Raise the Bar: Closing the Education Gap for the Future Civil Engineer – Ep 072

In episode 72 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Kelly Dooley ASCE’s Director of the Raise the Bar initiative and Brad Aldrich from Aldrich + Elliott on ASCE’s Raise the Bar initiative which is focused on closing the education gap for future civil engineers. We will also be answering some questions from the ASCE LinkedIn group on the Raising the Bar initiative.

Here are some of the questions I ask about Raise the Bar:

• What is Raise the Bar?
• Why do we need to raise the bar?
• What is the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge? Why was it established, and how is it related to Raise the Bar?
• How are you making sure that new ideas are being looked at from a professional practice perspective?
• What does the future of the engineering practice look like?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

• Raise the Bar is one of the ASCE strategic initiatives that ensure that all Civil Engineers are fully equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitude that are required to uphold that obligation they make to the public and to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare.
• The credentials that civil engineers hold are not just for their own sake, but they demonstrate to the public or employers or anyone outside of the engineering community, that they have met those standards set by the profession. By setting standards it allows us to regulate the requirements for the entrance to the profession.
• In this particular initiative, professional practice is a legal term, which means that you are a licensed professional engineer.
• The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge(CEBOK) defines what the knowledge and skills are for civil engineers to enter professional practice. It also defines the attitudes, or the way we think, feel and respond to a situation. This publication is really the foundation to Raise the Bar.
• Raise the Bar is serving to ensure that the BOK is being implemented. That does not mean that you need a master’s degree at this point in time, however a master’s degree may be required by the BOK.
• Aldrich says that when he interviews young engineers, “I don’t necessarily need them to get their master’s degree first, as I can put them to work with a bachelor’s degree, however, to be effective at a higher level, you are going to need additional education over the next period of years in your career.”
• Aldrich also stated, “I think a lot of engineers should start working with a bachelor’s degree and get informed of what their interest is so that when they go back and get their masters or additional education, it’s in an area that they really have a passion for.”

More details in this episode…

About our Guests:

Kelly Dooley, P.E., M.ASCE holds a five-year Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree from The Pennsylvania State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Maryland. She practiced structural engineering at Rathgeber/Goss Associates, a small structural consulting firm in Rockville, MD, for nearly five years.  Currently, Kelly works with ASCE as Director of Raise the Bar and is pursuing her Masters in Management part-time at the University of Maryland University College.

Mr. Brad Aldrich, P.E., F.NSPE, F.ASCE,  is President of Aldrich + Elliott, PC (A+E), located in Essex Junction, Vermont. Founded in 1995, A+E is an innovative leader in water, wastewater, and stormwater engineering for municipalities in Vermont and northern New England. Mr. Aldrich is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and holds licenses in VT, NH, ME and MA.He is an active member of both the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Aldrich served as President of the National Society of Professional Engineers in 2008-2009. Mr. Aldrich is a past President of the National Engineers Week Board of Trustees, and a past Director of the MATHCOUNTS Foundation and the Board of Governors for the Order of the Engineer Society. He was recently appointed to the Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers in Vermont.

Sources/References:

The Engineering Management Accelerator Workshop
ASCE: Raise the Bar
TCEP 068: How Hurricanes may Affect the Future of Civil Engineering
Kelly Dooley LinkedIn Profile
Brad Aldrich LinkedIn Profile
Aldrich + Elliott
ASCE
The Sociology of Professions

This episode is brought to you by Advanced Drainage Systems, the most advanced name in water management solutions. Reach out to your local ADS representative to schedule a presentation today or contact ADS at [email protected].

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century, Second Edition 

Engineer to Entrepreneur: Success Strategies to Manage Your Career and Start Your Own Firm

Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on how you can raise the bar in your civil engineering career.