The National Academy of Engineering and engineering professional societies: "Linking Engineering Leadership to National Service"

D. Nathan Meehan

doi:10.54844/eer.2025.1021

Authors

D. Nathan Meehan Texas A&M University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5658-0524

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54844/eer.2025.1021

Keywords:

professionalism, ethics, national academy, profiessional society, engineering leadership, honorary organizations

Abstract

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the three academies operating under the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, plays a pivotal role in advising the federal government on engineering and technology-related matters. Created under the same 1863 congressional charter that established the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the NAE convenes experts from diverse backgrounds to provide consensus-driven guidance on pressing national issues. This paper presents an overview of the NAE's structure, membership, and study processes, highlighting its unique contributions. Most NAE members belong to one or more engineering professional societies (EPS); the relationship of NAE to these societies is reviewed. The purpose of this paper is to illuminate opportunities for collaborations between EPS and the NAE and demonstrate a high degree of existing collaboration between EPS members and the NAE. While election to the NAE is a significant honor for an engineer, the NAE exists primarily as a service organization, providing advice to the government and conducting scientific and practical studies. The process for election to the NAE is discussed. The study processes of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) are reviewed, with examples including impactful work in safety reform following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, guiding National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s repair of the Hubble telescope, and the development of fuel economy standards. The NAE's commitment to a variety of memberships across academia, industry, government, and non-profits (GNP) organizations, as well as its emphasis on leadership, innovation, and societal impact, are discussed in detail. The paper discusses how engineers can contribute more actively to NAE's mission.

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