Erica M. Mentone
"Engineers are team players who improve products, processes, and services."(2) Deeply rooted in the disciplines of science and mathematics, engineering is problem solving. This is vague, but engineers are needed for a broad range of highly specific careers. The U.S. Department of Labor identifies 25 engineering areas of specialization with over 80 subdivisions, but there are only six areas of engineering that comprise a major part of the profession. These areas are chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, industrial engineering, materials science engineering, and mechanical engineering. (2)
Engineers today and throughout history have seen problems, or needs in the society in which they lived, and met these issues with products, processes, or services. Engineers use scientific research, and apply it to solve a problem or fulfill a demand for a product or service.
The need for specific types of engineering is reflective of society. For example, Imhotep, one of the first known engineers, built the stepped pyramid in Egypt around 2550 B.C. Early engineering was in construction of monuments and structures to serve functional purposes as well as religious purposes for the time period. This development of the craft of engineering by the Egyptians, Persians, Medieval Europeans, and Asians of the ancient Mongol empire lead to beautifully crafted ancient cities. (2)
Civil engineering developed in the mid 1700s with the opening of the first school of engineering, the National School of Bridges and Highways in France in 1747. (2) Civil engineers were needed at this time, and still today, to plan cities, build highways, and create sanitation and water systems. Mechanical engineering began during the industrial revolution, when there was a need for machines to make the mass production of products more efficient. Currently, mechanical engineers create new machines, and improve the efficiency of existing machines. For example, a mechanical engineer might work for a company to improve the efficiency of heating and cooling systems. Since engineering is reflective of society's needs, it is not surprising that in our current society the largest branch of engineering is electrical and electronics engineering. (2) Electrical and electronic engineers, work to meet the needs of companies and consumers. An electrical engineer might design computers, robots, or stereo systems. In the future engineering will continue to meet the demands of society. It is foreseeable that engineering will expand to nanotechnology and sensors. (2)
