The year 1893 witnessed enormous innovations, from Webb C. Ball’s introduction of the railroad chronometer – which became the standard timepiece for trains – to Thomas Edison’s completing construction on the first movie studio.

It also marked the debut of the Ferris Wheel at the Chicago World’s Fair. And in the shadow of that big wheel, the inaugural meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education took place. A dozen years later, the organization had grown to include 400 members from 85 engineering schools, including substantial delegations from major schools like MIT, the University of Wisconsin, Purdue, and Cornell. 

Today, the American Society for Engineering Education continues to thrive. Its 12,000 individual and institutional members are training the world’s future engineers, technologists, and inventors across all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology education, from preschool through graduate school and industry.

Celebrate 125 years at the heart of engineering education with eGFI’s Build a Big Wheel design activity for K-12 students. Or join us for ASEE’s annual conference and exposition in Salt Lake City from June 24 to 27, 2018.

For a sense of the sweep of engineering’s contributions to society, check out the ASEE at 125 website or  Past Forward, the historical timeline that ran in ASEE’s Prism magazine special 120th anniversary issue.

Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features

Tags: American Society for Engineering Education, ASEE, ASEE at 125