March 2005, Issue #38

Feature Story

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

ACCORDING TO CNN/MONEY, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS STARTED WITH THE 3RD HIGHEST STARTING SALARY OF $49,926. THIS WAS RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT $52,563 AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING AT $53,117 SEE ALL RESULTS AT http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/05/pf/ college/lucrative_degrees/index.htm

A company builds electronic communications equipment for aircraft and spacecraft. Ann is leading a design team that is working on the microwave circuit boards for a new type of spacecraft. The boards use controller chips based on silicon, but newer chips based on gallium arsenide are supposed to work better. Ann and her co-workers, Miguel and Jonathan, check the specifications of both chips and find that the newer ones are more efficient; their use will allow simplifying other circuits and increase the reliability of the device. The team is prepared to make the changes, but the added cost of the new chips will cancel the savings resulting from the simpler circuits. They decide to recommend the gallium arsenide chips anyway because of their high reliability. Reviewers in the company and in the government's space agency agree. The result of the team's design is a device that will do the job better with no increase in cost.

The diverse and progressive field of electrical and electronic engineering has grown rapidly is the largest branch of engineering. Electrical engineers (EEs) are imaginative problem solvers. They enjoy challenges.

According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, "Electrical engineering is about 100 years old, and electronics has been a science for about 75 years. Electrical engineers specializing in power work with motors and generators, and design transmission lines and power plants. EEs specializing in electronics deal with communications, such as radio, television, and telephony, and with digital and analog circuit technologies. All engineers draw from the fundamentals of science and mathematics. They design and work with electrical, electronic, electro-optical, and electromechanical devices, circuits, and systems. They collaborate with other professionals in developing sophisticated software tools that support design, verification, and testing. Electrical engineering is a discipline that integrates many other disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer software and hardware, solid-state electronics, communications, electromagnetics and optics, signals and signal processing, systems science, reliability, engineering economics, and manufacturing."

The developments of electrical and electronic engineers are everywhere. There are thousands of electrical devices and systems available today that electrical engineers have somehow touched. Anything you plug into the wall — stereos, computers, microwaves, televisions, power tools, air-conditioners, and major appliances — has been touched by an electrical engineer. Even things you can't plug into the wall — satellites, cellular phones, and beepers — have been designed, manufactured, or modified by electrical engineers.

Major specializations within electrical engineering include power plant/energy, communications, optical engineering, robotics, and computer engineering.

A power engineer is challenged by increasing demands for electrical power. You will design and operate highly complex highly plants and power networks. You may be asked to select from alternative methods of generating electrical energy according to cost, availability, and long-term effects on the environment.

A communications specialist may design and improve worldwide networks of telephones, radio, or television. You may be asked to help design new satellites to provide instant access to voice, image, or other data anyplace in the galaxy.

A robotics or control specialist designs automatic controls for machines, appliances, and manufacturing processes, including computers that use expert systems software to incorporate automatic decision-making into manufacturing processes.

Whether you design large electric power systems to carry electrical energy to communities over long distances or tiny electronic devices to save lives, a career in electrical engineering offers diverse challenges and great satisfaction.

According to the IEEE, "the key to employability is acquiring the knowledge and skill sets in demand by employers. Those who fail to gain or maintain knowledge and skill with tools, such as computer-aided design (CAD) and other software relevant to their work, are disadvantaged. The lack of communication and interpersonal skills, needed to work effectively on teams, can also be a stumbling block."

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has a fantastic Web site at http://www.ieee.org/ that is jam-packed with information about the world of electrical engineering. See the numerous divisions within the world's largest technical professional society. The Web site has pages on internships and scholarships. It lists information on job hunting and has a job bank. Twenty-five percent of the world's technical papers are produced each year through the IEEE. The institute has student chapters at numerous universities and offers student benefits such as group insurance programs, credit cards, auto and education loans, Kinko's copy service discounts, and car rental discounts. Students receive the IEEE SPECTRUM magazine and a discount on membership. The Web site is well worth the time invested in browsing.