Spring Break
Kamen receives Engineer of the Year award
Anthony Cesarini
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: News
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Dean Kamen, an accomplished inventor and advocate for science and technology, was honored at the College of Engineer's Engineer of the Year ceremony Feb. 23 at the Rittenhouse Hotel. According to Selçuk Güçeri, dean of the College of Engineering, the banquet was the largest the CoE has ever held.
Kamen is well known for his inventions of the Segway, a human transportation device, and the iBot, a wheelchair-like device that can climb up stairs and over other objects. Recently, Kamen has also worked on projects that aim to bring electricity and purified water to third-world countries. He also founded FIRST Robotics, an organization that aims to get teens interested in science and engineering. He currently holds the presidency of DEKA Research and Development Corporation.
Güçeri presented Kamen with the 2007 Engineer of the Year award. Afterward, Kamen lectured 385 Drexel professors, alumni, students and administrators about FIRST Robotics and his recent work.
Kamen told the crowd about his primary concern; something he feels is a growing national problem.
"This country needs more engineers - a lot more," he said.
Kamen worries because China and India graduated about 500,000 engineering students last year, while the United States graduated just 72,000.
He emphasized that he believes the problem is not due to a lack of education, books or other supplies.
"It's a demand issue. Our culture doesn't make science and engineering something that is exciting for kids. The average kid in this country can't figure out the difference between a real hero, a celebrity and just plain nonsense."
Kamen explained that this confusion is increasingly seen in young women and minorities who think that the best jobs are in the sports and entertainment fields.
In 1990, Kamen enlisted the help of corporations who employ engineers to form an organization that would attempt to "change the culture of the United States."
The result was FIRST Robotics, an organization funded by private business that aims to get children interested in science and engineering by using a sports model.
Kamen is well known for his inventions of the Segway, a human transportation device, and the iBot, a wheelchair-like device that can climb up stairs and over other objects. Recently, Kamen has also worked on projects that aim to bring electricity and purified water to third-world countries. He also founded FIRST Robotics, an organization that aims to get teens interested in science and engineering. He currently holds the presidency of DEKA Research and Development Corporation.
Güçeri presented Kamen with the 2007 Engineer of the Year award. Afterward, Kamen lectured 385 Drexel professors, alumni, students and administrators about FIRST Robotics and his recent work.
Kamen told the crowd about his primary concern; something he feels is a growing national problem.
"This country needs more engineers - a lot more," he said.
Kamen worries because China and India graduated about 500,000 engineering students last year, while the United States graduated just 72,000.
He emphasized that he believes the problem is not due to a lack of education, books or other supplies.
"It's a demand issue. Our culture doesn't make science and engineering something that is exciting for kids. The average kid in this country can't figure out the difference between a real hero, a celebrity and just plain nonsense."
Kamen explained that this confusion is increasingly seen in young women and minorities who think that the best jobs are in the sports and entertainment fields.
In 1990, Kamen enlisted the help of corporations who employ engineers to form an organization that would attempt to "change the culture of the United States."
The result was FIRST Robotics, an organization funded by private business that aims to get children interested in science and engineering by using a sports model.
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