Bootstrapping the future
If you have been reading the editorials in the various electronics engineering publications (ourselves included), you know that there is a rising level of concern with the future of our industry as it relates to EE students. Lamentations about the fate of electronics engineering education abound, bemoaning fewer students, a lack of optimism, and the need for motivation and inspiration.
It is always better to light a candle than curse the darkness, so we are working with students to create more opportunities for students.
There are some fine efforts out there by groups like the IEEE and companies like Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, and National Instruments, but there needs to be more done on an industry level. We here at the Hearst Electronic Group are taking our own action by creating an interactive online site for engineering students called eeExperience.com.
Currently in beta development, the site will provide a community bringing together EE students with the industry and one another to develop a relationship that will continue into their professional careers. The intent of the site is to become a force multiplier, not replacing any of the current efforts in existence, but providing a forum where students everywhere can discover and explore them.
The key to this site is that it is a bottom-up, not a top-down, effort. By not affiliating directly with any one organization, eeExperience will be accessible to every engineering student interested in electronic components and technology.
The effort is being spearheaded by a group of students from the New York Institute of Technology, the same students that created the top-rated IEEE student Web site in the United States. To further emphasize the student-oriented nature of the community, both the editor-in-chief and publisher of the site are students as well.
By reaching out to the student community with interesting news, discussions, and articles, eeExperience will provide a catalyst for increased industry participation by students as well as a nonpartisan community to discuss important technical and educational issues. In addition, by providing a new national forum for students to publish their papers and participate in design contests and other stimulating activities, eeExperience will help inspire students to more actively participate in the industry and better prepare themselves for the transition from student to engineer.
The site is expected to go public in the new year, and will include technology and product news, an event calendar, and a career center, as well as student-written articles on their projects as well as other topics of interest. Anyone interested in participating in the development of eeExperience can drop me a line anytime.
Alix L. Paultre, Executive Editor
apaultre@hearst.com
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