Abstract

Many structural engineers attribute their exposure as students to industry mentors as critical to their recruitment into the profession and the initial development of problem-solving skills they now use in the workplace. The desire to provide similar opportunities to the next generation often motivates practitioners to engage in K-12 outreach or take on university positions to teach courses and advise projects. However, as a young engineer the route to becoming a practitioner-educator is not always clear without an advisor who has sought a similar path that can guide them. To address this, the paper will summarize survey results from practicing structural engineers to highlight opportunities they have pursued to teach at the various age levels and the steps one can take to equip themselves for these roles. For the various K-12 and university-level educational engagement opportunities presented, there will be specific discussion of what responsibilities, practice experience, and time commitment are for each given role. Additional commentary in the paper will examine both the value added to the students through K-12 outreach and university-level teaching, and the less frequently considered benefits that engineers teaching can themselves derive from serving as a practitioner-educator.

Disciplines

Architectural Engineering

Number of Pages

21

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URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/aen_fac/188