On the front lines: engineers critical to Alaska's development: hug potential for local graduates.

AuthorOrr, Vanessa
PositionSPECIAL SECTION: ENGINEERING

In a state as underdeveloped as Alaska, the need for engineers is crucial. From developing natural resources to building infrastructure to creating communications systems that link remote villages, the jobs that engineers perform are required to move Alaska forward.

"Only one and a half percent of the state is fully developed, and it is critical that engineers be on the front lines of that process," explains Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors Board Chair Richard Heieren, PS, RCH Surveys, Ltd. "There is a big push for the continued creation of infrastructure to develop our natural resources, and telecommunications are critical because we have so many isolated communities. Whether you are talking about electrical engineers, civil engineers or environmental engineers, they are all critical in the whole process."

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To this end, universities within the state are working to educate the next generation of engineers. And the State's Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors Board, which licenses all engineers within the state, is considering changing its licensing structure to add to the number of branches of engineering for which it provides examinations.

"Alaska presently licenses six branches of engineering: chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, mining and petroleum, and three of the branches are comprised of several disciplines," explained Richard V. Jones, executive administrator, Architects, Engineers and Land Surveyors Board. "The board is considering going to a general license structure, which would add all of the branches of engineering that the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCEES) has an examination for. There would then be a total of 16 branches licensed by Alaska." This idea is currently out for public comment.

The State currently licenses engineers in civil engineering, which includes construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, water resources and environmental; electrical engineering, which includes control systems, computer, electrical and electronics and power; and mechanical engineering, which includes HVAC and refrigeration, mechanical systems and materials, and thermal and fluids systems. It also licenses chemical, mining and petroleum engineers.

If a general licensing structure is approved, the board will begin licensing engineers in 10 other branches including agriculture; architectural; control systems; environmental; fire protection; industrial...

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