ASHRAE Responds ‘Present’ in STEM Education Efforts
ATLANTA’The United States produces approximately 74,000 engineers a year, a number that has remained essentially flat for the past two decades. With the impending retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, an anticipated shortage of engineers will affect virtually every aspect of our environment, society and lifestyle. ASHRAE is increasing its efforts in expressing the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education ‘ most notably, in the area of public policy.
To accomplish this, ASHRAE has joined the STEM Education Coalition. The Coalition works to inform federal, state and local policymakers on the critical role that STEM education plays in keeping the U.S. competitive in the global marketplace, as well as in guaranteeing future economic prosperity. The Coalition advocates for policies that will improve STEM education and provide greater access to STEM programs. As members of the Coalition’s Leadership Council, ASHRAE will work with other member organizations to advance the Coalition’s policy aims through direct advocacy and grassroots education efforts.
‘I took an interest in engineering when I was very young, and my science and math classes in school only fueled that curiosity.” Tom Watson, ASHRAE president, said. ‘Working with the STEM Education Coalition demonstrates ASHRAE’s commitment to education, and we are eager to be a part of high-level discussions and collaboration to promote such important educational topics.”
ASHRAE hopes to unite its grassroots efforts with other organizations of the coalition that have similar goals at the state and local level. For example, ASHRAE encourages policymakers to implement the following recommendations: