported into a world of computer games in the original film.  In TRON: Legacy, Flynn’s son Sam finds himself in the digital realm where his father has lived for the past two decades.  The film, in theaters nationwide on Dec. 17, 2010, involved cutting-edge movie technologies, including one that allows Bridges to act as his younger self.

“Engineering is woven into the very fabric of TRON: Legacy. The story is rich with themes about technology and its evolving relationship with humanity in an increasingly digital world,” said co-producer Justin Springer.  “The line between science and art is blurring more than ever.  And some of the most talented artists in modern film making are engineers, mathematicians, architects, and computer programmers.”

An international committee of some of today’s most accomplished engineers and scientists determined the NAE’s Grand Challenges for Engineering.  They identified 14 potentially “game changing” goals for helping people and the planet thrive in the 21^st century that include enhancing virtual reality; engineering better medicines; advancing personalized learning; engineering the tools of scientific discovery; and reverse engineering the brain.

For more information, see the Engineering Pathway’s resources on the inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival and the NAE Grand Challenges. For related educational resources, visit the engineering education and the computer graphics & visualization disciplinary communities.

Also on this date on October 23, 1819, the first boat passed through the Erie Canal. On October 24, 1861 the transcontinental telegraph line was completed.

Today in History – August 19, 1934 – First All-American Soap Box Derby.  This youth competition was inspired by photographer Myron Scott while he was covering a story on the soap box cars built by local boys for the Dayton Daily News. He was motivated to develop a similar program at a national scale. Not a whole lot has changed since then except that the event draws both girls and boys over a wider range of ages. The Derby has run nationally since 1934 and the World Championship finals are held each summer at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. The goal is to teach young people craft skills, the spirit of competition and perseverance to complete a complex project. The gravity-powered cars are required to use standardized wheels with precision ball bearings. Today, the rules allow a lot of freedom in the look of the car and its fairing. Modern cars can achieve speeds over 35 miles per hour, thus safety is a primary consideration in the design. Starting in 1993, the Derby went international with the Rally World Championship using a grand prix style competition. Laura Shepherd’s 1995 Soap Box Derby car is in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (photo, upper right).

I don’t believe that I have ever seen a wooden soap box, but they must have been an icon of the American scene at one time. Until the middle of the 20th century they were made of sturdy wood and were used after shipping for a wide range of reuse applications. I recall that politicians and preachers used to stand on a soap box as a makeshift speaking platform. A number of American inventions used them for early prototypes. For example, James Spangler made the first effective vacuum cleaner from an old fan motor attached it to a soap box stapled to a broom handle, using a pillow case as a dust collector. See my blog on the prototyping and the  first vacuum cleaner patent on February 18, 1901.

I’d love it if the Soap Box Derby competition challenges today’s youth to make more sustainable automobiles for future generations. Hybrids and automobiles using alternate fuels such as solar, biofuels or hydrogen are promising directions for research and development. The solar car, human powered vehicle and supermileage vehicle engineering student competitions at universities today help students develop integrative design and team skills, as well as provide engaging examples for the next generation of engineering students.

See the Engineering Pathway’s educational resources in automotive engineering and design or prototyping. For curricular resources, visit the Mechanical Engineering Education or the Design Engineering Education community sites .

Have you developed courseware – interactive websites, simulations, tutorials, case studies, software environments or tools – designed to enhance engineering education? We want to see it! Submissions due July 17, 2009.

The Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware, hosted by the Engineering Pathway, is open to a wide range of submissions of high-quality, engaging, non-commercial learning innovations designed to enhance engineering education. Submissions for 2009 are due by July 17, 2009, and the Premier Courseware of 2009 will be announced at the Frontiers In Education Conference to be held October 18-21 in San Antonio, Texas. More details on the Premier Award and current and previous winners can be found on the Engineering Pathway at: http://www.engineeringpathway.org/premier/.

Check out our prior Premier Award winners. The 2008 Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware was awarded to Richard Anderson, Ruth Anderson, Natalie Linnell, Craig Prince and members of the development team from the University of Washington for Classroom Presenter.

Classroom Presenter is a Tablet PC-based interaction system that supports the sharing of digital ink on slides between instructors and students. Classroom Presenter enables the flexible delivery of lecture content and can increase student engagement and understanding of material. When used as a presentation tool, Classroom Presenter allows the integration of digital ink and electronic slides, making it possible to combine the advantages of whiteboard style and slide-based presentation. The ability to link the instructor and student devices, and to send information back and forth provides a mechanism for introducing active learning into the classroom and creates additional feedback channels.

Richard Anderson is a professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington and also serves as Associate Chair of educational programs. He won the 2007 UW Faculty Innovator for Teaching Award. Ruth Anderson teaches Computer Science at the University of Washington.  Natalie Linnell and Craig Prince are both PhD students at University of Washington working on educational technology with Richard Anderson.

The Engineering Pathway (www.engineeringpathway.org) is a portal to high-quality teaching and learning resources in applied science and math, engineering, computer science/information technology and engineering technology, for use by K-12 and university educators and students. Engineering Pathway is the engineering education “wing” of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) at www.nsdl.org.

The Engineering Pathway also hosts Engineering Education communities in all ABET-accredited computing and engineering disciplines as well as emerging new interdisciplinary communities.

Today in History – February 2, 1897 – Ice cream scoop patented by Alfred L. Cralle, the first African-American in Pittsburgh to receive a patent. His patent became the model for ice cream scoops in households soon after and the basis for many scoops today. Cralle was born in Lunenberg County, Virginia on September 4, 1866, was educated in the common schools of the county, and later worked with his father in the carpenter. This work sparked his interest in mechanics and he took advanced courses at Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. Although educated, his career path was to move to Pittsburgh where he served as a porter in Markell Brothers’ drug store and the St. Charles Hotel. He advanced to assistant manager when the Afro-American Financial, Accumulating, Merchandise and Business Association was organized.

For more information, see the Engineering Pathway’s resources on African American scientists, engineers & inventors or our engineering diversity website. For curricular resources, browse our resources on product and industrial design or visit the Mechanical Engineering Education community site.

Also on this date in history in 1923, ethyl gasoline is first marketed. Tomas Midgley, inventor and chemical engineer, credited with playing a major role in its development. Alas, he did not foresee all of the environmental issues associated with it and the product was later outlawed after many years of public action and scientific analysis. For more information, see the Engineering Pathwa’s resources on gasoline, petroleum additives and tetra-ethyl lead or Chemical Engineering Education.

Today in History – December 1, 1955 – Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a bus in Montgomery and galvanized the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks showed the world that a single courageous act could positively change the course of history. How can we use engineering and human-centered technologies to positively impact local communities? How do we integrate human-centered approaches into our curricula? See the Engineering Pathway’s resources on human-centered design and computing and on community service learning. Of note is the EPICS (Engineering Projects for Community Service) program originated in the College of Engineering at Purdue and the 2005 winner of the National Academy of Engineering‘s prestigious Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education.

December 1 also marks the day of notable inventions in the twentieth century. Ford introduced the continuous moving assembly line in his Highland Park, Detroit, Michigan, factory. Faster than the “push” assembly processes before, it was capable of delivering a car every 2-min 38-sec. Using a continuous moving chassis line the method was so successful that the Ford Motor Company became the world’s largest car manufacturer in the world. For more information, see the Engineering Pathway’s resources on automotive engineering and manufacturing processes. Additional curricular materials on modern manufacturing practices can be found on the Manufacturing Engineering Education or the Industrial Engineering Education community sites.

December 1 also marks the day that the first U.S. patent was issued for the soil-less culture of plants in a large commercial hydroponicum (No. 2,062,755) to Ernest Walfrid Brundin and Frank Farrington Lyon as a “system of water culture” in 1935. Hydroponics – the growing of plants with their roots suspended in water containing mineral nutrients found in soil – was coined in the early 1930s by Professor Gericke at the University of California at Los Angeles from two Greek words: “hydro” (water) and “ponos” (work, labor). See our educational resources in hydroponics and agricultural engineering. Or visit our Biological Systems and Agricultural Engineering Education Community site.

Encouraging young people to make a difference in the world through an engineering career is more likely to attract them than emphasizing the challenges of math and science. This is the major message of the recently published report of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) titled Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering. As a member of NAE’s Committee on Public Understanding of Engineering Messages and co-author of the report, our goal was to encourage coordinated, consistent, and effective communication by the engineering community about the role, importance, and career potential of engineering to a variety of audiences, including school children, their parents, teachers, and counselors; policy makers at the local, state, and federal level; and the public at large.

The four messages that tested best are:

• Engineers make a world of difference.
• Engineers are creative problem-solvers.
• Engineers help shape the future.
• Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety.

Although these messages resonated over a wide range of ages, ethnic groups and for both men and women, they are great for talking to teens and the people that influence their lives.

The report offers more on tested messages that reposition engineering as a satisfying profession that involves creative ideas and teamwork — not just personal benefits and technical skills. It positions engineering experience as one of discovery, design, imagination, innovation and contribution. Teen girls, in particular, are not sold on engineering. But they are interested in a career that is creative, rewarding and has a positive effect on people’s everyday lives. Younger girls, in particular, are more likely to be influenced if they see images that involve female engineers doing exciting and meaningful work.

The report also recommends strategies and tools that the engineering community may use to conduct more effective outreach.

I recently gave a Keynote Presentation at the 2008 WEPAM (Women in Engineering ProActive Network) national conference on the report. You are welcome to download and share with your colleagues. It summarizes the report in a nutshell with lots of illustrations.

For more educational resources see the TeachEngineering digital library. Or check out the Engineering Pathway’s K-12 community pages or search over our K-12 resources. The Engineering Pathway also hosts Broadening Participation communities as well as Engineering Education communities in all ABET-accredited disciplines.

K-12 Engineering Thumbnails. Click on image for catalog record.

The Engineering Pathway has initiated a photo competition to highlight image thumbnails of its cataloged resources. The main K-Gray pages will use these highlighted resources and their images in a banner near the top of the page — a K-12 resource will be highlighted on the left and a higher education resource on the right. A technology image will be in the middle. Some mockups of possible redesigns of these pages are at: http://epredesign.begins-here.com/. Note you can view the different mockups using the left navigation menu.

The K-12 pages will also use some of these images as well. The top candidates for K-12 “engineering in action” are shown above.

We would love to hear from you! Please go through the list below for the area that interests you and use comment space below to vote and give us your comments on your favorites. Feel free to contribute other candidates as well.

Today in History – November 16, 1965 – Walt Disney launches the EPCOT Center: Prototype Community of Tomorrow. As Walt Disney originally envisioned it, the EPCOT Center (which stood for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”) would be the key component of Walt Disney World – a working “city of the future” with residential, shopping and industrial districts that would showcase the latest technologies available. Walt’s vision included forward thinking ideas such as clean (read: electric) transportation systems, and a city dominated by the pedestrian (all automobile traffic was to be underground). In his own words, “It’s like the city of tomorrow ought to be. A city that caters to the people as a service function. It will be a planned, controlled community, a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities… [It] will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise.”

Walt Disney died approximately a year after the launch of the EPCOT project, and without his vision and drive the EPCOT Center took a very different direction. Instead of a working city, Epcot (no longer an acronym) is now a theme park with two different themes in one: a showcase of the future (a legacy of EPCOT’s original design) and the World Showcase (where you can tour the world by foot in under two hours). The theme park officially opened on October 1st, 1982 and 2007 marks it’s 25th year of operation. See the Engineering Pathway’s resources on theme parks and roller coaster design.

Also today in 1904, the electron tube was invented by John Ambrose Fleming. Electron tubes (known more commonly as vacuum tubes) are used to control or create an electrical signal by restricting the movement of electrons in a low-pressure space. They were the key devices that enabled the early development of technologies such as radios, televisions, and radar, which led to the electronics of today.