So you have fun at work... by Kimberly Chapple

You're an engineer and you like to have fun. That's what viewers of the traveling exhibit, Breaking Through: The Creative Engineer, are learning as it makes its way across America. Through a series of eight case studies, Breaking Through examines creativity in the field of engineering and the engineering process. Attendees discover for themselves that behind the scenes, many seemingly commonplace things are anything but common. From roller coaster to aerospace design, the exhibit contrasts engineering wonders with traditional examples of creativity, such as visual art, music, architecture and literature.

The exhibit also explores how you, our readers, made these wonders happen. It demonstrates how challenging preconceptions, connecting different fields, improvising, defying convention, visualizing new possibilities, reorienting priorities, and other creative processes contribute to the engineer's work. The exhibit is supported by National Engineers Week, a coalition of major engineering societies and U.S. corporations.

For more information, circle 667 - Association of Science-Technology Centersor connect directly to their website via the Online Reader Service Program at http://www.1rs.com/010df-667

...and you get paid for it

Anyone get a raise last year for having so much fun? According to the National Society of Professional Engineers' 2000 Income & Salary Survey, total annual income for engineers rose 3.7%, increasing 1% over the Consumer Price Index that rose by 2.7%.

NSPE's 34th national compensation survey reports the median total annual income for engineers came in at $75,500. Who made the most? By metropolitan area, engineers in San Francisco/Oakland, CA, had the highest median income at $100,948. Engineers in Nassau/Suffolk Counties, NY, were second at $94,920. The lowest median income by metropolitan area was Providence, RI, at $62,500. Measuring by major branch of engineering, petroleum engineers earned the most at $110,000. Mining and nuclear engineers ranked second and third at $98,471 and $97,110, respectively. By industry, engineers employed by producers of food/beverage/tobacco earned the highest median income at $91,750.

The 84-page survey analyzes engineers' salaries by length of experience, level of education, level of professional responsibility, branch of engineering, job function, industry or service of employer, registration status, supervisory/managerial responsibility, region and metropolitan area, and origin. It also examines the effect of downsizing on engineers. Copies of the report are available at http://www.1rs.com/010df-567.