A Computer Engineering Nucleus for Electrical Engineering Curricula

An approach is proposed for including a sequence of four computer engineering courses in required undergraduate electrical engineering curricula. Justification of the need is presented in terms of the modern electrical engineer's involvement with the digital computer. Each course is described in terms of objectives, content, prerequisites, laboratory, credit, scheduling, and possible texts. Implementation of the sequence is also considered in relation to laboratory facility needs, availability of qualified instructors, and accommodation in existing curricula. Experience with a similar arrangement at Auburn University is related.     

Engineering for humanitarian development

Although the work of engineers has contributed enormously worldwide to economic development and quality of life, the unintended consequences of engineers' work also have often caused harm to natural and social systems. Furthermore, the engineers' work is delivered predominantly to developed nations, leaving underdeveloped nations without adequate facilities and infrastructure to build sustainable economies. While these effects have been criticized for at least three decades, the engineering community has struggled with how to respond. Topdown approaches for delivering aid to underdeveloped nations have had questionable results. At the same time, and surprisingly, engineers have not been closely involved in the technical aspects of these aid efforts. What is needed is a new form of engineering project delivery, an approach that meets the technical and social challenges involved in working in underdeveloped communities, but at the same time delivers appropriate and sustainable solutions. A new form of engineering education is needed, one that covers a wide range of technical and non-technical issues, including water provisioning and purification, sanitation, public health, power production, shelter, site planning, infrastructure, food production and distribution, and communication.     

Electrical Engineering for Freshmen

A course in electrical engineering for freshmen, suitable for both engineering and non-engineering students, is presented. The course is intended to give the students an overall view of the field, at the same time teaching them enough fundamentals that they will be able to diagnose and develop simple circuits, getting a taste of design. A hydraulic analog is presented for ease and speed in teaching basic electrical concepts. An unconventional teaching technique, the "inclassdrill," is used, with encouraging results.     

Engineering strategies for drug delivery

A drug is a molecule that changes physiological functions when absorbed into the cells or tissues of a living organism. It can be used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose diseases or to enhance physical or mental health. However, the discovery of a drug is an expensive, long, and challenging process. It can take 15 years for a big pharmaceutical company to spend more than US$500 million for developing a new drug. Despite the high cost, many drugs themselves can only provide the human being with modest desired effects. Moreover, almost all drugs can cause side effects when they act in the body. Therefore, there is a clear need to maximize the efficacy of a drug and simultaneously reduce its side effects. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to find a way to help drugs to primarily reach the target area of the body (e.g., solid tumors). Drug delivery is the right discipline for studying methods for administering drugs in a safe and efficient manner. The success of this discipline relies on different expertises from chemists, biologists, and engineers. In this special issue of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, we will particularly illustrate the significance of engineering knowledge in drug delivery through a collection of six articles from experts in the field.     

Education for Electric Power Engineering

This invited paper was presented at the Second Panamerican Congress of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. A one-year graduate program in electric power engineering has been in operation at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since the fall of 1962; it has been quite successful, with the number of participating students increasing tenfold in this five-year period, from three students in 1962 to thirty-five students in 1967. Among a total 10 percent of students from outside the United States in the program, some are from South American countries. This program is based on engineering education, with emphasis on the electrical phase, acquired in studies leading to a first degree on the bachelor level. Completion of the program results in the Master of Engineering degree. The students devote about half of their time to electric power engineering topics, and the other half to advanced studies covering engineering economics, mathematics, and applied physics. A suggested syllabus includes a variety of recommended courses which enable the student to develop a coordinated program that is general enough to provide a well-rounded foundation for continued studies in specialized areas.     

接地系统工程设计

结合220kV后村变电站的工程数据,探讨目前高土壤电阻率降阻措施及分析接地设计参数对地电位、接触电位差、跨步电位差的影响程度。