January 2018 - The Race to Engineering

Since the first issue in June 2017, the magazine continues to make its stake as a resource for the most fascinating stories throughout the HBCU Research community. The January/February 2018 Engineering issue is no exception. Learning about the uncanny ability of engineers to problem solve is truly captivating.

In this issue, we salute the extraordinary engineering talent of the past, present and future. We spotlight early inventors such as Garrett Morgan,Elijah McCoy, Lewis Latimer, James Maceo West, and Fred McKinley Jones, who remarkably hold over 500 patents collectively. Although, Fred Jones was known as the man with a million ideas, through our research,we quickly learned that the mantra of most engineers seems to be “I have an idea!” This is the one phrase that can be heard in labs, classrooms and communities as engineers solve the problems for mankind.

In our cover story, The Race to Engineering (pg.34), read about how HBCUs unite with industry and government to seek solutions to secure the next generation of engineers and preserve our nation’s leading role in science and technology. The major conversation throughout organizations is how to strengthen the pipeline of engineering talent. This is on the mind of Dr. Juanita Harris, top Army leadership, as she discusses the tactics her team with utilize for talent acquisition and why diversity is critical (pg.22).

One of the most fascinating stories is the Innovation and Promise of 3D printing (pg.16). The applications of 3D printing are limitless, from fixing an eagle’s beak to an astronaut printing needed tools while in outer space. From implementation to investment, we can safely say, 3D printing is one of the waves of the future.

We feature Fannie Gunn Boyd in Keep ‘Em Flying, Girls! (pg.28), one of the first female mechanical engineers at Moten field near Tuskegee during WWII. We also honor Annie Easley, Ursula Burns and April Ericsson, all women pioneers in engineering. These women prove that African American woman have and will continue to contribute to the world of science.