Hug an engineer for making your life better

This week across the nation, we celebrate National Engineers Week. Although we typically work behind the scenes, I would like to leverage this time to bring to light the amazing contributions engineers bring to society, as well as focus on the importance of continuing to fill the funnel of young people entering into this great vocation.

There are many aspects of our everyday life which are made better by the influence engineers have on society. As a civil engineer, I take pride in being a key adviser in assisting communities in assessing, planning and implementing the right solutions which take into account the safety and health of its citizens. Civil engineering is only one of many different engineering fields making contributions to our lives.

Civil engineers have been instrumental in the design of our nation's roads, railways and bridges, in addition to the water and wastewater systems that provide clean distribution of both drinking water and wastewater. Aerospace engineers develop and design the newest and most efficient air travel. Mechanical and electrical engineers design systems for efficient electric generation and distribution, which allow us to have the creature comforts we enjoy. Environmental engineers provide solutions to protect and clean up our earth for future generations.

Engineers are problem-solvers at heart and focus their efforts on creating solutions to some of life's biggest issues. Our country is in need of more problem-solvers, thinkers and doers. We have become a country that is allowing reality entertainment to wash over us, lulling us into complacency. It is time to get our young children engaged in problem-solving, designing and implementing. Young children love to build things, tear down and then build all over again. They are testers, looking for a better way to do things as they explore their surroundings. We need to foster the insatiable need to ask questions and find answers.

One such opportunity is the Cedar Rapids STEM Festival being held at the Cedar Rapids Public Library on February 23rd. The goal of the festival is to bring science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life by assembling experienced scientists, engineers, teachers and education experts to provide an afternoon full of hands-on activities for children. This is one step we can take to bring engineering to life for the next generation.

The City of Cedar Rapids has begun the Paving For Progress program, a 10-year campaign designed to rehabilitate and reconstruct our streets. The city engineering department has developed a plan to strategically improve the streets, leveraging a blend of both total reconstruction and rehabilitation methods to maximize the miles of roadway improved, while stretching the dollars invested. When appropriate, the roadwork also provides good opportunity to improve the infrastructure under and along the streets. Even though the additional road construction may cause some additional delays in your local travels from time to time, the improved roads will be safer and more efficient and will reduce the wear and tear on your vehicle. This is truly a great demonstration of civil engineering hard at work in our community!

Engineers are many times overlooked for their contributions. This week during National Engineers Week, I want you to think about your life and realize an engineer likely created a solution leading to the product, road, vehicle, microwave or cellphone you use. So, for making our lives a better, safer, more exciting and interesting place, do me a favor this week and 'HUG AN ENGINEER.”

' Nathan Kass is a civil engineer with Fehr Graham. Comments: (319) 294-6909