Engineering for People

The engineering profession must be concerned with achieving and maintaining a life-supporting environment and be constantly aware of the impact of technology on society and the environment. In an attempt to develop for engineering students a proper and constructive approach to resolving the difficult problems of social, environmental, and engineering interaction, 11 Oregon State students undertook a project study. The topic chosen for investigation was the impact of nuclear power generation in the Pacific Northwest, developing conclusions and recommendations concerning its acceptability. The result was a 67 page report, heavily referenced, which was distributed to the Governors of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and other individuals involved with power generation throughout the country. The project was successful in that it provided a useful summary of information and helped improve the student engineer's image.