Tailoring engineering education to an innovation economy

Many of the nation’s most experienced engineers are expected to retire within the next several years. At the same time, demand is rising for more engineers with new knowledge and skill sets sought by both established and emerging industries driven by rapid technological advances.

Arizona State University has realigned its engineering education endeavors to produce new engineers who can meet the needs of companies striving to maintain a competitive edge in today’s innovation economy.

In a TV interview, Paul Johnson, dean of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, talks about what his schools are doing to entice younger generations to experience the excitement of engineering – and to provide today’s college engineering majors with learning environments that nurture the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit required of 21st-century engineers.

He also discusses efforts to reverse “brain drain” and keep more Arizona-educated engineers in the state and contributing their expertise in support of the region’s economy.