Whether its directing national or global disaster recovery and mitigation efforts; maintaining power stability and efficiency of vital infrastructure; providing airfield and weapons expertise to support military operations; identifying and reducing occupational hazards; or instructing the future generations of military civil engineers, these are just some of the responsibilities of the 10 high-caliber finalists for this year’s Federal Engineer of the Year Award program.

–The National Society of Professional Engineers has endorsed the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2013. Introduced by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV), this legislation (S.1579) would ensure that our nation’s service members are recognized for their invaluable contributions to our nation and for their personal sacrifices.

The National Society of Professional Engineers has urged the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to strengthen its qualification standards for filling federal professional engineering positions. OPM recently issued a proposed draft revision to the current qualification standards that would add ABET-accredited engineering technology bachelor degrees as qualifying for professional engineering positions.

As part of its "100 Years of Licensure" celebration activities, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has partnered with the National Council of Engineering Examiners and Surveyors (NCEES) to continue the promotion of licensure and its importance to both the engineering profession and the public health, safety, and welfare.

The National Society of Professional Engineers is pleased to announce that Lawrence A. Jacobson has been named to serve as the Society's executive director by the NSPE Board of Directors at its meeting on January 6 in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacobson brings a wealth of leadership experience in association management and will lead the organization in its efforts to promote professional licensure and the engineering profession.

The National Society of Professional Engineers has selected the top 10 finalists for its prestigious 28th Annual Federal Engineer of the Year Award program. The FEYA winner will be announced during a ceremony on February 22 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Expanding on the success of its joint PE and FE/EIT on-site review courses, the National Society of Professional Engineers has officially partnered with Kaplan AEC Education to offer discounts on Kaplan's exam preparation and new online continuing education courses and professional titles, providing additional benefits and opportunities to its members.

Garrett D. Polhamus, Ph.D., P.E., chief of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Bioeffects Division, the world's premier center for researching the bioeffects of lasers and microwaves, has been named the National Society of Professional Engineers' 2007 Federal Engineer of the Year. Polhamus received the honor during the 28th Annual FEYA Banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on February 22.

For the first time since 1996, the Engineers Joint Contract Document Committee has updated many of its engineer/subconsultant and owner/engineer documents. EJCDC contract documents are widely recognized as the most fair and objective documents in the engineering, construction, and design-build industries and are available for purchase through the National Society of Professional Engineers.