TOOTH BRIAN DENGEL

TIPS GENER AL MANAGER  KHK-USA

I graduated; now I am an engineer!?!

Does an undergraduate engineering education employed as an engineer and being a Professional Engineer. Any stu-
dent with a basic understanding of physics, material science, and gen-
make someone an engineer? eral mathematics can learn the concepts of engineering and work as
an applications engineer. However, being a Professional Engineer (PE)

I n my previous columns, I tried to connect real-world experiences

with concepts of gearing in order to entertain and educate you, the
reader. In this column, I wish to discuss the discipline of engineering
is a licensed profession. Like being a doctor, a lawyer, or a teacher,
being a Professional Engineer requires more than just a college degree.
In order to qualify as a Professional Engineer, the student must first
in general. complete an ABET accredited engineering program and then pass
Several years ago, I was interviewing candidates for an entry-level the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This exam, which is
application engineer opportunity. This position would require the administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering
engineer to interact with clients via phone and email in order to assist and Surveying (NCEES), consists of 110 discipline-specific questions
them in determining the proper gearing mechanisms for their unique and has a passing rate of approximately 72 percent. If successful, the
applications. It would blend the topics of statics, dynamics, strength engineer is granted the distinction of being an Interim Engineer (IE).
of materials, machine design, thermodynamics, physics, and math- After passing the FE exam and working under the guidance of a
ematics. It would also entail using CAD software to draft custom gear licensed PE for a minimum of four years, an IE has the opportunity,
designs for production. but not the obligation, to sit for the Professional Engineering (PE) exam.
One candidate who I interviewed was a recent graduate of New York This is an 80-question, 8-hour, discipline-specific exam that has a pas-
City College of Technology. She had earned a Bachelor of Technology in sage rate of 70 percent for first-time test takers and 40 percent for repeat
mechanical engineering technology; she had participated in several test takers. Once granted, the PE license is subject to a periodic renewal
college clubs; she had worked several retail jobs, and she that requires the holder to maintain their engineering
was looking for an entry-level opportunity. As the inter- education through continuing education courses.
view progressed, I noted that her retail jobs had given Engineering is a vast discipline that covers many
her the opportunity to learn how to engage with clients, topics. Because of this, an ABET accredited engineering
her experience with the school clubs had expanded her degree program is focused on a broad stroke approach
practical knowledge of engineering concepts beyond the to engineering education. This exposes the future engi-
classroom, and her classwork in an ABET accredited pro- neer to many concepts but makes them a master of none.
gram gave her the well-rounded education that would Gearing is a topic that is much broader and deeper
help her grow as an engineer. than what is discussed in an engineering education. The
Another candidate I interviewed was also a recent graduate, but typical ABET accredited mechanical engineering program requires a
he had just received his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical single semester course in machine design. During that 16-week term,
engineering from the prestigious Columbia University Fu Foundation there is usually a single lecture that details the basics of gearing. Maybe
School of Engineering and Applied Science. He did not join any of the there is one question about gearing on that chapter’s quiz. As such, it is
school clubs nor did he participate in any of the research projects at up to us in the gearing industry to educate our newly minted engineers
the engineering school. He did not have any prior work experience. into the knowledgeable industry experts that we need them to be.
During the interview, I inquired about the lack of work experience and At the end of my interviewing process, I didn’t hire either engineer.
his lack of participation in any extracurricular activities. The response I didn’t hire the city college candidate because she was already hired
was not what I had hoped for. His position was that he was a graduate by another firm that saw the same potential in her that we did. I didn’t
of Columbia University and that trumped everything else. He also hire the Columbia University engineer because he didn’t understand
demanded a starting salary of $85,000, as that is the value that he that the value of his education wasn’t the name on his diploma but
placed on his diploma. the effort that he put into it. I did eventually hire a passionate, well-
Whether the degree is a BTech in mechanical engineering or a rounded recent graduate
BSME, all students should make certain that their degree is accredited During my 25-year career, I have interviewed hundreds, hired doz-
by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). ens, and mentored many recent college graduates. Most of those who I
This accreditation ensures that the educational standards are equiva- have mentored have gone on to work at Fortune 100 firms, regardless
lent regardless of whether the student is attending a public college of the school they graduated from, because an engineer is a person
with an annual tuition of $16,000 or an Ivy League university with who designs, builds, or maintains mechanical solutions for real-world
an annual tuition of $72,000. problems, while holding their employer’s and the environment’s best
Within the general populace, there is a misnomer regarding being interests at heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brian Dengel is general manager of KHK-USA, which is based in Mineola, New York. Go online to www.khkgears.us

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