Dean Singer Attends ASEE’s Public Policy Colloquium in DC

February 18, 2025
2 min read
Singer lalota archer asee
CEAS Dean Andrew Singer (center) with U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (left) and Cornell University’s Dean of Engineering Lynden Archer.

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Andrew Singer attended the Public Policy Colloquium, which is part of the Engineering Dean’s Council of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), February 3-5 in Washington, DC. 

The Public Policy Colloquium, begun in 1991, is organized by a Public Policy Committee, comprising engineering deans who are members of the ASEE. Its role is twofold: 1) to strengthen the discussion of engineering education and 2) research issues between the deans of engineering and key public policy makers, and to enable the deans to refine their public policy agenda. 

Singer, along with the engineering deans from Columbia University, Cornell University, University at Albany, University at Buffalo and the University of Rochester, met with various legislators from New York districts, including our own Representative Nick Lalota. Dean Singer also met with Representative Adriano Espaillat’s team, Representative Paul Tonko and Representative Josh Riley’s team.

The deans had the opportunity to discuss exciting research and student stories from their schools. Critical federal support has enabled these developments, which impact the advancing of emerging technologies and respond to societal changes, including national security and health. 

Dean Singer said, “As a member of ASEE, we are responsible for training the next generation of engineers and computer scientists and running the research facilities where scientific discoveries become the building blocks of innovative products, industrial processes and services.” 

Founded initially as the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education (SPEE) in 1893, the society was created at a time of great growth in American higher education. It was formed in the midst of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. During World War II, the federal government started to place more emphasis on research, prompting SPEE to form the Engineering College Research Association (ECRA). After the war, the less research-oriented SPEE integrated with ECRA to form ASEE in 1946. ASEE has seen a rise in membership and recognition over the years as a clearinghouse of information about engineering education and an important tool in shaping the future of the field.