If only we celebrated the creative technical genius in our midst to the extent that we honor our professional athletes and Hollywood film stars. Don't get me wrong -- athletics and entertainment certainly deserve a place in our lives (in fact, my own grandfather played professional football and earned numerous awards and trophies for his accomplishments on the field), but does it really make sense that there isn't some kind of highly publicized, eagerly anticipated, annual 'Innovation in Science and Technology' Achievement Awards event to recognize the 'best and the brightest' technical minds among us? To its credit, the publishers of Design News magazine host the Design News Engineering Achievement Awards each year to recognize the accomplishments of innovative engineering and design professionals throughout the country, and competitions like FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the Intel Science Talent Search both are instrumental in instilling a passion for science and technology among young people. But if we are to justly honor and increase the visibility of the innovators among us, we need to do even more.
All over the world, there are people who have dedicated their lives to solving real-world problems -- typically extremely challenging engineering or scientific problems that often require years of painstaking research to solve. And it is these innovators (who, incidentally, rarely become household names) that represent the world's top scientists, engineers, and designers who are responsible for delivering to us entirely new ways of living our lives. From the brains behind the Internet to the developers of the fuel-efficient, environmentally-friendly vehicle yet to come -- these are the kinds of all-stars who truly deserve to be recognized, and whose dedication to innovation is not only to be celebrated but should inspire us.
To this end, I would like to share with you the stories of at least a few of the award-winning innovators in this country who have, in effect, earned the equivalent of an Oscar in their respective fields this year. (See list of articles included below.) In honor of these men and women, and to those seeking to follow in their footsteps, a special thanks. Because it is through the efforts of innovators like you that we are all able to live safer, healthier, and more productive lives.
Note: The following articles highlight the achievements of award-winning scientists and engineers who have been identified as part of various independent science and technology award competitions. Sponsors of these competitions include: Design News, MIT Technology Review, NASA Tech Briefs, Intel and others. A special thanks to these organizations for recognizing today's (and tomorrow's) technology innovators and champions.
Engineering Achievement Awards Every industry has its heroes. And that is nowhere more true than in the world of engineering, where its heroes are working to develop products and technologies that have a positive impact on our lives every day, in both big and small ways. Design News, 3 March 2003.
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Maximum Impact Passionate about automotive safety, Engineer of the Year Tom Vos has spent 40 years focusing on a single event that is measured in milliseconds Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
Marathon Man Varian Medical.s Thanos Etmektzoglou has helped make intensity-modulated radiation therapy a key weapon in the fight against cancer. Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
Hard Charger Michelle Manzo Leads NASA Efforts To Advance Battery Technology. Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
This Network Rocks Gibson Labs has found a way to send real-time audio over Ethernet, and music may never be the same. Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
Liquid Assets German and American engineers, working together fluidly despite being separated by an ocean and six time zones, designed a machine that packages liquid pharmaceuticals to new standards of purity and accuracy. Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
High-Tech Forceps Grab Award A student.s design for electrically controlled forceps could give surgeons better control in tight places. Design News, Engineering Achievement Awards, 3 March 2003.
Top Teen Scientists Honored At Intel Science Talent Search Ten of the nation's brightest high school seniors received scholarships as high as $100,000 today at the Intel Science Talent Search (STS), America's oldest and most prestigious science competition.
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) FIRST inspires in young people, their schools and communities an appreciation of science and technology, and of how mastering these can enrich the lives of all. Corporate America provides economic and professional support to FIRST. Many Fortune 500 companies have significantly helped FIRST grow and are committed to its continued progress.
Emhart/NASA Tech Briefs First Annual Design Contest Winners Chosen At a special event held on March 3 during the National Design Engineering Show in Chicago, Emhart Teknologies presented the winners of the Emhart/NASA Tech Briefs "Create the Future" Design Contest. The first annual contest invited entrants to submit an original design idea in one of three categories: Safety, Transportation, and Everyday Products.
The State of Innovation MIT Technology Review peeks into the future from technology's cutting edge. The State of Nanotechnology | The State of Information Technology | The State of Biomedicine | The State of Transportation MIT Technology Review, June 2002 $$
Comments? Feedback? Email Contact to tell us what you think about this topic or if you have additional information you'd like to share on this subject!
Amy Rowell is the managing editor of MCADCafe, and the editor of MCAD Weekly Review.
Top Stories
- Most analysts give Ford a fighting chance Without "a material change" in the industry's business model, General Motors and Ford face a crisis that "will involve restructuring, consolidation, or possibly even mergers with other partners," John Casesa, an auto analyst at Merrill Lynch, told the New York Times (NYT) in an interview. just-auto.com, -3/14/2003
- Stacks, Hydrogen Tanks Vital for Fuel Cell Cars The design of fuel cell stacks and hydrogen tank technology are vital for fuel cell vehicles to gain widespread acceptance, a visiting U.S. Energy Department official indicated. Financial Times Limited - 3/14/2003
- The Red Herring calls it quits (for now) by Tony Perkins. Red Herring ceases publication, as original founders plan comeback. Red Herring, March 2003
- Boxed out Research firm IDC lowers its estimate of global PC sales growth to 6.9 percent, down from 8.3 percent. CBS Market Watch - 3/14/2003
- Actify Corp. Announces CatiaV5 Support [13 Mar 2003]
- Actify Corporation Expands Into Four Countries Through 10 New Strategic Partnerships [13 Mar 2003]
- Actify Supports International Partnerships With 3 new Localized Products [13 Mar 2003]
- Alias|Wavefront Ships Latest StudioTools Upgrade [14 Mar 2003]
- Arena Solutions Simplifies Outsourcing and Enables Efficient Change Management for Innovative Manufacturers [11 Mar 2003]
- ASPire3D and Continental DataGraphics Announce Marketing Alliance Agreement [11 Mar 2003]
- CAD Industry Visionary Joins Cyon Research [12 Mar 2003]
- CADCAM-E Announces Release of Inventor Enterprise CAD Interoperability Suite - Supports CATIA, UG and Pro/E Data [12 Mar 2003]
- Cimatron Releases Enhanced QuickNC Solution [11 Mar 2003]
- Delcam To Demonstrate Latest Developments in CAD and CAM at MICAD [11 Mar 2003]
- Dell Delivers New Family of Innovative Latitude Notebook Computers; Customer Feedback Drives "D-Family" Innovation, Stylish Packaging [12 Mar 2003]
- Groove Networks and Intel 'Unwire' Collaboration; Groove Networks to Demonstrate Groove Workspace at Intel Centrino Mobile Technology NYC Launch Event [12 Mar 2003]
- HP "Connects" Business with New Wireless-ready Notebook PC; Compaq Evo Notebook Delivers Secure, Flexible Wireless Connectivity with Leading Performance [12 Mar 2003]
- HP Issues Statement in Response to Market Confusion Around Its 10-Q Filing [13 Mar 2003]
- Lockheed Martin F-117 Program Recognized for Manufacturing Excellence [12 Mar 2003]
- ManufacturingQuote, Inc. and CLB Media, Inc. Launch MfgJobs Canada for Manufacturing Professionals [10 Mar 2003]
- MatrixOne and Tata Consultancy Services Establish PLM Center of Excellence [13 Mar 2003]
- MecSoft Corporation Launches VisualMill Basic for $550.00 [10 Mar 2003]
- New E-book Covers Customization for AutoCAD Users [12 Mar 2003]
- PTC Training Centers and Partners Support Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire With Unprecedented Level of Certified Education [10 Mar 2003]
- QSSolutions Receives CADENCE Magazine Show Stopper Award for Iced*CAD; Iced*CAD Stops Them Cold at NDES [13 Mar 2003]
- Resinate wins CADENCE Magazine Award at NDES 2003 [11 Mar 2003]
- SAP Establishes Global Partner Network to Extend Industry-Specific Functionality for SAP(R) Business One(TM) [12 Mar 2003]
- SAP Launches New Industry-Specific Solution: mySAP(TM) Professional Services [12 Mar 2003]
- Solid Edge Beats the Competition with Two Major Industry Awards [10 Mar 2003]
- SolidWorks 3D CAD Software Becomes NASA Tech Briefs' First-Ever Two-Time Product of the Year Winner [10 Mar 2003]
- Space Foundation Announces 2003 Space Technology Hall of Fame Inductees [13 Mar 2003]
- TenLinks Enjoys 4th Anniversary Amid Record Traffic, Ad Sales [12 Mar 2003]
- Toyota Promotes North American Manufacturing Executives [12 Mar 2003]
- Fluid Flow & Electronics Cooling Seminars [10 Mar 2003]
- PLM World Inc. and EDS Rally World's Largest PLM Community Around a Common Open Platform [12 Mar 2003]
- STEP Tools, Inc. and NIST Co-host STEP-NC Meeting and Demonstration to be held on June 5 & 6, 2003, at NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland [10 Mar 2003]
- Delcam Software Cuts Toolmaking Times by 30-40% at Siemens VDO [11 Mar 2003]
- ESPRIT Provides Powerful 3D Design and Manufacturing Solution for Alan Johnson Performance Engineering.s New Intake Manifold [11 Mar 2003]
- Farm Irrigation Equipment Manufacturer Manages 35,000+ Drawings with Synergis Adept Document Management Software [12 Mar 2003]
- Formation Systems Helps Yves Rocher Increase Global Collaboration Between Research and Development and Production Teams [13 Mar 2003]
- Framework Technologies Selected by American Racing Wheels to Increase Product Development Success Through Implementation of Project Execution Decision Support Solution [10 Mar 2003]
- Iowa State University Brings Autodesk Inventor-based Curriculum to Community Colleges in the Midwest [12 Mar 2003]
- Leica Geosystems Wins Contract for Laser Tracking Systems by Ford Motor Company [13 Mar 2003]
- MSC.Software Announces New Corporate VPD Software Agreement With The Boeing Company [12 Mar 2003]
- Olin College, Committed to Turning out '21st-Century Engineers,' Standardizes on SolidWorks 3D CAD [12 Mar 2003]
- One of Russia's Largest Airports Signs on With Tecnomatix to Improve Passenger Terminal Services [11 Mar 2003]
- Ship Engine Builder Wartsila Selects Proficiency for Multi-Cad Collaboration [10 Mar 2003]
- commentary: Is SolidWorks the New Autodesk? [12 Mar 2003]
- commentary: National Design and Engineering Show 2003 Highlights [10 Mar 2003]
- Newsweek: Armored-Car Makers Say U.S. is one of the Fastest-Growing Markets; Ford, GM, BMW Releasing Cars That Can Stop Bullets, Grenades, Hermetically Seal Shut in Case of Gas Attack [09 Mar 2003]
Recommended Reading
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[ more Recommended Reading]
Events
Westec '03, 24-27 March 2003, Los Angeles, CA
COE Spring 2003 Conference & TechniFair, 30 March - 2 April 2003, New Orleans, LA
Fuel Cell Vehicles: The Road to Commercialization TOPTEC April 8-9, 2003, Ritz Carlton, Dearborn, MI. This two-day TOPTEC will discuss the industry, government, and customer perspectives on the status and continuing R&D for the commercialization of fuel cell powered automobiles. (Note: TOPTECs are one- to three-day TOPical, TEChnical symposiums, workshops, or forums that focus on emerging technologies, new applications to emerging technologies, or other expanded technical subjects.)
2003 PLM Vendor Forum -- 10 April 2003, Detroit, MI. Sponsored by CIMdata, this forum is designed to provide critical market and business information to technology and service suppliers of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions.
"Inside Design Now" 22 April - 3 August 2003, The Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York City. This exhibit is a critical overview of leading developments in contemporary American architecture and design over the last three years. On view will be the works of 80 designers and firms with over 300 objects, models, photographs, films and renderings. For information call 212.849.8400 or visit www.si.edu/ndm.
6th Annual Design & Business Conference "Success by Design 2003", 24 April 2003, The Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI. Sponsored in part by the Rhode Island School of Design. Speakers include Michael Graves, IDSA. For information call 401.454.6108 or e: Email Contact
PLM World '03, 28 April - 2 May, Anaheim, CA. PLM World is an independent, non-profit organization for CAD/CAM, CAE PLM industry professionals who use EDS-PLM Solutions software. Its mission is to be the Voice of the User in providing an open forum for the exchange of ideas within the EDS product environment. Citizenship is open to users of EDS Unigraphics, Metaphase, I-DEAS and iMAN software. Through networking, these users share best practices and technical techniques for implementing and using the software more effectively.
Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing: Advanced Product Development Solutions Conference and Exposition, 12 - 15 May, 2003, Hyatt Regency, Chicago. Sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. For more information: phone: 800.733.4763; website: www.sme.org/rapid
COFES2003: 4th Annual Congress on the Future of Engineering Software, 15-18 May 2003, Scottdale, AZ
2003 PLM Vendor Forum -- 21 May 2003, Paris, France. Sponsored by CIMdata, this forum is designed to provide critical market and business information to technology and service suppliers of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions.
daratechiDPS2003-- Intelligent Digital Prototyping Strategies June 9 - 10, 2003. Novi, Michigan. daratechiDPS2003 will update product development and engineering executives on the changing role of digital prototyping and simulation, explore how industry leaders are managing the tradeoffs between physical test and measurement and digital prototyping, and identify the business and technical case for investing in these technologies and processes.
2003 International Forum on DFMA June 17-18, 2003. Newport, RI. Sponsored by Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc. The International Forum on DFMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) is the foremost conference worldwide on early design analysis methodologies and implementation. Conference papers will discuss specific product development programs and examine cost reductions and efficiency gains at some of the world's leading manufacturing companies, such as Raytheon, Hewlett-Packard Company, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and Visteon Corporation, among others.
CIMdata PLM Conference June 23-25, 2003. Detroit, MI. "Unleashing the Value of Your Intellectual Assets." At PLMconference2003, attendees will be provided with a total view of the PLM picture including an industry vision, available opportunities, strategies for solution selection and implementation, roadmaps to move forward, pitfalls to avoid, and direction to help maximize the value and benefits of their investment.
Brand Identity & Package Design June 23-25, 2003. Chicago, IL.
Global Design Trends June 26, 2003. McCormick Place, Chicago. Anyone with an interest in industrial design will benefit from this valuable learning and networking opportunity, conveniently held during NPE 2003. Keynote speaker Mark Dziersk, FIDSA, Vice President of Design at Herbst, Lazar, Bell, will talk about the shifting and transforming role of the industrial designer in an evolving industry. A panel on global trends will provide insight into new trends shaping design in the international context. Keep your eye on www.idsa.org for more information or, contact: Email Contact, 703.707.6000
SIGGRAPH2003 27 - 31, July 2003. San Diego, CA. SIGGRAPH 2003, the 30th International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, will take place July 27 - 31, 2003 at the San Diego Convention Center.
IDSA National Conference and Gallery August 13-16, New York, NY
[ more Events]
You can find the full MCADCafe.com event calendar here.
To read more news, click here.
-- Amy Rowell, MCADCafe.com Contributing Editor.