What is the difference between a Scientist and an Engineer?

What’s An

Engineer

?

A presentation brought to you by

the Education Outreach Program

at the

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division,

Patuxent River, Maryland

 

Engineers and scientists are often confused in the

minds of the general public.

Scientists

explore nature in order to discover general

principles.

Engineers

apply established principles drawn from

mathematics and science in order to develop

economical solutions to technical problems.

What is the difference between

a Scientist and an Engineer?

What Does an Engineer Do?

An Engineer uses science, technology, and mathematics

to design useful things for the benefit of people.

What Types of People Like Engineering?

 

People who like to work with cutting edge

technology

 

Creative people

 

People who like to solve problems

 

People who like teamwork

 

People who want to make things better

Is Engineering Just About Science and

Math?

NO!!!

Engineers are good communicators … they need to speak and write well

to share their ideas and designs with peers and customers.

Engineers are “team players” ... they understand that working with

people with different backgrounds and experiences will result in a better design.

Engineers have broad skill sets … many engineering jobs cross

engineering disciplines. For example, an aviation structural engineer may have a civil engineering degree. Biomedical engineering combines

What Do Engineers Look Like?

Do You Recognize These Engineers?

Astronauts

Neil Armstrong Aerospace Engineer Judy Resnick Electrical Engineer

Lonnie Johnson

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering degrees Invented the Super Soaker

“The Apprentice” Dr. Randal Pinkett

Engineering degrees from Rutgers, Oxford and MIT

Bill Nye “The Science Guy”

Television personality, Mechanical Engineer

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Improve the safety of the space shuttles and Navy aircraft

 

Build a more spacious airliner

 

Create satellites that detect drought around the world

 

Design robots that collect samples on other planets, revealing insights about our galaxy

 

Develop parachutes, using new materials to improve their performance

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Design environmentally friendly cleaning products

 

Develop materials to prevent corrosion on Navy ships

 

Develop chemotherapy that has fewer side effects

 

Turn seawater into drinking water

 

Develop ways of mass producing vaccines to ward off epidemics

 

Reduce pollution by developing cleaner sources of energy

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Create software that detects brain tumors earlier

 

Design a feather-light laptop

 

Develop software for Navy airplanes

 

Develop user-friendly blogging software

 

Oversee the computer network for a telecommunications company

 

Predict the strength of earthquakes through computer simulation

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Invent better MRI scanners, allowing doctors to see even more clearly inside a patient’s body

 

Develop better means of detecting underwater threats to Navy ships

 

Create special effects for the movies

 

Design cell phones that work more reliably and have more features

 

Develop artificial retinas for the blind

 

Work on satellite communications systems that connect people around the world

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Design “smart” toys for kids

 

Design unique prototype parts for Navy airplanes

 

Develop cars that are more fuel efficient

 

Produce hypoallergenic air conditioning for hospital operating rooms

 

Create prosthetic hands that allow a person to type and write

 

Build aerospace vehicles to trek across planets and moons, collecting samples

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Design merchant ships, warships, drilling platforms and pleasure boats…even cruise ships!

 

Find new ways of making boats and ships do their job better (cargo, salvage, drilling, exploration,…)

 

Find new ways to make places that support ships work better (ports, docks, platforms,…)

 

Design more innovative and efficient power and propulsion systems (go faster on less fuel)

 

Find new materials for building ships (new metals, composites, plastics,…)

What Kinds of Engineers

are there?

 

Design and build complicated systems out of many parts (airplanes, cars, computers and software, medical, environmental,…)

 

Make sure all pieces of complex systems are built correctly so they come together in the right way at the right time

 

Solve complicated problems to make sure that systems do what they were designed to do, are reliable, and continue to improve

All new or modified Navy and Marine Corps aircraft are tested at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Patuxent River. The engineers at “Pax River” do important work for our country by ensuring the aircraft and equipment our service men and women depend on will:

 

Keep them safe

 

And enable them to perform their mission successfully.

Pax River hires many types of engineers.

Next is an example of the day in the life of an aerospace engineer:

What do Engineers do at

Patuxent River?

There are many other types of Engineers!

Agricultural Architectural Biomedical Civil Environmental Industrial Manufacturing Materials Mining / Geology Nuclear Ocean Petroleum Software

Why Be an Engineer?

 

Interesting work and job satisfaction

 

Great variety – electrical, biomedical, environmental, chemical and more!

 

Solid foundation for other careers such as law and management

 

Opportunity to benefit society by solving humanitarian and environmental problems

Start Preparing Now!

Preparing for college begins early!

Recommended
Course
Work
from
Try
Engineering
organiza7on
   Math (4 Years): •  Algebra I and II •  Geometry •  Trigonometry •  Calculus  

Science (4 Years): •  Biology •  Physics •  Chemistry

• 

(Other options include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Ecology, Astronomy, and

Earth Sciences.)

  Language Arts (4 Years):

•  English

•  Electives in this area includes Speech/Debate, Communications/Media, and Journalism.)

  Foreign Language (3 Years):

Additional preparation for College Success

 

Take AP or Honors courses when offered

 

Do well on standardized tests

 

Join engineering or science clubs

 

Get involved in other extracurricular activities that will help you build valuable skills for the future

 

Apply for a summer job at an engineering facility or gain experience through a non-paid internship

  Apply for a government fellowship at www.asee.org

Local engineering degree pathways

College
of
Southern
Maryland



 

Two
year
program


 

Transfer
60
credits
to
University
of
 Maryland’s
engineering
school


University
of
Maryland
at
the
Southern


Maryland
Higher
Educa7on
Center


 

Junior
and
Senior
Year
Comple7on


 

Blend
of
teleconference,
classroom
and
 campus
format


 

Coopera7ve
Educa7on
Opportunity
with
 NAWCAD
Patuxent
River
–
Earn
While
You
 Learn


Where
Can
You
Find
More
Informa3on?


Na7onal
Defense
Educa7on
Program
 hQp://www.ndep.us
 hQp://www.ndep.us/lLabsPax
 American
Society
for
Engineering
Educa7on


 hQp://www.asee.org
 Naval
Air
Systems
Command
(NAVAIR)


 hQp://www.navair.navy.mil/jobs
 Engineer
Your
Life
 hQp://www.engineeryourlife.org
 Society
of
Women
Engineers
 hQp://www.swe.org
 hQp://aspire.swe.org


Education Outreach Resources

Education Outreach Coordinator Kathy Glockner

(301) 342-2281

[email protected]

Education Outreach Coordinator Karen Lane (Calvert County only) (301) 706-0245

[email protected]

www.ndep.us/labs/patuxentriver

Higher Education and Research Partnerships Dr. Paul Hoffman

(301) 342-9361

[email protected]

References: American Association of Engineering Education and “Try Engineering”