2007 Issue

UTAH ENGINEERS COUNCIL JOURNAL 17 Engineering is the application of mathematics and science by which the properties of matter and the resources of energy in nature are made useful to society. When one takes an objective and serious look into what allows our societies to function he would quickly come to the conclusion that it is the engineers who are responsible for providing us with the tools for living and enjoying life. The common man on the street is oblivious to the staggering impact that engineers have on our society. A recent poll taken noted that 62% of the people polled did not know what engineers did. Those of us however who spend our careers studying, designing, and overseeing the construction of the essential elements that allow us to function in today’s societies soon come to understand that this is a noble profession that largely goes unnoticed. There are scores of respectable, admirable and needed professions in our world today and we applaud all who are engaged in worthwhile careers which add to society, but it is the field of engineering which comprehends all others, in that without what we do, other professions could not engage in successfully doing what they do. Scien- tists discover and Engineers turn those discoveries into functioning elements of our everyday living. Consider the breadth of what engineers contribute to humanity: • Design processes and equipment that provide clean drinking water and clean the waste water for re-use. • Design pipelines that transport fuel products for heating our buildings. • Design refineries that provide gasoline for our vehicles. • Design cars, trucks, busses, airplanes, ships and trains that allow us to explore the world. J. HOWARD VAN BOERUM, P.E Van Boerum & Frank Associates, Inc. continued on page 18