MESSAGING FOR
ENGINEERING

FROM RESEARCH TO ACTION

Committee on Implementing Engineering Messages

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.

NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS   500 Fifth Street, NW   Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: This publication has been reviewed according to procedures approved by the National Academy of Engineering report review process. Publication of signed work signifies that it is judged a competent and useful contribution worthy of public consideration, but it does not imply endorsement of conclusions or recommendations by the National Academy of Engineering. The interpretations and conclusions in such publications are those of the authors and do not purport to present the views of the council, officers, or staff of the National Academy of Engineering.

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC-0957578. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Messaging for engineering : from research to action / Committee on Implementing Engineering Messages.
   pages cm
 “This publication builds on the 2008 NAE publication, Changing the conversation : messages for improving public understanding of engineering”—Preface.
 Includes bibliographical references.
 ISBN 978-0-309-26180-7 (paperback) — ISBN 978-0-309-26181-4 (pdf) 1.
Communication in engineering. 2. Engineering—Social aspects—United States. 3. Engineers—Public relations—United States. I. National Academy of Engineering. Committee on Implementing Engineering Messages. II. National Academy of Engineering. Committee on Public Understanding of Engineering Messages. Changing the conversation.
 TA158.5.M47 2013
 620.001’4—dc23

2013018880

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers of the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

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COMMITTEE ON IMPLEMENTING ENGINEERING MESSAGES

ELLEN KULLMAN (Cochair), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE

CHARLES M. VEST (Cochair), National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC

G. WAYNE CLOUGH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

LESLIE COLLINS, National Engineers Week Foundation, Alexandria, VA

DON P. GIDDENS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

ROBERT HOFFMAN, Hoffman and Partners LLC, Boston, MA

RAY O. JOHNSON, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD

VIRGINIA KRAMER, Keiler & Company, Farmington, CT

IRVING PRESSLEY MCPHAIL, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, White Plains, NY

E. JAMES PRENDERGAST, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Piscataway, NJ

BETTY SHANAHAN, Society of Women Engineers, Chicago, IL

Staff

GREG PEARSON, Senior Program Officer, National Academy of Engineering

MARIBETH KEITZ, Senior Program Associate, National Academy of Engineering

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PREFACE

This report is the final product of the Committee on Implementing Engineering Messages of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The project overseen by the committee had three objectives: (1) develop an online “toolkit” containing messaging-related resources, community-building applications, and other resources to support the goal of promoting broader use of new messages for improving the public understanding of engineering; (2) facilitate dialogue between organizations that have developed implementation strategies for the new engineering messages and influential stakeholders in the engineering community that have not yet implemented the messages; and (3) create an “action plan” to guide adoption and use of the online toolkit and encourage coordinated outreach to the public by the broader engineering community. The committee’s report fulfills the project’s third objective.

This publication builds on the 2008 NAE publication Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering. Changing the Conversation (CTC) presented the results of a research-based effort to develop and test new, more effective ways of communicating to the public about engineering. The new messages

recast engineering as inherently creative and concerned with human welfare, as well as an emotionally satisfying calling. The CTC report stimulated considerable interest among segments of the engineering community, and some organizations adopted the project’s messages in their outreach. Overall, however, the report’s impact has fallen short of its potential to galvanize action by the broader engineering community. Our committee’s effort is intended to help remedy that situation.

This report provides background related to engineering messaging, reports on progress made in implementing the CTC messages, and suggests specific steps that can be taken by each of the major players in the engineering community to continue and build on the implementation that has taken place. As we note in the report, like any rebranding effort, creating more accurate and positive perceptions of engineering is a long-term proposition. Through the work of the NAE and other organizations, the engineering community has the tools in hand to make considerable progress. The information in this document, we hope, will provide incentive for meaningful action.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies. The purpose of the independent review is to provide candid and critical comments to assist the NAE in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the views expressed in the report, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Julia M. Phillips, Sandia National Laboratories. Appointed by the NAE, she was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authors and the NAE.

CONTENTS

MESSAGING FOR ENGINEERING

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