In a nearly 27-month effort, members of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) serving on the Software Engineering Licensure Consortium worked to promote establishing a licensure path for software engineers who are engaged in work that affects the public health, safety, and welfare. Their efforts paid off when the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) approved the development of a new professional engineering exam for software engineers during their Board of Directors meeting in August.

Several Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC) contract documents have recently been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use by applicants, owners, and borrowers in the Rural Utilities Service's Water and Waste Disposal program. This approval eliminates the need to purchase the separate Funding Agency edition of the documents, thereby streamlining the process. The approved documents are

Every day, companies across the U.S. are involved in the research and development of new products that stimulate the life and growth of our country. These products result from the contribution of engineers and engineering principles, while also providing an overall benefit to society. The National Society of Professional Engineers is seeking those innovative products and their inventors for consideration in the New Product Awards program, which provides wide recognition for both the products and the companies that create them.

The National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies have recognized Ventura County, Calif.; St. Joseph, Mo.; and Austin as recipients of the 2009 QBS Merit Awards for their commitment to Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) in the procurement of A/E services.

Whether it's developing circulatory support devices for children; forging partnerships between American and Iraqi engineers; researching environmental impacts of rivers, dams, or military construction projects; improving workplace health and safety; or studying acoustics in turbomachinery, these are just some of the responsibilities of the 10 high-caliber finalists for the Federal Engineer of the Year Award.

Lisa M. Fotherby, Ph.D., P.E., a project leader and hydraulic engineer in the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group with the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, has been named the National Society of Professional Engineers's 2010 Federal Engineer of the Year. Fotherby received the honor during the 31st Annual FEYA Banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on February 18, 2010.

Members and their clients can now improve the energy efficiency and performance of their facilities and projects, and make a fundamental commitment to protecting the environment, through a new partnership between the National Society of Professional Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR. Through the partnership, NSPE will be working toward helping members establish energy management approaches to enhance their financial health and preserve the environment for future generations.

The National Society of Professional Engineers has named 35 professional engineers to its 2010 class of Fellow Members. The Fellow membership grade honors those active NSPE members who have demonstrated exemplary and devoted service to their profession, their Society, and their community.

Gregs G. Thomopulos, P.E., F.ASCE, F.ACEC, received the National Society of Professional Engineers' 2010 Distinguished Service Award at its recent annual meeting in Orlando.

Four new products have been recognized for their innovative use of engineering principles and materials, as well as overall benefit to society, by the National Society of Professional Engineers's Professional Engineers in Industry (NSPE-PEI).