Automation Engineering Team Wrap Up
Team Members:
Leo Staples, OG&E, AF Board Member
Randy Buchanan, University of Southern Mississippi
Russ Rhinehart, Oklahoma State University
Tim Feldman, ISA Director of Global Operations
Meetings (with Congress/Senate and/or staffers):
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)
The Automation Engineering Curriculum team’s meetings included sessions with several key lawmakers who are active in related committees and subcommittees. For example, Senator Wicker is an active member on several committees, including Commerce, Science, and Transportation. During the team’s meeting with Wicker’s office, the team discussed our desire to see a committee established to look into the need for an automation engineering curriculum, so that the government will have independent evidence to support what the industry has defined. Wicker’s staff expressed their support, and would like to follow up with the group and stay informed on our efforts.
The team also met with Senator Cochran, a long time member of the Senate. Cochran is a member of the House/Senate International Education Study Group and the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, amongst other groups. He is also a ranking member on the Homeland Security subcommittee. In the meeting, the team discussed potential partnerships with government-funded research agencies and other key stakeholders who might be interested in the issue. The team also offered our services as a resource for any issues involving education in the automation arena.
In a twist of fate after a meeting with Congresswoman Mary Fallin’s staff, the team ran into the Congresswoman at lunch later in the day. After a discussion about the issues and opportunities, Fallin offered her support and asked the team to stay in touch on the issue.
Additional meetings were held with Representative Frank Lucas and his Legislative Director Graves Englund. Key points at the meeting were U.S. schools do not teach automation as an undergraduate engineering discipline, and automation technology is advancing so rapidly that it takes one to three years for graduates of other engineering disciplines to perform at a professional level in automation. In the past, manufacturing companies and large engineering contractors funded the automation training of new engineers. During that era, engineers could be expected to remain with the company for decades.
"Our goal is to develop curriculum content for a 4-year automation engineering degree program," said committee chair Randy Buchanan of the University of Southern Mississippi. "Once we have that in place, we'll work with universities to implement programs and with ABET to get the programs accredited."
Representative Lucas was support of the Federation’s effort and wanted to be kept informed of progress during our hill visits. He said he would work within the House Science Committee Task Force on Globalization and the Workforce to bring the issue to the attention of his committee members.
Leo Staples, OG&E, AF Board Member
Randy Buchanan, University of Southern Mississippi
Russ Rhinehart, Oklahoma State University
Tim Feldman, ISA Director of Global Operations
Meetings (with Congress/Senate and/or staffers):
Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)
The Automation Engineering Curriculum team’s meetings included sessions with several key lawmakers who are active in related committees and subcommittees. For example, Senator Wicker is an active member on several committees, including Commerce, Science, and Transportation. During the team’s meeting with Wicker’s office, the team discussed our desire to see a committee established to look into the need for an automation engineering curriculum, so that the government will have independent evidence to support what the industry has defined. Wicker’s staff expressed their support, and would like to follow up with the group and stay informed on our efforts.
The team also met with Senator Cochran, a long time member of the Senate. Cochran is a member of the House/Senate International Education Study Group and the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, amongst other groups. He is also a ranking member on the Homeland Security subcommittee. In the meeting, the team discussed potential partnerships with government-funded research agencies and other key stakeholders who might be interested in the issue. The team also offered our services as a resource for any issues involving education in the automation arena.
In a twist of fate after a meeting with Congresswoman Mary Fallin’s staff, the team ran into the Congresswoman at lunch later in the day. After a discussion about the issues and opportunities, Fallin offered her support and asked the team to stay in touch on the issue.
Additional meetings were held with Representative Frank Lucas and his Legislative Director Graves Englund. Key points at the meeting were U.S. schools do not teach automation as an undergraduate engineering discipline, and automation technology is advancing so rapidly that it takes one to three years for graduates of other engineering disciplines to perform at a professional level in automation. In the past, manufacturing companies and large engineering contractors funded the automation training of new engineers. During that era, engineers could be expected to remain with the company for decades.
"Our goal is to develop curriculum content for a 4-year automation engineering degree program," said committee chair Randy Buchanan of the University of Southern Mississippi. "Once we have that in place, we'll work with universities to implement programs and with ABET to get the programs accredited."
Representative Lucas was support of the Federation’s effort and wanted to be kept informed of progress during our hill visits. He said he would work within the House Science Committee Task Force on Globalization and the Workforce to bring the issue to the attention of his committee members.
posted by AF at
11:24 AM
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