Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE)

Society Of Automotive Engineers Inc, Warrendale PA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of WISE 2002 is to support the participation of fifteen engineering students each year in the 2002 - 2004 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) programs. The NSF grant will be used to help facilitate the participation of students from underrepresented minority groups and currently underrepresented engineering disciplines to make the program truly multidisciplinary and diverse. Since 1980, the WISE program has brought up to 18 students each summer a total of 324 thus far to Washington, DC to learn first-hand how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. Throughout the ten weeks, the students interacted with leaders in the Congress and the Administration, industry, and prominent non- governmental organizations. Meetings with Congressional committees, executive office departments, and corporate government affairs offices were daily activities. In addition, each student researched and completed a paper on a current and topical engineering-related public policy issue.