The Power of Writing in Engineering

Program Abstract: Strong writing skills are crucial for competitiveness in STEM fields. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has called for training programs in science, technology, and math to incorporate communication skills into their curriculum (Linton, 2013). Moreover, the importance of communication and writing skills in engineering is widely acknowledged by the industry as engineers spend 20 to 40 percent of their working day writing; those in senior management can spend over 70 percent of their day writing. Yet research indicates a gap between communication instruction in engineering programs and expectations from the professionals in the field. This presentation will examine how our reorganization of a required technical professional writing course transforms engineering students' educational experience as they learn effective and relevant professional communication skills in the field of engineering, as they network with mentors from various industries in Doha, Qatar, and as they train to be strong writers and competitive candidates in their engineering fields.