Raytheon Celebrates National Engineers Week with Nationwide Events and a 'New Face of Engineering'
WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 20, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) kicked off National Engineers Week, Feb. 17-23, with events coast to coast to celebrate the engineering achievements that have shaped our lives, company and our world.
Engaging and exciting young people about engineering professions is the theme of Raytheon's Engineers Week activities. Highlights include:
-- NASCAR Driver Kevin Conway discussing the use of math in racing technology in El Segundo, Calif.; -- Students in McKinney, Texas, learning about the engineering design process to build hovercrafts and fuel cell vehicles to transport eggs; -- Students in Sudbury, Mass., using engineering design to compete in egg drop competitions; and -- Students participating in robotics demonstrations in Largo, Fla."National Engineers Week is a time to reflect on our accomplishments as professionals and as a company. It's also a time to remember our passion for innovation and how we can use it to inspire tomorrow's inventors and problem- solvers," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence , Raytheon Company vice president of Engineering, Technology and Mission Assurance.
"That is why we are so proud that a young Raytheon engineer, Dennis Lee , is among a select group of 14 individuals being recognized this week as 'New Faces of Engineering.'"
Lee, a senior systems engineer with Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, is recognized by the National Engineers Week Foundation as a young engineer who has shown outstanding abilities and leadership. His work on developing real-time imaging systems for unmanned military surveillance aircraft is credited with saving the lives of U.S. personnel and allies. He was nominated by the Project Management Institute.
Not all young people are as focused as Lee. A recent Zogby International survey commissioned by Raytheon revealed that 70 percent of middle school students would like jobs in the engineering field, but of those students, only 38 percent realize it. Despite their interest in design careers in video game development (42 percent), amusement park rides (53 percent) and Mars exploration (37 percent), students don't recognize that they need to study math and science to achieve their dream jobs.
The study also showed that 66 percent of students want a more active learning experience to make math more fun and interesting, so Raytheon employees use games and hands-on interactions in their math and science activities with students.
Specifically, Raytheon's MathMovesU.com website offers a virtual space that connects math directly with students on their terms, using their mediums and engaging them in fun contests, live events and interactive Web content. The goal is to inspire them to pursue educational tracks that will ideally lead to careers in science and engineering.
Raytheon is committed to the development of math and science skills for this generation and the next. Raytheon believes creating awareness and reinforcing math and science skills are critical to support the future technology workforce.
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