Features

A drought is a year with a below-average water supply, and it’s a natural part of the climate cycle. But climate change has made droughts more frequent, severe, and pervasive. Europe is currently experiencing its worst drought in 500 years, while parts of the Western US are experiencing a “megadrought” that’s been called the worst in 1,200 years.

This year’s National Engineers Week takes place from February 19-25, 2023. First founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Engineers Week brings together a formal coalition of over 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies.

Engineering is an exceptionally dynamic sector. It is continually changing and expanding, and experts, professionals, and academics in the field need to keep pace with all of the latest developments. Conferences provide professionals in various engineering disciplines with knowledge about cutting-edge tools, technology, and skills in the field.

The best gifts for mechanical engineers are tools that help them activate their engineering spirit and build their own creations. Those tools can be knowledge-based, they can be practical, or they can be plain old fun. We’ve gathered a list of potential mechanical engineering gifts that fit every budget and personality.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which aims to help individuals protect themselves online. It’s also an opportunity to recognize the important work that cybersecurity professionals do to keep us, our businesses, and our nation’s infrastructure safe.

Many believe science and engineering to be strictly objective and dispassionate, but the identity of a person no doubt shapes his or her way of viewing the world. By discriminating against women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community, STEM fields are limiting their perspective and approaches to problem-solving.

Engineering internships are an increasingly important part of the transition from student to engineer. Internships provide an opportunity to put theoretical skills to work in hands-on environments. They also give engineering students valuable work experience, networking opportunities, and future career options.

April is Math and Statistics Awareness Month, a time to increase the public’s understanding and appreciation of mathematics. Beginning in 1986 as Math Awareness Week, the occasion has grown with the field itself. Today, math powers practically everything, and holds the key to many of society’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, information security, and counteracting disease.

The 12th annual National Robotics Week (RoboWeek) takes place April 2-10, 2022. Established by Congress in 2010, this tech-focused week is about demonstrating the positive societal impacts of robotic technologies, and inspiring students of all ages to pursue careers related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

To help raise awareness of the importance of groundwater, the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) has designated 2022 as the year of “Making the Invisible Visible: the Year of Groundwater.” Over 2.7 billion people a year experience water scarcity for at least one month a year.