Engineering Careers (51 results)

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians are essential to the development of new aircraft and space vehicles. They build, test, and maintain parts for air and spacecraft, and assemble, test, and maintain the vehicles as well. They are key members of a flight readiness team, preparing space vehicles for launch in clean rooms, and on the launch pad. They also help troubleshoot launch or flight failures by testing suspect parts. Read more

Most of the world's energy comes from fossil fuels. However, the amount of fossil fuels is finite, and many people are concerned about where our energy will come from in the future. We can turn to alternative, renewable sources of fuel, such as our sun (solar energy) and the winds (wind energy). But what happens when the sun doesn't shine or the winds don't blow? Would we be stuck? Well, that is where the fuel cell comes in. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that generates electricity… Read more

What makes it possible to create high-technology objects like computers and sports gear? It's the materials inside those products. Materials scientists and engineers develop materials, like metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, that other engineers need for their designs. Materials scientists and engineers think atomically (meaning they understand things at the nanoscale level), but they design microscopically (at the level of a microscope), and their materials are used macroscopically… Read more

In the first dozen years of the 21st century, the Digital Age, you can send and receive email from around the world in the span of a few minutes. Surgeons routinely perform laser surgery that results in less bleeding and faster healing time. Our Air Force defends our skies using electronics-based aircraft that can almost fly itself! What is one of the connections among these advances? Photonics technology! Photonics is the science of using light and electronic devices to create tools that… Read more

Have you ever visited family members for the holidays? You might have started your trip by taking the subway or a train to the airport. Then you jumped on a plane and flew to your destination. Finally, a family member picked you up in his or her car and drove you home. You traveled hundreds of miles in just one day. How did this happen? Who planned the subway route to the airport? Who decided the position of the airport runway? Who designed the highways and roadways? The answer to all of these… Read more

Every day the Earth provides us with many sources of renewable energy to power our lifestyles. Wind energy is an example of a renewable energy because wind is a naturally replenished source. But how can energy be extracted efficiently from the wind? Sounds like a job for a wind energy engineer! The wind energy engineer works on modeling, designing, and building wind turbines and wind farms. These engineers are passionate about wind, renewable energy, and the environment, and they enjoy applying… Read more

Are you passionate about the environment? Do you like developing and implementing new ideas? Do you enjoy talking with people about how humans impact nature? If these things are true about you, then you may be the ideal candidate for a job as a sustainability specialist. Sustainability specialists work in large and small corporations and universities to design and execute energy and resource conservation programs that reduce their employers' impact on the environment. This is a great career for… Read more

Have you ever seen a car-crash safety test? The airbags always deploy just in time to save the test dummy, which is good news for those of us who travel in cars! What makes the airbag deploy properly? A tiny microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device called an accelerometer. MEMS devices are used in many applications, from inkjet printer cartridges to neural probes. Typically 1 micrometer (µm) to 1 millimeter (mm) in dimension, MEMS devices require special techniques to make.… Read more

Microwave ovens, cell phones, video game consoles…all the electronics around you are possible due to technology invented by someone. Inventions can take months, even years of hard work and expense. So how does an inventor make sure that no one else steals their inventions? In this case, patent lawyers are the answer. They work within the legal system to help protect an inventor's original works and stop others from illegally profiting from them. Patent lawyers need to be both… Read more

Earth is our home and is the source of everything that we require to survive and thrive. Earth gives us food, shelter, and energy. One source of energy, found deep within the earth, is oil. Oil drives the world's economy and is an extremely important commodity. Petroleum engineers spend their careers searching for reservoirs of oil and developing methods to efficiently extract it from the earth without damaging the surrounding environment. Read more